Your kids will love Chom Cafe Chiang Mai a fairy-like forest just outside of downtown
Chom Cafe Chiang Mai is a very popular nature cafe and the owners probably regret not making their restaurant bigger as it gets busy! This family friendly nature cafe and restaurant is best to visit during the week to avoid the crowds and long wait to get in.
Keep reading to find out why it’s so popular!
Also be sure to visit these other family friendly nature cafes around Chiang Mai.
Explore this nature cafe; a perfect place for selfies and family photos in Chiang Mai
Only open for about a year now, Chom Cafe has still got the ‘oh, this is shiny and new; let’s check it out,’ vibe to it. Every time we drive past, the parking lot is full and sometimes there’s a line out onto the street. So what’s so special about it?
Well the photos speak for themselves. Chom Cafe has manicured and landscaped a small dream world in the midst of a city. You enter a garden that could easily become a child’s fantasy world. There are small pathways to follow, rock bridges to walk or jump over, a magical waterfall, and perfect misty conditions. All throughout the rainforest are misters that create a scene from a soap opera; you know, the cheesy dream sequence ones, except in real life it actually looks nice!
With the sun in the right position, the misty air seems to generate rainbows all around. We had lots of fun finding the perfect spots to see them all. And there was posing, lots of posing! Everyone was finding the perfect spots and positions to get great photos, which was fun to watch.
It’s a cafe and restaurant too!
Chom is also a cafe and restaurant where there are two separate sections. The first building is the restaurant, while the one a bit further back is the cafe. It’s best to mention whether you are there to eat or just order drinks so they seat you in the right place.
Upon getting to the entrance, you will be greeted and given a ticket to get in. Entrance is free, but you are expected to buy something. We only bought a smoothie and then entered the garden and they were fine with that.
If Chom is very busy (as it normally is), you will be asked to wait outside in the covered outdoor seating area where there are fans to help keep you cool. The wait can be up to an hour if you are planning to eat, which is why I recommend just getting a drink or two.
What kind of food and drink do they have at Chom Cafe Chiang Mai ?
Food
So although we did not order any of the food off the menu, the food we saw other people eating looked incredible. Plates were popping with colour, portions were large and people were eating and not talking – always a good sign! The food prices are on the higher end for Thai food probably because the restaurant can’t hold that many patrons at once so they need to make cash flow some how. Here are some photos of photos of the food (a bit of a cheat I know, but the food really does look like the menu depicts it!)
Chom also serves western food, some at reasonable prices. Salmon steak is 290 baht, beef steak is 420 baht, French fries were 100 baht and spaghetti is 150 baht. Thai dishes like pad kra pow go for 95 baht, prawns are 300 baht, and fried vegetables are 140 baht.
Drinks
The cafe serves a nice selection of drinks from coffees, smoothies, teas, imported beers and nice wines. Pop goes for 25 baht and smoothies start at 95 baht. Local beers start at 95 baht while imported German, American, Mexican and Belgium beers cost between 16o – 280 baht. Wine by the glass is 290 baht. Wines are imported from Chile and Argentina.
Seating
There is indoor seating at both the restaurant and cafe, but there aren’t many tables or much space, so we were pleasantly surprised when the staff offered us a high chair for our son. Chom is family friendly!
There are also two outdoor tables. Sit picnic bench style out back with a perfect view of the rainforest garden, or out front of the restaurant. Sitting indoors is nice because they have floor to ceiling window-doors so that everyone has a view of the garden.
When is the best time to go to Chom Cafe Chiang Mai ?
As I mentioned it gets very busy here. It’s become one of the most popular nature cafes in Chiang Mai. Your best bet is to go in off hours like we did. Lunch and dinner are bound to be busy, as are weekends and public holidays, so we decided to go late afternoon. I’d say it wasn’t that busy; the restaurant was somewhat full when we arrived and there were about 20 people walking around the rainforest garden. However there was still plenty of space to explore and take nice photographs without getting in other people’s space.
How to get to Chom Cafe and Restaurant ?
You can get here quickly and cheaply using Grab or you could take a taxi.
To drive here yourself there are a couple of options. Chom Cafe and Restaurant is located on the first ring road (the 3029) between Hang Dong Road (the 108) and Canal Road (the 121), making it accessible from either road. Have a look at the map to see what makes sense for you!
When you get close, slow down as the parking lot is before the cafe itself, or if you’re lucky, there may be parking on the street All parking is free!
Hours: Open daily from 11 am – 10 pm
Good for ages: all ages
Phone: 065 438 8188
Kids Menu: No
High chairs: Yes
Playground: No
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: No
Pet friendly: No
Child friendly staff: Yes
Birthday parties: No
Prices: $$
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chomcafeandrestaurant/
Location: Google Maps
Things to consider
You may also enjoy other outdoor nature cafes where you and the kids can dip your feet and skip stones in a river at Valley Coffee. Or maybe your kids love fish? Then Carp Cafe is the place for you!
