A list of places for V60 and Specialty Coffee enthusiasts, and a bit about the local coffee culture.

Northern Thailand is a coffee region, with dozens of coffee farms in the mountains. However, finding a good pour-over with local beans is a quest. In most places, local beans are far from specialty and not all are suitable for filter coffee. In a random place, the coffee is likely to be very acidic or bitter without any special characteristics. I will recommend a few places where I liked the coffee, as well as a few places with a good interior and atmosphere.

Bannok Coffee Roasters

Everything came together here - both the atmosphere and the coffee. This would be my favorite cafe if it wasn’t so far from the center. But that’s also part of its charm, as the cafe is located in a large abandoned building outside the city.

They roast and brew coffee from their own farm here. There is plenty of space and a large selection of their own beans. Suitable for work and anything else. The beans are good, and the roasters have won awards at local competitions and championships. Their Thai Geisha is the best local bean I’ve tried. Definitely recommend visiting.

Ristr8to

Ristr8to is a chain of cafes managed by a barista champion in latte art. They roast and brew local and imported beans. The champion himself, as far as I understand, doesn’t brew anything here, and the baristas can be inexperienced. Don’t expect miracles. I tried pour-over here about three times, and only liked it once. I can’t directly recommend it, but you also can’t pass it by - it’s one of the most famous places in Chiang Mai. In addition, the cafes in this chain have a very stylish interior and a trendy, youthful, and definitely not a working atmosphere.

☕️ Ristr8to Original - this particular spot is located by a noisy road and is quite cramped inside.

☕️ Roast8ry Lab - the most famous spot in this chain, young Asians come here to take photos for Instagram. There’s not much space, loud music, and always a lot of people.

☕️ Roast8ry Coffee Flagship Store - and this is their new flagship cafe. Cool design, very modern and stylish interior, relatively spacious, although there are usually a lot of people too. There’s even a vending machine outside selling bags of beans.

Blue Coffee

And this is an unassuming cafe next to Ristr8to, the coffee here is just as good (maybe even better). They have a larger selection of beans, it’s calmer, more relaxed, and there’s a table on the second floor.

I liked sitting with my laptop at the table outside on the street - life is bustling around, people are walking by, but you’re a bit removed from it all and just observing. Although, to be honest, I mostly went here for flat white, not pour-over.

The Baristro Asian Style

Gorgeous interior in Japanese style, spacious, wooden decor, rock garden, greenery, glass walls - everything is top-notch.

And the drinks are also top-notch, they make excellent pour-over and matcha here. Many beans to choose from, not all of them are specialty, so it’s best to ask the barista. The matcha is also not simple, but ceremonial. They have a serious approach here. It’s quiet, calm, spacious, you can work, study, or just sit in the rock garden. Everything is great, except for the location - relatively far from the center.

Nine One Coffee

This is one of my favorite cafes in Nimman. It’s quiet, calm, relaxed atmosphere, you can work, and the coffee is very good. There’s not much space inside, but usually not many visitors either. Relatively large selection of beans, you can also buy some for yourself.

I even ordered their beans on Lazada, and they were some of the best I’ve tried in Thailand. Plus - a young, sociable barista, like “one of the guys”. He’ll help with bean selection and is happy to just chat. I don’t know if he’s always there, but he was often mentioned in Google reviews.

TWENTY MAR

A very small but stylish cafe in the center. You won’t be able to work much here - there’s really little space, and the format is rather cramped, but the barista (who is also the owner) knows a lot about beans, pour-over, and… good sound.

I really liked their audio equipment and playlist - it’s not loud, but very deep and atmospheric. If you’re walking in the center, it’s worth stopping by.

Next, we’ll look at simpler cafes, perhaps with slightly less interesting coffee, but with a good interior and atmosphere.

Skugga

This place is more about desserts made from local chocolate, but their coffee is also their own and quite good. In addition, they offer tours to their farm: there are tours about chocolate and tours about coffee. I like their outdoor tables because they face the inner area of One Nimman - it feels like Europe and is quite unusual for Thailand.

Baristotel

Another stylish cafe with a minimalist bright interior (apparently the same chain as the cafe with the rock garden), but everything is simpler here. There’s a table on the second floor, it’s quiet, calm, you can get lost with your laptop, and the coffee is generally good (but the barista is simpler). In addition, it’s actually a “hotel” and they even rent out rooms here (if I’m not mistaken, there are only two).

Yesterday

Vintage interior, cozy, quiet calm music, and pour-over. The place is relaxing and conducive to getting lost with a laptop or book in a soft armchair. I was here only once and not in season, so there were few people. I liked it and would gladly visit again.

Yelloo

This cafe is hidden a bit away from the road and noise, not far from the busiest place in Nimman - Maya Center and Think Park. But it doesn’t stand out, and if you don’t specifically look for the cafe on the map, you’ll likely stumble upon it. It has a bright minimalist interior, it’s quiet, and usually not crowded. They brew good beans here, but with local ones, it’s hit or miss. I tried random local ones and didn’t like them much, but the Ethiopia was okay. It’s quite suitable for work, I usually sat outside when it wasn’t hot.

And finally, cafes that might be interesting for various other reasons.

Akha Ama Coffee

One of the most famous roasters with an interesting history. The company supports farmers from the Akha community in the northern mountains - hence the name. The beans vary: there are simple ones, specialty ones, and blends.

I can’t say much about them, I visited them once, but the coffee didn’t work out for me. Maybe I chose something wrong. But when I was doing research on roasters, they often came up as some of the best. On the other hand, I also saw their beans on store shelves (simple beans, not for filter), maybe they are just the most famous. In any case, if you are a coffee connoisseur and have come to immerse yourself in the coffee culture of Chiang Mai, you can’t pass them by.

Graph

A chain of cafes in Chiang Mai with a good interior and their own beans. The beans are not very good for filter coffee; I tried a few, but I didn’t like them at all. However, lovers of coffee drinks will definitely like it - the selection is very large, from classics to exotics, for example, coffee with hot pepper. It’s worth visiting for the atmosphere and interior, you can even work if there aren’t many people.

And for dessert - pastry shops. In northern Thailand, the conditions are suitable not only for coffee plantations but also for growing cacao beans. You can’t miss the opportunity to try local chocolate and desserts made from it.

• 🍰 Saruda Finest Pastry 👈 real masterpieces here.
• 🍰 Khom Chocolate House
• 🍰 Kanvela Craft Chocolate Cafe

That’s all for now. If that wasn’t enough, check out my list of places in Chiang Mai on Google Maps. There you will find a few more good places for breakfast.