The Chiang Mai coffee culture is one of the best in Asia. The city is literally teeming with coffee shops and cafés. Watch our video to find out why Ristr8to Lab is our absolute favorite Chiang Mai coffee shop and see Ristr8to’s amazing latte art in action.
There are so many reasons to visit Thailand from delicious Thai food to gorgeous scenery. You probably know about the food and scenery if you’re in the midst of Thailand travel planning activities. However, you may not be aware that Thailand’s second largest city is a hub for outstanding coffee.
As for us, our quest for the best Chaing Mai coffee started and ended at Rist8to in the Northern Thai city’s Nimman neighborhood. Every time we tried a different Chiang Mai coffee shop, we found ourselves saying “It’s really good, but it’s not as good as Ristr8to.”
Video – Chiang Mai Coffee
Watch our YouTube video to see why Ristr8to is the best Chiang Mai cafe for coffee.
More About Ristr8to Lab
Ristr8to is a Chiang Mai coffee operation inspired by the best coffee cultures around the world.
After opening its first coffee shop in 2011, Ristr8to has since opened additional shops in the city including our personal favorite, Ristr8to Lab, in 2014. The lab is an open-air shop that serves exquisitely prepared Chiang Mai coffee drinks as well as alcoholic beverages.
The baristas are highly skilled in latte art, and the drinks are masterpieces that are almost too pretty to drink. Not surprisingly, Ristr8to’s head barista, Arnon Thitiprasert, has won acclaim in national and international barista competitions.
In our video, Mindi drinks her favorite Ristr8to coffee drink – the Ficardie. Invented in 2012, the Ficardie is Ristr8to’s first signature coffee drink.
To make this drink, baristas use a double shot of ristretto as a base and top it with silky steamed milk. The resulting Ficardie is incredibly smooth and highly flavorful. At 88 baht at the time of the video, this drink costs the equivalent of $2.51 in US dollars – fairly standard for a hand-crafted third wave coffee drink in Chiang Mai.
Daryl goes a bit crazy in the video and orders the Shakerato from Hell. Served in four glass test tubes for maximum effect, this drink includes a double shot of espresso plus a proprietary Brazillian cacao syrup and milk.
The baristas pour the sweet concoction over ice cubes and then shake vigorously until they create the refreshing coffee drink. Priced at 128 baht at the time we filmed the video, this drink costs the equivalent of $3.65 in US dollars – a bit of a splurge in Chiang Mai for a coffee drink but worth it.
Ristr8to Lab is located at 14 Nimmanhaemin Road, Soi 3, Suthep, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Hungry for More in Chiang Mai?
Check out our Chiang Mai Food Guide for our favorite food and drink options in Chiang Mai.
About the Authors
Daryl & Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.
Original Publication Date: August 7, 2016
Annika
Wednesday 17th of August 2016
You can never go wrong with great tasting coffee! Coffee is very addicting in a nice way.
Bernadette
Saturday 13th of August 2016
Great info about the coffee. Why the test tubes? Does it affect the flavor or is it just aesthetic?
Daryl and Mindi Hirsch
Sunday 14th of August 2016
It's our understanding that the test tubes are just for fun. The barista shakes the drink before pouring it into the test tubes.