Belén by Paulo Airaudo

Belén by Paulo Airaudo brings contemporary European cuisine to Chiang Mai under the direction of six-Michelin-starred chef Paulo Airaudo, with Italian Executive Chef Matteo Santalucia leading the kitchen. The 18-seat counter dining room follows aperitifs in a book-lined lounge, framing an intimate tasting experience built on local Thai produce refined through European technique. The seasonal 14-course menu currently includes barracuda tartelette with dashi, seared Hokkaido scallop with XO-champagne sauce and green curry butter, tomato risotto with uni, and roast duck with pumpkin purée. Desserts move from Thai basil granita to mangosteen with white chocolate and a goat cheese flan finished with Thai plum caramel, concluding with a Stormtrooper-shaped whiskey jelly. The cuisine balances delicacy and creativity, pairing European technical discipline with Thai ingredients in a format that is intimate, progressive, and meticulously composed.

Maadae Slow Fish Kitchen

Maadae – “come” in Southern dialect – focuses on responsibly sourced seafood from Chumphon fishermen under Chef Yaowadee “Yao” Chookong. A Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient, the restaurant builds its daily-changing menu around the catch: whole mackerel, trevally, snapper, or sea bass grilled directly over charcoal. Signature dishes include fish chuchee curry made with freshly pounded turmeric-rich paste, sea bass in red curry sauce with house-pressed coconut milk, crab ceviche with homemade chips, and fried fish pomelo salad with shrimp paste. Pla wan (sweet fried fish) features pla lang kiew, a sardine variety. Everything is prepared from scratch, no MSG or preservatives. Street-side grills and open-air seating place diners beside the flames, reinforcing a cuisine defined by immediacy, seasonality, and respect for fishermen and producers.

Blackitch

This intimate 16-seat restaurant led by Chef Phanuphol “Black” Bulsuwan and his wife Dear, presents a 10 to 12 course seasonal tasting menu built entirely around Thai ingredients. The menu shifts frequently, guided by mood, travel, and harvest. Fermentation is central: soybeans, fish sauce, pickles, and house-made pastes are aged in-house, reflecting techniques learned from his grandmother. Dishes have included Nan black pig guanciale with pumpkin gnocchi, SyamIsBlue cheese, and tomato-Sichuan pepper balsamic, as well as Japanese-influenced seafood courses and more experimental bites such as Parmesan crisps topped with ant eggs. Foraged elements and regional produce shape each progression. House-fermented beverages accompany the meal. The cuisine is precise yet exploratory, rooted in Thai terroir and driven by craft fermentation and constant reinvention.

Friend’s Table

Chefs Patsorn “Nick” Vilaihongsa and Nont Panayanggool helm a 14-seat chef’s table set within the glass-enclosed wing of the owner’s home. Guests dine directly in front of the open kitchen, where the chefs alternate leadership across a 10-course tasting menu that changes quarterly. The cuisine draws from Asian street food, refined through contemporary technique and premium ingredients. Dishes have included charcoal-grilled tamarind prawn, wagyu steak frites with duck fat potatoes, and snow fish bao with crab tamarind reduction. Optional additions such as smoked salmon rosette or wagyu sirloin deepen the progression. Service begins promptly at 7 pm. The style is intimate and collaborative, combining bold Asian flavors with composed plating and controlled execution.

Parc

Parc Thai Eatery presents urban Thai cuisine rooted in family recipes and traditional technique, a local favorite that’s unpretentious. The menu revisits classic flavors through carefully sourced local ingredients and methods that avoid artificial seasoning. Dishes such as tom yum goong deliver layered heat and citrus, while gaeng keow wan balances coconut richness with fresh herbs. Stir-fries like pad krapao rely on wok heat and holy basil aromatics, and slow-simmered massaman curry develops depth from toasted spices. Som tam provides brightness alongside comforting plates of pad Thai and braised pork belly, many served family style. The experience is enhanced by a landscaped outdoor dining space centered around a waterfall, reinforcing the restaurant’s connection to nature and relaxed Thai hospitality.