Chiang Mai has recently seen several new restaurants open up which are offering the best fine dining in the city, joining the ranks of the already well established.
Oxygen at X2
Chiang Mai’s first restaurant helmed by a Michelin chef has now opened to great acclaim. Chef Nicolas Isnard oversees the menu, and often flies in for special occasions, leaving the kitchen in the trusty hands of Chef Alexandre Demard. We have yet to try the standard menu, having only visited twice for special occasions, but each time the dishes were joyfully playful, very creative and thoughtfully presented, generously portioned and utterly delicious. You will get to taste food that you have not tasted here in Chiang Mai before and the entire meal is an experience to write home about. The setting, in an elegant glassed dining room overlooking a lawn sloping gently down towards the Ping is sumptuous. The cocktail and wine menu are both excellent with fun and fabulous cocktails to kick off the evening and a great wine list designed to pair well with the meal. This is a great new dining destination for any foodie looking to be surprised and entertained while enjoying a fine dining experience.
369/1 Charoenraj Road, Wat Gate
x2resorts.com/resorts/chiang-mai-riverside
053 931 999
Khao at Four Seasons
Khao is a sophisticated Thai restaurant which pays homage to the different traditions of cooking in the north of Thailand. Humble and often little known local dishes remain faithful in flavours yet are elevated to a level of sophistication through often innovative use of produce and techniques. The dishes are exquisitely presented and the staff eager to tell the story of every dish and recommend a matching wine. Chiang Mai has long lacked a Thai fine dining restaurant which, while sensitive to foreign palates and preferences, doesn’t shy away from big bold beautiful local flavours: Khao has stepped up to the spotlight with its all-round impeccable cuisine, setting and service. The eponymous rice – khao – is the star of the show and as you gaze at the flickering candle lights from the rice fields below, you can dine on a variety of strains of rice which are carefully paired with dishes which showcase the rich cuisines of the region. If you have visitors you need to impress, or a special occasion, then we cannot recommend this restaurant enough.
Open 7am – 10pm
Four Seasons Resort Mae Rim-Samoeng Old Road,
Chiang Mai
www.fourseasons.com/chiangmai
053 298 181
Pong Yang Ang Doi
This resort restaurant was booted out of its stunning old location with views of a cascading waterfall, much to our chagrin. But we are pleased to announce that it has just reopened at the old Mae Sa Valley. This exquisitely, perhaps even painstakingly, landscaped valley has a trickling stream running through it and the restaurant perches just on its edge, making for a delightful weekend lunch spot. The menu is vast but we can’t stop raving about the wing bean salad, which is about as delicious as they come or the creative fish laab which is just so moreish you will want to order a bag home. Sit under a pretty umbrella during the sunny months and dig into a feast while enjoying the views of one of Chiang Mai’s most gnomed resorts.
Open 11am – 9pm
86 Moo 2, Near Mae Sa Valley Garden Resort,
Mae Rim-Samoeng Road
Facebook: PongyangAngdoiRestaurant
085 618 8885
