Places to Eat in Mae Hong Son

Whilst there isn’t a huge choice of places to eat in Mae Hong Son, there’s a fair amount of variety for a small town and plenty enough for most people enjoy on a visit of a few days.

Street Food

If you’re on a budget and are looking for cheap, tasty local specialities then you can’t go wrong with the night market. It’s open every evening from about 5pm, usually to around 9pm, and has many different stands selling food and snacks that you can choose from. Do be aware that you may be charged more as a tourist than the locals are, but it’s still going to be a delicious bargain meal compared to eating out at one of the town’s restaurants.

Northern Thai food is some of the best in the country and at the market you’re likely to enjoy dishes like Shan noodles (influenced by nearby Burmese cuisine), khao soi noodles and many other rice and meat dishes.

Other popular dishes include grilled chicken, Thai sausage and other various types of meat grilled freshly on skewers. As always with street food keep your wits about you and try to eat at stalls that look clean and have a steady flow of customers. While it can’t be guaranteed this should at least minimise your chances of getting sick!

Burmese Food

With Mae Hong Son being so close to the border with Myanmar it makes sense that much of the local food has a distinctly Burmese influence. A very good Burmese restaurant is Salween River, which is still budget friendly, but includes some great Burmese specialities like tea leaf salads, various curries and Shan noodles. It might not be quite the same as enjoying these dishes in Myanmar but it’s still pretty good.

Restaurants

If you want a restaurant meal you’ll find that most of the local eateries that give the best value for money tend to specialise mainly in Thai dishes, with limited Western options which may be a little dodgy. Some will offer pizzas etc if you are set on international food, but generally speaking their Thai food is of a better standard. Just a couple of the decent budget to mid range restaurants in Mae Hong Son, include Meeting Bar and Sunflower Cafe and Kai Mook.

If you are looking for a better quality of international food or a more upmarket Thai dining experience there are a couple of options to choose from. The pizzeria La Tasca is a popular choice, whilst Baiyoke is a hotel restaurant with some decent options.

Bai Fern is a more upmarket option for those looking to avoid street fare and treat themselves a bit. It’s linked with the resort of the same name, specialises in local northern Thai dishes and also has live music on many nights, so has a good atmosphere for whiling away a couple of hours.

Cafes and Coffee Shops

Finally, there are also a couple of places located conveniently in Mae Hong Son if you’re looking for a light snack or just to enjoy some coffee or a couple of drinks.

Of course, it’s not exactly a party town, but the Crossroads Bar is always a popular choice for a couple of beers in the evening, and if that’s not to your taste then the Meeting bar is also a good option.

Alawaa Coffee is a smallish coffee shop that’s near to the lake and has decent coffee as well as a tasty selection of cakes and pastries. For more upmarket coffee options, try one of the more upscale hotels.