Chivit Thamma Da Coffee House

This brand new English-country-style café sits on the banks of the Kok River. Seat yourself in a comfy sofa in the air-con glasshouse room or opt for an outdoor seat in the riverside garden. Apart from selections of coffee and tea, it serves some food, and the menu changes daily. Adjacent to the café is Chivit Thamma Da Day Spa.
Soi Baan Rong Suae Ten 3, 053-166-622. www.chivitthammada.com

Doy Din Daeng Café

Part of this pottery studio is a small café hidden under dense trees. The open air spot blends into the surroundings with old wood furniture and brown decor. Doy Din Daeng serves house brewed coffee and tea in their handmade ceramics, so if customers love the tea cups, they can go buy them from the shop located on the same grounds.
49 Moo 6, Nanglae, 053-705-291. Open Mon-Sat 8am-5pm. www.dddpottery.com

Hohm Homemade

This is a perfect place if you love to watch high-school kids—not that we’re encouraging you to do so. Though this open-air café looks more like a bar on Phra Arthit, Hohm is strickly non-alcoholic—it’s a milk bar. Its raw-cement foyer looks livelier with colorful industrial-style furniture while the cozy backyard is perfect for an evening chill-out.
Opposite Wat Ming Muang, 053-600-204. Open Thu-Tue 10am-11pm, Wed noon-11pm

Yellow Car Coffee

If you stay in Chiang Rai city, you can’t miss having a small breakfast at this place. A yellow pick-up car is parked near the clock tower every day offering local breakfast: pan-fried eggs, pa tong koh and dim sum together with old-style coffee and tea. If you tell him you’re a visitor, the friendly owner will act like a tourism ambassador, recommending highlight attractions. And if he’s not too busy, and in a good mood, he might even play the guitar.
Near Chalermchai’s Clock Tower