Thapae Grill
Thapae Grill is a multi-level restaurant and rooftop bar at Tha Phae Gate, remodeled in 2023 with casual food on the lower floors and an open-air rooftop with views of the gate plaza and the street performers below. The ground and first floors run as a sit-down restaurant with Thai and Western menus at moderate pricing (mains 180-380 THB). The rooftop adds bar service and a smaller menu of grilled meats and small plates. The crowd is mixed Thai and foreign tourists, with the rooftop pulling the visitor demographic for sunset and the lower floors filling with families and locals. No cover, casual dress, closing at midnight.
Where to stay near Thapae Grill
Hotels and rentals within walking distance.
What to Expect
A multi-level restaurant and bar at Tha Phae Gate with a sit-down restaurant on the lower floors and an open-air rooftop with gate-plaza views. Mixed Thai-foreign crowd, casual food, and a moderate cocktail program.
Multi-level, casual, family-friendly downstairs and slightly more cocktail-focused upstairs. A solid all-rounder.
Low-volume Thai pop, occasional acoustic music on the rooftop
Casual. The rooftop reads slightly more dressed-up but no enforcement.
Sunset drinks at the rooftop, casual dinner, Walking Street pre-game, families.
Cards and cash accepted
Price Range
Beer 100-150 THB, cocktails 180-260 THB, mains 180-380 THB
Beer ~$2.80-4/€2.50-3.80, cocktails ~$5-7/€4.50-6.50, mains ~$5-10.50/€4.50-9.50
Hours
11:00 to midnight daily
Insider Tip
Book a rooftop table for sunset (around 6 PM) for the best views over Tha Phae Gate plaza. The grilled meats menu is the kitchen's strength; the Thai dishes are decent but not exceptional. Sunday evenings get crowded during the Walking Street; reserve ahead.
Full Review
Thapae Grill occupies a multi-level building directly facing Tha Phae Gate, with a ground-floor entrance opening into a sit-down dining room. The first floor adds more seating with windows facing the gate plaza, and the rooftop runs open-air with bar service, smaller tables, and views over the plaza and the street performers below.
The 2023 remodel updated the interiors and the kitchen, and the venue has settled into a reliable all-rounder for the Tha Phae area. The Thai menu runs standard tourist-friendly dishes (pad Thai, green curry, tom yum) at moderate pricing. The grilled-meats menu on the rooftop is the kitchen's stronger focus, with grilled pork, chicken, and seafood plates running 220-380 THB.
Compared to THC Rooftop one minute away, Thapae Grill is more food-focused and family-friendly, with a less hippie aesthetic. Compared to The Moat House along the moat, Thapae Grill has the better gate-plaza views but less sports-bar infrastructure. The venue fills the niche of "reliable rooftop with food" for the Tha Phae area.
Sunday evenings during the Walking Street are the busiest; reserve a rooftop table ahead. Weeknights run quieter and walk-ins are easy. Service is friendly and reasonably attentive across both floors and the rooftop.
The Neighborhood
Thapae Grill sits at Tha Phae Gate on Rachadamnoen Road, facing the gate plaza directly. THC Rooftop is across the street; The Moat House is five minutes north along the moat.
Getting There
From inside the Old City, walk to Tha Phae Gate and look for the multi-level building facing the plaza. From the Night Bazaar, 10 minutes west. From Nimman, 12 minutes by Bolt at around 100 THB.
Address
Rachadamnoen Road near Tha Phae Gate, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
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