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19 of the Best Pai Restaurants in 2024

19 of the Best Pai Restaurants in 2024

| Last Updated: March 2024

You’d be surprised how Pai has blossomed as a top travel destination, given it’s just a small town in Northern Thailand. Yet, beyond the distinctly bohemian vibe of this hippie haven lies a foodie’s paradise that’ll surely make your mouth water. 

Hold your horses, though, as it’s easy to end up in a so-so dining location with so many options to choose from. That’s exactly why in this carefully curated guide, we’ll help you pinpoint the best Pai restaurants that are worth your time and attention!

Red Orchid Clean Food

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Address: 197 หมู่ 1 บ้านกุงหมอกคราม Mae Hi, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 86 192 5031

Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075876372275&mibextid=ZbWKwL

Costs: ฿

Red Orchid Clean Food is the place to go for affordable home-cooked Thai food in Pai. They serve classic dishes like pad Thai, papaya salad, fried noodles, Thai red curry, and more.

Aside from its cheap menu, Red Orchid Clean Food is well-known for its cooking classes. For 600 baht, you’ll learn to cook up to five classic Thai dishes, buy ingredients from the local market, and receive a cookbook.

Bom Bowls

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Address: 106/1, Moo 1 Mae Hee, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 98 843 4492

Website: https://www.facebook.com/bombowls/

Costs: ฿

Bom Bowls is a vegan cafe, so expect to get your fill of fruits, nuts, pancakes, salads, and ice creams. It’s the ideal place if you want a light and healthy meal.

This place specializes in flavored smoothie bowls that they serve with homemade granola bars and banana slices. There are extra toppings like peanut butter or toasted coconut flakes if you want to take your bowl to the next level.

Ci Xin Jai (Chew Xin Jai)

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Address: Pai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 18 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 85 717 3628

Costs: ฿

Ci Xin Jai is a fusion restaurant in Pai that serves Chinese and Northern Thai cuisine. It’s vegan, so expect the menu to feature healthy vegetarian dishes and numerous mock meat options.

There’s a buffet bar if you want to get your fill of their Chinese-style stir-fried veggies, spring rolls, dumplings, Thai noodles, and curries. Otherwise, the a la carte menu is a solid option if you prefer a light meal.

Earth Tone

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Address: 81, Rural Road, Mae Hong Son 4024, Mae Hi, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Sunday – Friday)

Contact Number: +66 93 307 6686

Website: http://www.facebook.com/earthtoneinpai

Costs: ฿฿

For the health-conscious, this place is a must-visit restaurant in Pai for its wide selection of vegetarian options. Just a heads up: Earth Tone isn’t completely vegan because it serves food with egg and cheese, but we think it’s a solid food place.

Though this place makes excellent mango sticky rice and waffles, its giant Buddha bowl is an eyeful, with its packed ingredients and – as its name implies – giant portions. 

Fat Cat Restaurant

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Address: 7/1 Moo 1 Ban Mae Yen Mae Hi, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Monday – Saturday)

Contact Number: +66 86 924 4247

Website: https://www.facebook.com/FatCat-1484657631748094/

Costs: ฿฿

If you love cats and healthy food, this Pai restaurant is the place to be. It doubles as a cat cafe, so expect to see these cute fur babies roaming and lying around the restaurant’s small garden area.

Here, you can pet cats while enjoying a healthy serving of vegetarian burgers, sandwiches, salad bowls, fruit platters, and teas. What more is there to ask for?

Ganita Cafe

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Address: 226 หมู่ที่ 4 ถนน ราชดำรง Wiang Tai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 65 010 7581

Website: http://www.facebook.com/ganitacafepai

Costs: ฿฿

Ganita Cafe is one of the more unique vegan restaurants in Pai. It’s a Mediterranean and Asian fusion restaurant, so there are plenty of food options to choose from.

Some of the notable items on their menu are the Middle Eastern salad, falafel hummus plate, vegan khao soi, Indonesian salad, and Indian curry. That means you can scratch multiple cuisines off your bucket list just from this place alone.

The House Cafe’ Homestead

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Address: 387, Mae Hi, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 89 070 1031

Website: https://facebook.com/TheHouseCafePaiThailand/

Costs: ฿

If you’re looking for a Western food place in Pai, there’s the House Cafe’ Homestead. It’s a farmhouse restaurant, so expect to see ducks and tortoises roaming around its garden area.

This cozy venue is relaxing and it feels like you’re in a vacation home in the countryside. Their massive menu has Continental, English, and American breakfasts, and a decent selection of Italian pasta.

Na’s Kitchen

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Address: Wiang Tai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Sunday – Friday)

Contact Number: +66 81 387 0234

Costs: ฿

Na’s Kitchen is a conventional Thai restaurant in Pai. It has everything you’d expect from a local eatery: fried seafood, Thai curry, vegetable stir-fry, noodles, tom yum soup, fried rice, mango sticky rice, and more. 

The only unconventional thing about this Thai restaurant is that they don’t serve pre-cooked dishes. Everything is made fresh upon every order, so don’t come here if you’re already starving.

Northern Soul Riverside BBQ

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Address: 173, Mae Hi, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 11 a.m. – 7:45 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 92 280 0518

Website: https://www.facebook.com/NorthernSoulPai

Costs: ฿฿

This is a great place to enjoy good barbeque and beer in Pai. There’s a picnic area with chairs and tables along a river so you can hang out with friends and family.

Northern Soul Riverside BBQ has barbeque sets and platters with beers that can serve up to four people. 

The venue is peaceful and relaxing and it’s perfect for casual dates. It feels more romantic when you’re visiting the restaurant at night, though, because of the LED lights on the trees by the river.

BeBe Spice Indian Restaurant and Wok ‘N Roll Thai Cooking Course

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Address: 75 Moo 3, Viangtai, Pai, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. (Tuesday – Sunday)

Contact Number: +66 65 459 2822

Website: http://paicookingclass.com/

Costs: ฿

A visit to BeBe Spice Indian Restaurant is a must if you’re vacationing in Pai. It’s the best Indian food place in the area that’s also unique for its authentic Thai cooking course.

The restaurant serves affordable Indian dishes like tandoori chicken thigh, chicken tikka, mango chutney, pilau rice, curry, and naan. As if that wasn’t enough, they also added different french fry variants from other countries to expand the massive menu.

Cafecito

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Address: 258 Moo 8 Vieng Tai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Wednesday – Monday)

Contact Number: +66 53 699 055

Website: https://www.facebook.com/cafecitopai/

Costs: ฿฿

Cafecito is the best Mexican restaurant in Pai, and we think it’s worth visiting for its homemade tacos, carnitas, and quesadillas. It’s also a great place for vegans because they can substitute the meat with mushrooms.

The food can be made to order, so we recommend telling the servers how you want your order prepared. Of course, your visit won’t be complete without getting a taste of their Mezcal, margarita, and tequila.

Charlie and Lek’s

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Address: 234 Rangsiyanon Road, Wiang Tai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 

  • 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Monday – Thursday & Saturday)
  • 10:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Friday)

Contact Number: +66 81 733 9055

Costs: ฿

Charlie and Lek’s is well-known to those who frequent Pai as a cooking school, but it now dropped that service to focus on being a restaurant. Their menu is flexible so you can customize your order according to your preference.

Vegans can ask for tofu in their tom yum soup or Thai curry, instead of the usual pork, beef, or shrimp. Just know that the food is modified for foreign tastes so don’t expect the same intense flavors you get from traditional Thai restaurants.

Silhouette By Reverie Siam

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Address: ตำบล เวียงใต้ Wiang Tai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 

  • 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (Daily)
  • 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 53 699 870

Website: http://www.reveriesiam.com/

Costs: ฿฿฿

Silhouette Bar Restaurant in Reverie Siam Resort is the place to go for an exquisite dining experience in Pai. Its interior blends rustic and Victorian design elements that take you back in time.

Their signature chef full board is a solid pick. It contains a special selection of cheeses, cured meats, marinated olives, spiced nuts, dried fruits, and a homemade bread basket.

There’s also a sausage board with four types of sausages made from premium meats like Wagyu beef or packed with numerous Italian cheeses.

Art in Chai

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Address: Rat Damrong Road, Wiang Tai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 2 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 87 178 7742

Website: https://m.facebook.com/Art-in-chai-174000465975671/

Costs: ฿

This place is a unique vegan cafe in Pai with a good selection of teas. Our team’s tea fanatics say that Art in Chai’s 15 herbal teas have excellent flavors and are even better when served with coconut milk.

The standout food items on their menu are vegan burgers, vegetable salads, and mango sticky rice. Overall, it’s a must-visit casual venue for its spoken poetry, live music, and vegan options.

Ganesh Bar and Restaurant

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Address: 42/1 Wiang Tai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 92 492 2826

Website: https://www.facebook.com/GaneshBarPai/

Costs: ฿

For bargoers, Ganesh Bar and Restaurant is a great place to go for drinks with the bonus option to get affordable Thai dishes. They serve authentic dishes like khao soi, pad Thai, and tom yum goong, so there are plenty of choices.

Everything on their food menu is value for money, so you’ll have plenty more on your wallet for some local beers and mixologies.

Baan Pizza

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Address: 67 หมู่ที่ 3 ถนน เทศบาล ๑ Wiang Tai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 

  • 3 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. (Monday & Wednesday – Saturday)
  • 1 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. (Tuesday)

Contact Number: +66 63 053 0239

Costs: ฿฿

Baan Pizza is the only pizzeria that made our list and it did for a reason — they make excellent Italian and American-style pizza. It’s a great place if you love thin-crust pizza packed with cheese and homemade tomato sauce.

Aside from the pizzas, it’s also one of the best restaurants in Pai to get classic Italian pasta. They can make bolognese, carbonara, or aglio e olio with spaghetti, fusili, or penne pasta.

Good Burger

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Address: Walking Street Pai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 10:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 98 705 5799

Website: https://www.facebook.com/GoodBurgerPaiThailand/

Costs: ฿฿

If you’re craving American-style burgers, this restaurant in Pai Walking Street is a solid pick. They serve big portions of pork, beef, and chicken burgers, all with a side of salad and french fries.

Good Burger even has vegan options with their black bean and chickpea burgers which they cook in sesame oil instead. The prices are reasonable but not cheap.

The Blue Ox

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Address: 88, Pai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 53 69 8152

Website: http://www.theblueoxpai.com/

Costs: ฿฿

The Blue Ox is a casual-upscale fusion restaurant that serves Thai and Western cuisine. Prices are higher than other restaurants, but they have most of the classic dishes you’d expect from a Thai restaurant.

Think pad Thai, chicken satay, tom yum goong, deep-fried fish, fried rice, and more.

Meanwhile, the notable items from their Western menu are the steak, rack of ribs, rack of lamb, pan-seared snapper, fish and chips, and Italian carbonara.

Maya Burger Queen

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Address: 63 ถนน เทศบาล ๑ Wiang Tai, Pai District, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand

Operating Hours: 1 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Daily)

Contact Number: +66 93 043 2870

Website: https://www.facebook.com/MayaBurgerQueen/

Costs: ฿

For the most affordable burgers, you should go to Maya Burger Queen. It’s also the burger restaurant in Pai with the biggest menu and a decent selection of vegan options.

The price of their classic beef burger is below 100 baht, so you’ll get the best value for your money here. This restaurant’s interior isn’t the most flattering but that’s the reason behind its homely charm.

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