Restaurant in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Charcoal-fired local ingredients, 20 min from town.
NAVAN NAVAN holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025, delivering charcoal-grilled creative cooking from local northern Thai produce in a rice-field setting 20 minutes from central Chiang Mai. At the ฿฿฿ tier, it offers consistent, award-recognised quality that is easy to book and worth the drive — particularly if you arrive before sunset.
Getting a table at NAVAN NAVAN is easier than you might expect for a two-time Michelin Plate recipient — booking is direct, and the restaurant sits at the ฿฿฿ tier, which is mid-to-upper range for Chiang Mai but far below what this quality level commands in Bangkok or internationally. If you have already eaten here once and are wondering whether to return, the answer is yes. The kitchen's approach to charcoal-grilled local ingredients rewards repeat visits, because the menu shifts with what is available rather than staying fixed. Come back with a longer appetite and more time — and arrive before sunset.
NAVAN NAVAN operates out of a stand-alone cement building within the Amaze @ The Myth complex in Mae Rim District, roughly 20 minutes north of central Chiang Mai. The setting matters: rice fields surround the building on multiple sides, the open kitchen is fully visible from the dining room, and the garden turns into something genuinely worth seeing in the hour before dark. If you visited previously and skipped an early arrival, correct that this time.
The cooking here falls under creative cuisine, but the framing that makes most sense is: a chef using a charcoal grill as the primary tool and northern Thai produce as the primary material, then applying techniques drawn from multiple culinary traditions without letting any single one dominate. The Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 confirms that this is not an accident or a lucky season , the kitchen delivers consistently at a level that inspires guide-level confidence. For context, Thailand's Michelin Plate designation signals cooking that inspires quality across inspectors' repeated visits, placing NAVAN NAVAN in the same conversation as recognised venues like Sorn in Bangkok, PRU in Phuket, and AKKEE in Pak Kret , though the register here is quieter and the setting is rural rather than urban.
The philosophy the kitchen operates from centres on natural flavours and healthy preparation. That is not a marketing claim , charcoal grilling is a cooking method that concentrates flavour without adding fat or masking the base ingredient. For a return visitor, this means the dishes you remember for their clean, direct taste are not a fluke of the night you attended; they are the consistent output of a deliberate method. Google reviewers back this up: 4.9 out of 5 across 21 reviews is an unusually tight consensus for any restaurant, let alone one operating in a competitive culinary city like Chiang Mai.
At ฿฿฿, expect to pay more per head than at the northern Thai specialists or street-food counters in the city centre, but the price sits well below what comparable creative cooking costs at venues like Quique Dacosta or Arpège. Within Chiang Mai, it is one of the few places where you are paying for original creative work rather than a regional format executed with varying degrees of skill. The value case is strong if creative cooking , as opposed to traditional northern Thai , is what you are looking for.
Logistics for a return visit: the address is 55 หมู่ 7, Mae Rim District. A rideshare or private car is the practical way to get there from central Chiang Mai; this is not a walkable or easily tuktuk-accessible location. Build in time for the journey and plan your arrival around sunset if the season allows. No phone number or website is listed in public records, so reservations are likely handled through the venue's platform or walk-in , confirm the current booking method before making the trip, particularly if you are travelling in a group. The seating capacity is not published, but the stand-alone building format and garden setting suggest a limited number of covers, which makes earlier arrival more reliable than later.
For those exploring Chiang Mai's broader dining scene alongside NAVAN NAVAN, the city has a range of well-regarded options worth knowing: Friend's Table, Aeeen (Vegetarian), Aquila (Italian), Aunt Aoy Kitchen, and Baan Landai each offer distinct formats across price tiers. See our full Chiang Mai restaurants guide for a complete picture, and check our Chiang Mai hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide if you are planning a longer stay.
NAVAN NAVAN is located at Amaze @ The Myth, 55 หมู่ 7, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai 50180. Plan for a 20-minute drive from the city centre. No website or phone is publicly listed; check Google Maps or the venue's social presence for current reservation options. Arrive before sunset if you want the garden view at its leading , this is one of the few practical reasons to choose your arrival time carefully, and first-timers and returnees alike benefit from it. For a wider look at how this venue compares across occasions and diner types, see the FAQ section below.
Smart casual is a safe call at the ฿฿฿ tier in Chiang Mai. NAVAN NAVAN is a creative restaurant with a relaxed, rural setting , no published dress code exists , but the quality of the cooking and the open-kitchen format suggest this is not a flip-flops-and-shorts destination. Dress as you would for a thoughtful dinner out rather than a street-food crawl.
The venue has no published seat count, but the stand-alone building and garden setting suggest limited covers. For groups, contact the venue directly before planning , no phone or website is currently listed, so reach out via Google Maps or social channels. A smaller group of two to four will have an easier time than a large party, particularly if you are relying on walk-in availability.
Yes, with the right expectations. The rural rice-field setting, open kitchen, and Michelin Plate-level cooking make it a more interesting choice for a celebration dinner than a hotel restaurant of equivalent price. It suits occasions where the experience itself is the point , not venues where formality signals effort. Arrive before sunset and book ahead to make the most of it.
At ฿฿฿ in Chiang Mai, yes. Two consecutive Michelin Plate years (2024 and 2025) and a 4.9 Google rating give confidence that the kitchen performs consistently. You are paying for original creative cooking using charcoal-grilled local produce , not a regional format repackaged for tourists. Compared to what this quality level costs at comparable venues in Bangkok or internationally, the price is well-positioned. If your preference is traditional northern Thai at a lower spend, Busarin Cuisine at ฿฿ is the stronger fit.
The location is Mae Rim District, not the city centre , factor in a 20-minute drive each way. The kitchen uses a charcoal grill to cook local ingredients across multiple culinary influences; do not arrive expecting a traditional Thai menu. Arrive before sunset: the garden view is one of the venue's practical draws and is worth timing your booking around. Booking is easy relative to the venue's Michelin recognition, so plan ahead rather than relying on a walk-in, particularly in high season.
For creative cooking at a similar price tier, there are few direct Chiang Mai equivalents at this award level. For northern Thai cuisine at a lower spend, Busarin Cuisine (฿฿) is the practical alternative. For street food quality at ฿฿, Chai is worth knowing. If you want a full picture of creative dining across Thailand, Sorn in Bangkok and PRU in Phuket operate in the same Michelin-recognised tier but in very different formats and cities. Also consider venues like Ayutthayarom and Anuwat if you are travelling more widely through Thailand.
No tasting menu format is confirmed in current public records. The kitchen's philosophy , charcoal-grilled local ingredients, seasonal availability, multiple culinary influences , is consistent with a menu that changes rather than a fixed tasting format. Confirm the current menu structure before booking if this is a deciding factor for your visit. The Michelin Plate recognition across two consecutive years suggests the cooking delivers at a high level regardless of format.
No bar seating is confirmed in publicly available venue data. The dining room centres on a clear view of the open kitchen within a stand-alone cement building , the format appears to be table-based. If counter or bar seating is important to your experience, confirm directly with the venue before booking.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAVAN NAVAN | ฿฿฿ | Easy | — |
| Busarin Cuisine | ฿฿ | Unknown | — |
| Chai | ฿฿ | Unknown | — |
| Dan Chicken Rice (San Sai) | ฿ | Unknown | — |
| Ekachan | ฿฿ | Unknown | — |
| Khao Soi Mae Manee | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
The setting is a stand-alone cement building surrounded by rice fields — functional, not formal. Relaxed but presentable clothing is appropriate: think clean trousers and a collared shirt or a simple dress. There is no evidence of a strict dress code, but given the ฿฿฿ price range and Michelin Plate recognition, overly casual beachwear would be out of place.
The venue sits within the Amaze @ The Myth complex in Mae Rim District, so there is physical space, but no group-booking policy is documented. For parties of four or more, check the venue's official channels before assuming availability — the open kitchen layout and garden setting suggest a considered, smaller-scale experience rather than a high-volume dining room.
Yes, provided you plan around the setting rather than despite it. Arriving before sunset gives you the rice-field views and garden that make the experience feel considered rather than just expensive. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) at the ฿฿฿ price point make this a credible choice for a birthday or anniversary dinner — more so than most Chiang Mai options at the same price.
At ฿฿฿, it sits in the upper tier for Chiang Mai dining, but two Michelin Plates signal that the kitchen is delivering at that level. The chef's focus on local ingredients and charcoal-grill technique means you are paying for a defined point of view, not just a price tag. If you want creative cooking built around northern Thai produce, the value holds; if you prefer straightforward local food, cheaper alternatives exist.
Drive out before sunset — the rice-field setting and open garden are part of the experience and are easy to miss if you arrive after dark. The kitchen is open-plan, so you will see the charcoal grill in action. No website is listed for online booking, so plan ahead and check the venue's official channels. The address is Amaze @ The Myth, 55 หมู่ 7, Mae Rim District — GPS it, not just the district name.
For Michelin-recognised creative cooking at a similar price, Ekachan and Busarin Cuisine are the closest comparisons in the Chiang Mai bracket. If you want a lower price point with strong local credentials, Dan Chicken Rice in San Sai is worth the detour. Khao Soi Mae Manee is the go-to for a regional classic done properly, though the format and price are entirely different.
The menu format is not documented in available venue data, so specific course counts and prices can change. What is documented: the chef draws on multiple cuisines, uses a charcoal grill, and prioritises natural flavours over elaborate presentation. If a tasting menu is offered, that approach — local ingredients, restrained technique, Michelin Plate validation — is the kind of format that justifies the format. Confirm the current menu structure when booking. Check the venue's official channels for the latest details.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
