Thailand Guide
The north
Nightlife and entertainment
1 Brasserie 37 Thanon Charoenrat Decent restaurant with pretty riverside terraces, but more famous as the venue for some of the city's best live blues and rock. Warms up around 11pm.
2 
Drunken Flower (Mao Dok Mai) 295/1 Soi 1, Thanon Nimmanhemin Laid-back and very congenial, this quirky venue is a favourite among university students and twenty-somethings, both Thai and farang. Reasonable prices for drinks and an eclectic range of background music.
3 Fine Thanks 119 Thanon Nimmanhemin Popular among Thais, yet welcoming to foreigners, an indoor-outdoor pub-restaurant, dimly lit and draped with plants. Thai bands play a mix of Thai and Western pop-rock.
4 The Hemp Collective 19/4–5 Thanon Kotchasarn, opposite Tha Pae Gate. Laid-back crusty place, decorated with paper lanterns, with DJs playing an eclectic music choice to the floor cushions in the rooftop bar.
5 Khan-asa 87 Thanon Siphum Located inside the moat, just east of Chang Phuak Gate, this friendly bar has a cosy ambience and an eclectic range of music that makes it an ideal spot for a chat with friends. Good food at reasonable prices, too.
6 Monkey Club 7 Soi 9, Thanon Nimmanhemin More sophisticated than your average Chiang Mai bar-restaurant, with stylish white outdoor seating around a small pond, though none of that matters later in the evening when the crowd of twenty-something Thais starts dancing round their tables to Thai pop bands and DJs.
7 Pinte Blues Pub 33/6 Thanon Moonmuang The front of this simple bar is so small that you could miss it if you blink, but it's one of the city's longest-standing venues, and an ideal spot for a chat over cheap drinks with blues in the background.
8 The Pub 189 Thanon Huai Kaeo Homely, relaxing expat hangout, with the nearest thing to an English pub atmosphere to be found in Chiang Mai. Draught beer, and items like bangers and mash and Sunday roast (B250) on the menu.
9 Riverside 9 Thanon Charoenrat 
053 243239 On one side of the road candlelit terraces by the water and an often heaving, lively bar for gigs, on the other a spacious complex of rooms, terraces and a stage. Various soloists and bands perform nightly on the two stages, with the tempo increasing as the night wears on. Long, reliable menu of Western and Thai food and drinks also on offer. For an extra B90, you can dine on their boat that cruises up the Ping River each evening at 8pm (boarding 7.15pm).
10 Spicy 82 Thanon Chaiyapoom; opposite Somphet market Chiang Mai's favourite late-night spot and the place to go when everywhere else is closed. DJs spin international music and food and drinks are in plentiful supply for the restless crowd of party animals. Opening time: 9pm– late
11 UN Irish Pub 24/1 Thanon Ratchawithi Though it hasn't had an Irish owner for a few years now, this is a cordial, well-run pub that serves Guinness and Heineken on tap and reasonably priced wine, as well as good, moderately priced food, including home-made bread for satisfying breakfasts and sandwiches, home-made pies, Irish stew and pizzas. Live music Wed & Fri, quiz night Thurs, and all manner of sports on TV.
12 Warm Up 40 Thanon Nimmanhemin Hugely popular venue with students and young locals, offering both live bands and DJs spinning the latest sounds in two different sections.
13 Writer's Club and Wine Bar 141/3 Thanon Ratchdamnoen. Welcoming bar near the centre of the old city, run by an English writer and popular among expat residents and visitors, serving a range of beers and wines, plus good Thai and Western food. Opening time: Closed Sat