Riverside Bar & Restaurant
Riverside Bar and Restaurant occupies a sprawling old wooden building on the east bank of the Ping River at the far end of the Loi Kroh corridor. The venue has been operating since 1984 and remains one of Chiang Mai's most established live-music venues, with multiple seating decks overlooking the river, a main stage room for cover bands, and a smaller acoustic stage at the front. The food menu runs Thai and Western standards: pad Thai 180 THB, Thai curries 220-280 THB, Western mains 300-450 THB. The band programming runs nightly with multiple sets across the rooms, covering 90s rock, pop, MPB, and the occasional jazz. The crowd is significantly older than Loi Kroh proper: settled expats, Thai professionals, and dining couples. Capacity is around 300 across the various decks and rooms.
Where to stay near Riverside Bar & Restaurant
Hotels and rentals within walking distance.
What to Expect
A sprawling wooden riverside building with multiple seating decks, two stages running parallel programming, and full dinner-with-band service. The river view is the main draw at sunset; the band programming carries the late evening.
Sprawling, riverside, settled. A long-running institution with the polish of a established restaurant and the warmth of a regulars' bar.
90s pop-rock covers, MPB, classic rock, occasional jazz and Latin
Smart-casual. Long trousers and clean shirts fit the room; flip-flops accepted but feel out of place.
Dinner-into-drinks evenings, riverside sunset cocktails, older couples, settled expat regulars.
Cards widely accepted, cash also fine
Price Range
Beer 130-180 THB, cocktails 220-320 THB, mains 220-450 THB
Beer ~$3.50-5/€3.50-4.50, cocktails ~$6-9/€5.50-8, mains ~$6-12.50/€5.50-11.50
Hours
17:00 to midnight daily, live music from around 19:30
Insider Tip
Book a deck table overlooking the river for sunset (around 6 PM). The Friday and Saturday cover bands are the strongest; Tuesday and Wednesday run quieter acoustic acts. The kitchen runs late; ordering food after 10 PM is still possible.
Full Review
Riverside occupies a multi-building complex on Charoenrat Road across the river from the eastern end of Loi Kroh. The main building is timber-clad and rambling, with several open decks stepping down toward the river, two stages, and a full restaurant kitchen. The sunset views from the upper decks are among the best in Chiang Mai, with the Ping River below and Doi Suthep on the horizon to the west.
The band programming runs nightly across two stages. The main stage room has the heavier acts: cover bands running 90s pop-rock, classic rock, and the occasional original MPB act. The smaller acoustic stage at the front runs quieter sets, sometimes solo guitarists, sometimes duos. Both run from around 7:30 PM with breaks between sets, going until close around midnight. The crowd settles in for the night rather than venue-hopping.
Compared to the Loi Kroh bar strip a few minutes west, Riverside is a different world: dinner-and-band programming for an older, more settled audience, with no overlap to the lady-bar scene across the river. Compared to other riverside venues (The Good View next door, the Brasserie further north), Riverside is the most band-focused, the most established, and the longest-running.
Reservations help for weekend nights, particularly for deck tables at sunset. The kitchen runs efficiently and the bar service is fast for the room size. The bands accept tips during their breaks; 100-200 THB for a requested cover is standard. The walk back across the bridge to Loi Kroh proper takes five minutes through well-lit streets.
The Neighborhood
Riverside sits on Charoenrat Road across the Ping River from the eastern end of Loi Kroh, accessed via Nawarat Bridge. The Good View restaurant is the immediate neighbor; the Loi Kroh corridor and Night Bazaar are five minutes west across the bridge.
Getting There
From Tha Phae Gate, walk 15 minutes east along Tha Phae Road, across Nawarat Bridge, and north on Charoenrat. From the Night Bazaar, 10 minutes east. From Nimman, 25 minutes by Bolt at around 160 THB.
Address
9-11 Charoenrat Road, Wat Ket, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand
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Browse Thailand eSIM plansOther Venues in Loi Kroh Road
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Boy Blues Bar
Long-running live-blues bar on the mezzanine of the Kalare Night Bazaar complex at the east end of Loi Kroh. Smooth blues, soul, and rock most nights, opposite a small dancing-stage food court.
Bus Bar
Outdoor beer bar built around two repurposed buses overlooking the Ping River near Nawarat Bridge, at the east end of the Loi Kroh corridor. Live acoustic music, cheap beer, and a mixed traveler crowd.
6ixcret Show
Drag cabaret bar on the 2nd floor at the rear of the Night Bazaar building, just off Loi Kroh. Free admission with a two-drink minimum. Shows run Wednesday through Sunday from 9:30 PM.
Ram Cabaret
Long-running ladyboy cabaret venue in the Loi Kroh corridor with nightly drag shows starting around 10 PM. Tourist-focused, with seated table service and a two-drink minimum on busy nights.
John's Place
Open-fronted sports-and-beer bar on Loi Kroh with large-screen TVs showing live Premier League, MotoGP, and rugby. Cheap bottled beer, pool tables, and a steady older-expat clientele.