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Best Sky Bar in Chiang Mai: MAI The Sky Bar at Meliá Chiang Mai
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Culture
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Chiang Mai is known for its street food, although its culinary offering goes much further. At Meliá Chiang Mai, guests can taste award-winning northern Thai cuisine, Mediterranean specialties, rooftop cocktails and enjoy a cosy lounge open all day, all without leaving the hotel.
Above all, Meliá Chiang Mai offers a different side to the city's culinary scene, where northern Thai flavours, quality cuisine and panoramic views of Chiang Mai combine in carefully designed spaces. Below, we discover each of its restaurants and the reasons why they have earned a place among the best in Chiang Mai.
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The hotel's gastronomic proposal starts from a clear idea: to fuse contemporary Lanna cuisine with the Mediterranean essence inspired by Meliá's Spanish heritage. This concept is reflected differently in each of its spaces, although they all share the combination of northern Thai ingredients with techniques typical of Spanish cuisine.
This proposal is supported by the hotel's 360° Cuisine programme, which focuses on organic products grown nearby and allows menus to evolve according to the ingredients of each season, rather than remaining unchanged throughout the year. More than a sourcing policy, it is a working philosophy that defines the dishes that reach the table.
The result is a varied gastronomic offer that ranges from a fine dining experience with skyline views to a cosy lounge designed for enjoying a leisurely coffee, allowing you to spend the whole day eating without leaving the building. Below, we review each of these spaces.
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On the 21st floor, Mai Restaurant & Bar is the flagship restaurant behind Meliá Chiang Mai's reputation among the best restaurants in Chiang Mai for a special occasion. An open kitchen plates contemporary Lanna cuisine to order, so dishes arrive directly from the pass rather than from a steam tray, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the city below.
Sitting with a view of that open kitchen means seeing how each dish goes from raw ingredient to plated dish rather than disappearing behind a swing door, which is part of the reason why regulars describe the dining room as much as theatre as a restaurant.
The room itself is part of the appeal. An arch pays homage to a nearby temple, large illuminated umbrella rod installations from Chiang Mai's Bo Sang umbrella village hang from the ceiling, and umbrella canopy artwork is depicted on antique Chiang Mai textiles along the walls. Even the carpet nods to the theme, with its concentric pattern reminiscent of the top of an umbrella in grey, periwinkle and soft amber.
For guests who prefer not to choose dish by dish, the Sampler de Mai brings four courses in a single sitting. It begins with a tasting plate of five bites of citrus tuna roll, prawn in egg net, a rice cracker topped with spicy tomato salsa, black-tailed chicken sausage and a glutinous rice cake topped with caramelised turnip, followed by Gaeng Phak Whan Baan, a seasonal soup based on a dried smoked fish consommé with local mushrooms and vegetables, then Salmon Nham Prik Oung, a baked salmon fillet with northern Thai tomato confit, sautéed gurmar leaves, pickled garlic and steamed rice with pandan.
Both the Sampler de Mai and the full à la carte list offer guests two ways to eat here, whether they want the kitchen to guide the meal or prefer to choose dish by dish. Because capacity is limited, it is worth booking a few days in advance, especially during the cool season when regular tables at the restaurant are already hard to come by.
The soup dish on the menu sets its own tone with a fragrant Tom Kha Gai, coconut cream infused with galangal and wild chilli paste around tender chicken and young coconut meat. The Khao Soi salad takes the city's signature noodle curry and reworks it as a bowl composed of Tai Lue tofu, wheat and free-range eggs, a lighter nod to the dish every visitor comes to try in Chiang Mai.
Main courses are based on northern Thai technique with a Mediterranean twist. The Cheeva pork chop uses locally sourced pasture-raised pork with a wild pepper sauce and apple salad, while the Neau Yang Nam Prik Kha grills Thai Angus beef ribeye and serves it over San Pa Tong rice with a dried galangal sauce. The Kua Haam Gai Benja slow-cooks a chicken roll with sai oua stuffing and a lemongrass foam, a dish that reads like fine dining but tastes unmistakably northern.
San Pa Tong, the district mentioned in that ribeye dish, is one of the rice-growing areas around Chiang Mai, and naming it on the menu is typical of the kitchen's approach: ingredients are attributed to a specific place rather than described in generic terms, which is part of why this menu reads differently to a standard hotel restaurant.
Seafood lovers and vegetarians are also well covered. The Kanom Jeen Nam Prik Goong Pao combines grilled tiger prawns with fermented rice noodles and a rich curry sauce, the Yum Makeua Yao grills aubergine with a soy and chilli dressing, and the Saar Phak Tod turns a vegetable fritter into a full dish with lemon aioli and garlic chips. Dinner closes with Lum Yai pudding, an organic longan pudding finished with caramel sauce and coconut ice cream.
This is the venue to book when a trip calls for a memorable meal: a milestone dinner, a meal with clients or a couple who want an indulgent night. Because capacity is more limited than in an all-day venue like Laan Na Kitchen, it pays to plan ahead, so request a table by the window when booking if watching the sunset over Doi Suthep is part of the plan.
The full Mai Restaurant & Bar menu is available to browse before your visit, useful for anyone who wants to plan an order of dishes or check if there is a dish that suits a dietary restriction before booking.
Detailed information:
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Laan Na Kitchen handles all-day dining at Meliá Chiang Mai, based in a market-style environment where chefs prepare à la carte dishes in an open kitchen using Mediterranean techniques with Thai and Spanish touches. It offers breakfast every morning and continues throughout lunch and dinner.
The design of the venue is inspired by the landscape rather than a generic market. The curved and fluid lines of the cooking and service stations, as well as the seating layout, are inspired by the terraced rice fields of northern Thailand, turning a practical buffet floor plan into an authentic visual centrepiece rather than something secondary.
The live cooking station at the breakfast buffet offers churros with chocolate, as well as continental, western, Thai and Chinese specialties. A hot dish counter adds eggs cooked to order, breakfast ham and sausages, potato gratin and northern Thai staples such as hung lay pork curry, Khao Soi noodles, along with a station of Chiang Mai cold cuts and cheeses.
A separate live cooking station prepares spicy ramyeon noodle soup made to order, with tofu, ham, sausage and cheese, for guests who want something more substantial than the live cooking classics. That made-to-order station is one more reason why this table always comes up when the conversation turns to the best restaurants in Chiang Mai for a relaxed weekend meal.
For lunch and dinner, the à la carte menu turns Spanish. The braised lamb shank is served with creamy mashed potatoes, carrots, peas and a rich demi-glace sauce. The Basque cheesecake closes the meal with its characteristic caramelised touch and soft centre.
On the last Friday of each month, Laan Na Kitchen turns dinner into an international buffet called TGIF Dinner Buffet, with live cooking of Japanese poke bowls, grilled beef steak and river prawns. It is one more reason why this venue constantly appears on lists of the best restaurants in Chiang Mai for travellers looking for variety without leaving the hotel.
The full Laan Na Kitchen menu covers the breakfast buffet items and the full à la carte list, it is worth taking a look before deciding between a quick breakfast or a longer Spanish-inspired dinner.
Detailed information:
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One floor above Mai Restaurant & Bar is MAI The Sky Bar, the highest rooftop bar in Chiang Mai and the only high-rise venue in the city with views of both the Ping River and Doi Suthep. External customers are welcome with no entrance fee.
The menu of tapas and pinchos is based on Meliá's Spanish roots, ranging from small plates to sharing boards and desserts. Highlights include patatas bravas with spicy brava sauce and aioli, Andalusian-style spiced sea bass fried crispy with squid ink aioli, and a crispy seafood bomba rice served with aioli, along with mixed grill skewers ordered by the unit.
Cocktails, wines and a full bar list support the food, along with non-alcoholic cocktails, coffee, signature teas, smoothies and fresh juices for guests who want the view without the alcohol. The signature list plays with local references rather than standard classics: Bosque de Chiang Mai mixes Tanqueray, Lillet Rose, Monin rose syrup, aloe vera juice and lime juice with a pasteurised egg white for a silky finish, while Khao Soi reimagines the city's famous curry noodle dish as a creamy, spiced drink finished with a crunchy garnish, and Temple crafts Siam Lanna gin infused with niam leaf, Lillet Blanc, a house syrup and lactic acid.
Wine has its own quieter corner on the list, a selection by the glass ranging from Spanish bottles to New World bottles for guests who prefer to drink wine rather than try the cocktails.
The soundtrack changes with the night. Live instrumentalists play relaxed acoustic sessions on Fridays and Saturdays between 6:00pm and 8:00pm, and an in-house DJ takes over from 8:30pm to 11pm, changing the mood from a relaxed sunset to a livelier weekend party without ever losing the view.
The two aspects reward different times of the day: west-facing seats catch the sunset behind Doi Suthep, while east-facing tables look towards the Ping River as the city lights come on, so regulars often ask for a specific side when booking rather than leaving the location to chance.
Dessert is kept to a short list of Spanish inspiration: a Goxua of liquor-soaked sponge cake and custard, a chocolate ganache finished with salt and olive oil, and a platter of seasonal fruit.
Detailed information:
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Ruen Kaew Lounge, on the first floor next to Laan Na Kitchen, is where the day slows down with coffee, select teas and a relaxed all-day menu.
The food is informal and Spanish-accented: crispy fried calamari with smoked paprika aioli and fresh lemon, along with a daytime selection of pizzas, burgers and sandwiches. A Basque cheesecake, with its characteristic caramelised touch and soft centre, closes the offer on the sweet side.
It is worth ordering in advance on weekends, when the lounge fills with families settling in after a morning of sightseeing and couples taking a break between shopping at the Night Bazaar.
Guests who prefer something lighter can order from the My Balance by Meliá menu, a selection of light bites based on wellness rather than indulgence. Either way, Ruen Kaew Lounge earns its place among the best restaurants in Chiang Mai for a leisurely afternoon that does not require leaving the property.
Unlike the rest of the hotel's gastronomic offer, there is no open kitchen theatre here or rooftop views, just select teas, coffee and simple all-day dishes intended to be savoured slowly. Located right next to the lobby, it also functions as an informal meeting point for guests waiting for a room, a taxi or a friend.
Detailed information:
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All kitchens at Meliá Chiang Mai operate under the 360° Cuisine programme, launched in 2022 to connect farm to table and table back to farm. Organic products travel a short distance from local producers, and chefs are trained to make the most of every ingredient, including roots and stems, before anything becomes waste.
What is left over does not go to landfill. Since the programme began, the hotel has sent more than 8,000 kilograms of food waste to partner farms as compost and fertiliser, and has recycled more than 2,500 kilograms of used cooking oil to convert it into biodiesel. Meliá Chiang Mai also collaborates with three local universities to train future hospitality staff in sustainable agriculture and cooking practices.
The results have also been recognised outside the hotel. Laan Na Kitchen and Mai Restaurant & Bar have received the Green Kitchen recognition, part of a wider initiative backed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, which now covers 44 restaurants and hotels across Chiang Mai working for organic and sustainable food practices. The property also holds the Ecostars® sustainability certification and a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice award.
Meliá Chiang Mai has maintained that recognition for four consecutive years, and in 2026 the hotel also received the new Sustainable Healthy Food Program certificate at the Chiang Mai Gastronomy Festival. Both awards reflect the kitchens' commitment to food safety and environmental awareness, and contribute to Chiang Mai's growth as a green hub for sustainable and healthy food practices. Mai Restaurant & Bar, Laan Na Kitchen and the rest of the culinary team continue that work towards a sustainable and safe food chain for the city's future.
The Ecostars® certification that supports that recognition is Meliá's own global framework for auditing energy, water and waste practices at each property, so the farm-to-table work in the kitchens is part of a broader sustainability effort that runs throughout the hotel, not just its restaurants. For travellers who care about where their food comes from, it is one more reason why this offering is ranked among the best restaurants in Chiang Mai.
For guests, that sourcing translates into menus that change with the seasons rather than remaining fixed throughout the year, as chefs work with what partner farms harvest that month rather than a static list of imported products.
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Mai Restaurant & Bar and MAI The Sky Bar maintain a smart casual dress code, which means that sportswear, swimwear and beach sandals are not allowed. Laan Na Kitchen and Ruen Kaew Lounge are more relaxed, suitable for daytime and travel wear.
The location also helps. The temples of the Old City are about 1.5 kilometres away and the airport about six kilometres, about fifteen minutes by car, so there is rarely a need to organise a taxi around the city after dark just to get to some of the best restaurants in Chiang Mai.
The following table summarises the opening hours and how to book at each venue, so there is no need to cross-reference data from five different paragraphs before deciding where to eat.
| Venue | Opening hours | Reservations |
| Mai Restaurant & Bar | Daily from 6:00pm to 11:00pm | +66 52 090 603 or mairestaurant@meliachiangmai.com |
| Laan Na Kitchen | Breakfast from 6:00am to 10:30am; lunch and dinner all day | +66 52 090 601 or laanakitchen@meliachiangmai.com |
| MAI The Sky Bar | September-March: 5:00pm-12:00am (midnight) / April-August: 6:00pm-12:00am (midnight) | +66 52 090 600 or maiskybar@meliachiangmai.com |
| Ruen Kaew Lounge | Daily, from 10:00am to 10:00pm | +66 52 090 601 or fb@meliachiangmai.com |
| Tien Pool Bar | Informal, daytime hours by the pool | No reservation required |
None of these venues require you to be staying at the hotel to visit them, so external customers exploring the best restaurants in Chiang Mai are just as welcome as those staying upstairs. Plan to arrive within 15 minutes of your reserved time at Mai Restaurant & Bar, and book in advance everywhere on weekends and during the cool season from November to February, when the city's peak tourist months fill tables quickly. Mention any allergies or dietary restrictions when booking, as several dishes in the kitchens can be adapted upon request.
There is on-site parking and airport transfers available for anyone arriving by car or flying directly in for dinner.
Guests celebrating a special occasion can mention it when booking. Several of these best restaurants in Chiang Mai are perfectly suited to that type of evening, from the tasting format of the Sampler de Mai to a reserved table by the window at MAI The Sky Bar.
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The venues at Meliá Chiang Mai cover most of what a visitor could want to eat or drink without leaving the building, from the fine dining of Mai Restaurant & Bar to the rooftop cocktails at MAI The Sky Bar. Between them, they are a solid answer for anyone comparing the best restaurants in Chiang Mai.
Book in advance for dinner, especially on weekends and during the cool season. Get in touch with reservation.chiangmai@melia.com or call +66 (0) 52 090 699 to organise a table.
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Yes. All four venues, including Mai Restaurant & Bar, Laan Na Kitchen, MAI The Sky Bar and Ruen Kaew Lounge, welcome external customers, and none of them require proof of room booking at check-in or during the meal. None of them charge an entrance fee either, including MAI The Sky Bar, so a drink or a meal costs the same regardless of whether you are staying upstairs or not.
Mai Restaurant & Bar serves contemporary northern Thai cuisine with a Mediterranean twist, based on dishes such as Tom Kha Gai, Khao Soi salad and grilled Thai Angus beef ribeye, all prepared to order in an open kitchen on the 21st floor.
It is highly recommended to book at Mai Restaurant & Bar, which has limited capacity and fills up on weekends. Laan Na Kitchen, MAI The Sky Bar and Ruen Kaew Lounge accept walk-in customers more easily, although booking in advance is still the safest option during the cool season.
Laan Na Kitchen serves breakfast from 6:00am to 10:30am and continues throughout lunch and dinner. Mai Restaurant & Bar is open daily for dinner from 6pm to 11pm, MAI The Sky Bar operates from 5pm to midnight (September-March) or from 6pm to midnight (April-August), and Ruen Kaew Lounge is open daily from 10am to 10pm.
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Culture
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