Northern Thailand’s top 9 open kitchens

Chiang Mai’s fine-dining scene has a new benchmark in Belén, a collaboration between local restaurateur Tao Ingudananda (Kiti Panit, Ledu) and chef Paulo Airaudo (who holds six Michelin stars between his restaurants). The kitchen is led by Italian Executive Chef Matteo Santalucia, whose impressive resume spans The Fat Duck, Maison Pic, La Dame de Pic, and Alain Ducasse. His style blends European precision with Japanese influences, while drawing 80 percent of ingredients from Northern Thailand’s fields, forests and farms.

Dinner begins in the moody library lounge, with amuse-bouches and Monsoon Tea before stepping through a hidden bookcase door into the 18-seat dining room. 10 of these seats face the open kitchen, where dishes unfold in full view: barracuda tartelette with dashi, seared Hokkaido scallop in a luscious XO-champagne sauce with green curry butter and milk bread on the side, tomato risotto with uni and a standout chawanmushi with charred corn. Desserts balance playfulness and elegance, from a mangosteen and white chocolate creation to a goat cheese flan with Thai plums, finishing with a whimsical Star Wars-inspired whiskey jelly. Ambitious, intimate and polished, it’s tipped to become Chiang Mai’s first Michelin-starred restaurant.

Belén. 14-course menu B5,500; wine pairing B2,500. InterContinental Chiang Mai the Mae Ping, Chang Klan. Open Thu-Mon, 5.30pm-11pm.

What began as a one-night-a-week hangout among friends has evolved into one of Chiang Mai’s most personal dining experiences. Chefs Patsorn ‘Nick’ Vilaihongsa and Nont Panayanggool now helm Friend’s Table six nights a week, alternating as leads in the kitchen. Seating a maximum of 14 guests, the restaurant feels like dining in someone’s living room – except the ‘living room’ is the kitchen itself. Board games still line the shelves, a nod to its casual origins, but the menu is all ambition.

The current 10-course tasting leans on street food inspiration elevated with luxury ingredients: a charcoal-grilled tamarind prawn, wagyu steak frites with duck fat potatoes, and snow fish bao with crab tamarind reduction. Dishes shift every three months, and add-ons like a smoked salmon rosette or wagyu sirloin make the experience even more indulgent. With a mostly female team running both kitchen and floor, the atmosphere is warm, precise and unpretentious – an open-kitchen concept taken to its most intimate.

Friend’s Table by Nick and Nont. 10-course menu B2,990. Nong Khwai, Hang Dong. Open Wed-Mon, 6.30pm-10.30pm.

Nestled in a humble yet artful Lanna-style house on the outskirts of Chiang Rai, Chef Kongwuth ‘Kong’ Chaiwongkachon turns each seven-course tasting menu into a multisensory performance. Up to 12 diners sit alongside his open kitchen, where every dish is introduced with stories of the ingredient’s origin – whether from local farmers, fishermen, or even wild ecosystems – making each course an education on local terroir.

Menus change every three months and lean into Northern Thai traditions interpreted with creative restraint and deep, thoughtful reinvention. Highlights have included prawn-and-radish cannelloni with fermented mustard‑green butter, tom som pla with chayote vine, khao soi gai in a contemporary glaze and inventive-yet-familiar desserts like the amethyst bualoy‑krongkrang‑tubtim krob medley. Don’t skip the wine pairing or the rum digestif, both carefully composed to enhance the dining experience.

Locus Native Food Lab. Seasonal menu B3,000-3,500. Mae Kon, Chiang Rai. Open Mon-Sat, 5.30pm-8.30pm.

For over a decade, Cuisine de Garden has defined Chiang Mai’s fine-dining scene through the singular vision of Chef Rinnameth ‘Nan’ Thaisuchat. A self-taught chef who shifted from his family’s furniture business to pursue food, Chef Nan transformed the old showroom into today’s dining room – an intimate space of just four tables and a bar, where guests watch him finish dishes in front of shelves lined with his fermentation jars.

Menus change four times a year, following the rhythm of the seasons and a strict no-waste ethos. At least 95 percent of ingredients are sourced locally (wheat flour is the only import) and the current menu, Nordic Rain, explores sourness in all its forms – from fermented crab custard to a standout lobster with mushroom crumble. The beef course – smoked Thai bavette glazed with Java plum wine – is to die for, rich and soulful, like a Thai riff on beef bourguignon. Desserts lean on Thai nostalgia with pandan ice cream, mango macadamia tart and churros with matcha.

Cuisine de Garden. 10-course menu B2,590. Nong Khwai, Hang Dong. Open Wed-Thurs 6pm-10pm, Fri-Sun 12.30pm-3pm and 6pm-10pm.

Minimalist and restrained, Pari- is one of Chiang Mai’s most elegant expressions of ingredient-forward dining. The space is pared-back, designed to let the food and the open kitchen take centre stage. Flames leap and smoke drifts as vegetables, meats and seafood are grilled or fermented with little adornment, often accompanied by nothing more than a pinch of salt or soy. The dry-aged raw fish with ponzu says it all – minimalist in presentation, maximalist in flavour.

Lunch leans casual with rice bowls, gyoza and small plates, while dinner shifts toward more refined a la carte dishes such as grilled organic chicken with yuzu kosho and simple but unforgettable vegetables like cabbage or eggplant cooked over the fire. Pari’s appeal lies in its purity – no flourishes, just thoughtful cooking where every ingredient is allowed to speak. It’s the kind of place where you leave remembering the flavour of the cabbage as much as the beef.

Pari-. Dinner mains from B225. Phra Sing, Chiang Mai. Open daily, 10am-2pm, 6pm-11pm.

Maadae takes streetside open kitchen themes to the next level as smoke from its charcoal grills wafts into the evening air, carrying the scent of the catch of the day. Born during the pandemic to support Thailand’s artisanal fishermen, it has since become a local favourite under the careful eye of Chef Yaowadee ‘Yao’ Chookong, who now also runs a popular cooking school outside of town.

Fish offerings change daily – whole mackerel, trevally or snapper grilled over charcoal fire. There are house favourites too: rich fish chuchee curry, bright crab ceviche with homemade chips and refreshing fried fish pomelo salad with shrimp paste. Outdoor seating puts you right at the heart of the action, flames flaring from street-side grills. Drinks and desserts are hyper-local too – house-brewed teas, Daydrinker’s Collective mead from Chiang Dao, seasonal fruit sodas and ice cream from nearby farms.

Maadae Slowfish Kitchen. Mains from B300. Thapae Road, Chiang Mai. Open daily 11am-2pm, 5pm-10pm.

With just five tables, Rasik is one of Chiang Mai’s most cosy dining rooms – an understated space where Chef Sala ‘Waii’ Sakdadej cooks with precision, care and a big smile. ‘The reason we decided to create an open kitchen is because we want our guests to see every step of the cooking process before the food reaches their table,’ he explains. ‘It also makes communication between the kitchen and the guests easier and more enjoyable, almost like giving them a little show to watch while waiting for their food.’ The menu is shaped around the seasons, and always includes a daily catch that can be grilled over charcoal.

On the current menu, red curry with grilled pork collar and Damask rose petals is a must-order – hearty yet delicate, unforgettable for its balance of richness and floral nuance. It finds its perfect counterpart in the Thai omelette, cooked in pork lard until the edges are crunchy. Another standout is grilled tender local beef rib finger, finished with northern-style roasted rice and spice crust so tender it melts like butter in your mouth, paired with punchy jaew dipping sauce. For Chef Waii, the goal is simple; ‘We want to keep the flavours familiar but elevate the experience, so people taste something they know, but in a way they’ll never forget.’

Rasik Local Kitchen. Mains from B120. Chang Khlan, Chiang Mai. Open Wed-Mon 5pm-10pm.

Built for freedom, the menu changes every two months with weekly tweaks depending on what’s freshest. There are no courses, no rules. Instead, diners choose from four categories – plants, meat, fish and dessert – and can mix and match in any order. A plate of five-spice pork belly – so good we reordered it twice – captures the spirit of the place through bold, comforting and deeply local ingredients. Other standouts include tandoori broccoli with homemade Greek yoghurt and a durian creme brulee that stops diners in their tracks. 

What makes Ikigai stand out is Chef James’s ingredient philosophy. He visits farmers himself, builds relationships and even pays above asking price to make sure growers thrive. As he puts it, ‘A chat, a handshake and a cup of coffee tells you more about a family than any certification.’ That respect for provenance shines through in every dish – playful, personal and deeply tied to local sourcing. For kitchen nerds, there’s an extra treat: a vast collection of restored Japanese chef’s knives available for sale, free sharpenings included.

Ikigai. Mains from B350. Fa Ham, Chiang Mai. Open Tue-Fri 5pm-10pm, Sat 12pm-10pm.

Tucked behind the daytime bustle of Thanin Market, Penn.Izakaya is easy to miss – its black steel facade framed by a discreet circular staircase gives it a mysterious, almost clandestine feel. Inside, the space opens into an intimate dining bar wrapped around an open kitchen, with just a handful of extra tables. An experience that mixes food and music, the DJ is positioned right beside the chefs and their open fire. As you watch her bobbing to the beat, flames roar just behind – a scene that feels equal parts club and kitchen.

The menu leans towards an izakaya-style but with noticeable Thai flourishes, perfect for sharing over sake, wine or beer. The grilled beef was a standout – smokey, charred, tender and full of flavour – while the small plates balance comfort with a touch of refinement. Part hidden bar, part chef’s counter, it’s one of those places you stumble on once and immediately want to keep as your own secret.

Penn.Izakaya. Mains from B100. Chang Phueak, Chiang Mai. Open daily 6pm-12am.