Where can I get a vegan coffee in Chiang Mai?

We all know that there are hundreds upon hundreds of coffee shops in Chiang Mai with all kinds of different themes and setups. However, not so many of these will actually have the option of a vegan plant-milk. Unless you’re at a vegan or vegetarian eatery, it can be a bit hard to find any alternative on offer to cow’s milk. I’ve always thought this is a little strange since soy milk is so popular here. Please be aware that the regular Lactosoy brand of soy milk is not vegan.

If you want to find a vegan coffee, you’ll certainly need to be in an area where foreign tourists go and at a place that particularly targets that clientele. If you find one that also targets veggies then you’ll obviously have much more luck.

Everyone knows that the best places to go are places like Free Bird Cafe, Goodsouls or Amrita Garden, but for the purposes of this article I wanted to give some less well-known cafés a mention which aren’t already published somewhere on my site. This is just a small selection that I particularly like and I think you’ll like them too. None of these are completely veggie but they all offer something special that is vegan as well as a vegan coffee.

Five Favourite Places to get a Vegan Coffee

1. Basecamp Coffee House

I’m a runner so you could say that I’m bound to favour this coffee shop but actually there are a few more reasons why this place is great. It is in a convenient location at the foot of all the running trails so it’s a perfect place to come after a long morning run (or hike). Also, the fact that it is slightly uphill means the air is nice and fresh and they have outside seating for you to enjoy it in.

They offer a latte with almond milk which is really delicious. They also offer several other vegan options. They have a small Thai food section of their menu which is all vegan and they also sell a ‘King Kong’ which is made of bananas, almond milk and cocoa, perfect for after a running or hiking work-out!

We love that they also use biodegradable cups/straws and offer discounts to anyone that brings their own mug.

For those of you who are interested, they also hold training events from this coffee house. Ask inside for more details!

2. Fathara

This coffee shop is inside a spa called Fah Lanna. They have a fairly extensive menu of mostly Thai food which includes two pages of vegan and vegetarian dishes. Vegan dishes are not marked in the menu but staff are able to advise. I have tried a couple of dishes such as the banana flower salad and an interesting raw noodle dish which were both delicious. The food is a little pricey but coffees are very reasonable and have a soy milk option and are really good. During winter, there are some nice seasonal coffees such as a pumpkin spice latte. The coffee shop is a nice place to chill out especially if you sit outside where there is a pretty garden with a unique design. Also a great spot for anyone wanting to get some work done in a nice atmosphere with good vegan food and drink options. Check out their website here.

3. Churro Gate Cat Café

I’ve never particularly been a fan of cafés that have animals in them as I have seen so many examples of exploitation at these before. I was really pleased to see that this was not the case at this café. The cats, which are clearly not all perfect pedigrees, have all been rescued and they are pets of the owners of the establishment. They clearly love them dearly and it actually only became a cat café because they literally just decided to bring them to work with them each day.

The foreign owners serve up some superb vegan hot drinks, not just the coffees but try the amazing hot cocoa! They also sell vegan desserts such as the Spanish churros which are naturally vegan and also a selection of vegan cakes which are some of the best I have tasted in Chiang Mai. They also sell vegan cheese dishes although these aren’t the café’s strongest point.

The café is located just within Sompet market.

4. The London Tea Room

The London Tea Rooms as you might guess is a British themed tea house just down a small Soi in the Nimman area. It’s a very cute place that really will feel like being at home for any Brit, such as myself. The decoration, furniture and vibe really feels like it could be your front room of a cosy house in England.

As well as an impressive range of teas, they also have a few different plant milk options for coffees. In addition, they also have homemade desserts/cakes and these will always include at least one vegan option. They often have vegan cake days where they’ll include only vegan cake options as well as raw options. They’re not that cheap but they taste amazing.

5. Bird’s Nest Café

This café has been around for a long time. It is situated inside the moat, at the South West corner. It’s a nice place because it has an arty and homely feel to it. You can sit downstairs or go to the lounge area upstairs where you’ll need to remove your shoes. They have a coconut milk coffee and several vegan options on the menu including a vegan breakfast. They have also been known to hold live music events and vegetarian food only nights such as veggie Indian. Their food and coffees are both good.

Here is a link to a handy map that has been put together by Alexandra c. MacArthur showing some coffee shops with vegan milk options.

Here is a an alphabetical list of all other known places to get a vegan coffee. I have put this together collectively with members of the Chiang Mai Nomad Girls Facebook Group so I cannot personally vouch for all them. (Click here for a downloadable, printable copy): List contributors: Alexandra C. MacArthur, @globalgirlster, Laura-Lee Bowers.

Full List of Places to get a Vegan Coffee

Alice’s
Amrita Garden
Art Café and Roastery
Art Café Restaurant
Bird’s Nest Café
Bella Goose Cafe
Blue Diamond
Cat House
Cats in Wonderland
Cat Shack
Churro Gato Cat Café
Coffee or Me
Coffee Telling
Cool Muang
Dada Kafe
Doppio
Fahtara
Food4Thought
Free Bird Café
Fresh
Gallery Seascape
Goodsouls Kitchen
Healthy B
HeartWorks
(The) Hideout
Imm Aim
(The) Larder Café and Bar
(The) London Tea Room
Ma Chill
Mac Café
Mild Kitchen
Mind Over Matter
My Secret Café
Nourished by Gade
Overstand
Posrest Café
Pun Pun
Reform Kafe
Ristr8to
Roastniyom
Rustic and Blue
Salad Concept
Start Up Café
Thunderbird Hostel
Trace Hotelistro
Wake up
Yellow Crafts
Yellow Truck Coffee