Chiang Mai Kitchen

casually looking for a dinner place after visiting the Christ Church and this place serves divine foods, Pad Thai was great and very big portion IMO. come before 6pm on a Monday night if you do not have any reservations

The worst Thai food and hospitality outside Thailand that I ever have around the world. First, we booked for table for 10 guests by 6pm. Been told after arriving restaurant to leave by 7:30pm as they claimed that they will have the party. The unfriendly Thai man staff who totally lack of knowledge of English menu terminology and always asked us to order by numbers. Asked for speciality dishes, been told by randomly number and it was not even delicious. Quality and taste of food is poorest as they were cooked by instant sauces. 7:20pm requesting for dessert, been told by same man staff that “you don’t have time for that as it was only 10 minutes left!”. So asked him to pack few food for take away which he aggressively and looked very angry, did it on the table. We left the place with no sign of party going on in the place and there were still tables available for other guests who just arrived. We spent money almost 350 pounds with service charge almost 30 pounds. Not worth at all in any term. Decorative likes fine dining with cheapest food and poorest service. Especially, I am Thai, it was shameful and embarrassing as we should not been treated like we were there begging for your food and service for free and the only group that had such a small limited of time.

The atmosphere was warm and cozy, setting high expectations for the meal. However, I was disappointed to find the crockery and cutlery unexpectedly dirty. Even after I requested a change, the new plates still appeared to have not been washed properly in quite some time. Most of the dishes were satisfactory, except for the fried rice, which was a bit soggy.

Had lunch with a friend on Saturday and as always the food was delicious and full of flavour. Would definitely recommend coming here for Thai food.

The ambiance is lovely, great for large groups (we had 11 people) and the food was spectacular! Definitely recommend!

Tucked away in an old building down a quaint alley off the high street, this Thai restaurant is a hidden gem worth discovering. The convenient yet secluded location adds to its charm, providing a cozy atmosphere. The delightful food is accompanied by a bustling ambiance. I’d highly recommend reserving in advance to secure a table.

A great hidden gem Thai place in the centre of Oxford, right on the high street. The restaurant is located in one of the small allies branching out from high street. But the interior is cozy and each table has sufficient space from neighbouring tables to enjoy their own conversation. The food is good. Really love the ice Thai milk tea, coconut rice and egg omelette. Would come back!

On a cold rainy day, the promise of Tom Yum soup lead us here. The atmosphere is not typical of a Thai restaurant. Our server was not overly helpful in terms of understanding orders or making suggestions. A couple of curry dishes, pad see ew, and a bowl Of Tom Yum. The soup had nice flavor but I was forever picking out lemon grad bits that were like toothpicks in my soup as well as lime leaves, dry chunks of ginger. I did enjoy the many mushrooms included. The other dishes were fine. Not bad but not great.

I was walking through Oxford looking for something to eat when I came across this restaurant. I was craving some Thai and figured why not give it a try. The front door is interesting an has an interesting history with the building dating back to 1637. I was greeted when I walked upstairs and given a menu. I ordered Veggie Spring Rolls (Popia Tod), the Tom Ka with chicken and Pad See-Ew Noodles with chicken. It didn't take long to get my order and it was all still hot when I arrived back at my hotel. They also wrap it all quite tight so nothing spills out. The Spring Rolls weren't what I was expecting. I thought they were going to be fresh spring rolls but they are fried; it does say on the menu but I didn't read that part. It came with a plum sauce but would have been nicer with some hot mustard. Unfortunately, they do not do fresh spring rolls. The Tom Ka soup was quite good. It's a bit heavier than most Tom Ka soups I've had and I would have preferred it to be a bit spicy. The Pad See-Ew was fantastic. They serve a very generous portion and it's just delicious! And like the soup, it would be nice if it was a little spicy. I'm sure they can make it spicy if you ask them and I wish I would have asked. The food is very fresh and delicious and I would absolutely come back here.

Food was excellent, some of the best calamari and pad Thai I have had, bar none. Staff was excellent, service was quick without sacrificing quality. I thoroughly enjoyed dining there and would 100% go back the next time I'm in Oxford. Highly recommended. Ambiance was nice, calming and intimate setting. Overall, great restaurant with superb food!

Down a narrow alley and up a delightfully rickety and uneven stairway in a 1637 building, you'll find this excellent Thai restaurant that serves a mean venison curry and will actually make the dish as spicy as you requested (a rarity in the UK). The flavors and fresh herbs are outstanding, and prices are reasonable. The chicken satay was outstanding as well. Highly recommended.

Hard to find - far off the sidewalk and upstairs, but worth the navigation effort.a must-return spot for my next Oxford visit. The appetizers were served piping hot and very nicely prepared. The larb gai had very well balanced citrus and spice balance, melted over my palate with a great finish. Really nice spot!

Craving flavor in Oxford? You have found a home! Fantastic food. Returned twice in a week to satisfy our craving for first rate Thai !

This is the Thai restaurant I tried seven years ago. Nice to be here again. Lunch special is good value. The mixed seafood is sweat and chili probably Thailand's flavor

Had dinner here last night. I read the yelp reviews but the problem is very few reviews actually talk about specific items on the menu. We tried the spring rolls , vegetable Pad Thai and the sizzling steak. The spring rolls very moist and very good. The sauce that came with it really complimented the dish. The Pad Thai was also very good and we would highly recommended it. The sizzling steak was disappointing as the steak was over cooked and very tough.

Tom kha soup was too heavy, too much coconut, although tasty. Pad Thai too spicy and came without tofu when we requested it to be added. At least they adjusted the bill accordingly. After some convincing I had them make me a large Tom yum bowl, which is not on the menu, only as an appetiser and not as a main course. I got such a large bowl that seemed never ending like eating spoonful after spoonful out of the Indian Ocean. But don't be scared to take soup togo as leftovers, if it's packaged well - no problem. It wasn't the best Tom yum I've had and was lacking some of the lemony tanginess. I liked my blossom tea, although the waitress gave me the wrong type. Service was very slow to a point where it was annoying waiting around. The building is very old, 16th century perhaps. Food was decent, but forgettable.

Best Thai restaurant in Oxford without a doubt. The family owned restaurant is authentic Thai cuisine. We ate there four times and each time was just as good.

Being a half Thai & Black American I always seek out Thai food wherever I go. Finding Chiang Mai wasn't terrible but it's located right next to another Thai restaurant. Immediately after walking in, I noticed all of the Thai staff and even the local Thai residents. I ordered the Som Tum and a Pork curry dish and was immediately taking back to my childhood in my grandmother's kitchen watching her and she made Som Tum and dinner. The Som Tum was so spicy that I had to take breaks to eat it. The only other time i do that is when my mother makes me Som Tum. Any restaurant I've had som Tum and asked for it to be spicy, I would always be disappointed. The funny thing is, I did not ask for the som Tum to be spicy which means they prepare it with that level of spice in the kitchen. If I'm ever back in Oxford, Chiang Mai will be a place that I must revisit!!

Top notch Tom Yum soup and delicious duck in tamarind sauce. Garlic fish was a big disappointment for me and my friend after having few times fish in different Thai restaurants in Oxford. I would say it was quite expensive for its worse than average taste. The service was excellent especially one waiter who came back to explain how to cook this soup. I remember also a nice polish manager from dining there before. Perfect look and lightning for an evening date. Quite expensive for lunch.

This is a nice and small Thai restaurant in the city center. The Pad Thai here tastes very good, but 50p will be charged if you want some water.

Solid spot for decent Thai food-- definitely my favorite in Oxford. I've had the pad see-ew with beef and the coconut rice with mango. The pad see-ew is pretty good but the beef is always tough; maybe chicken would be a better choice for protein. The coconut rice was perfect, not too sweet and still warm. The rice was a nice contrast with the cool mango. Drop by if you're in the area-- if you're coming on a weekend or Friday night with a party larger than 2, you should call and make a reservation.

After 10 days of travel in England and Scotland, I'd had my fill of pub-food. We tried to dine here the night before, but it was full. We barely managed to get a 7:30pm booking on a Friday, only because we promised we'd be done by 9pm (not a problem for us as we're notorious for eating too fast). I love that this place is in an historic building and that they've included historic prints in the mix of Thai decor. I love that your food arrives via the old dumb waiter. This is probably not a selling point for those accustomed to dining in historic buildings. The food itself was quite tasty. We started with the dumplings (shumai-type dumplings). The portion was good, the flavor was good, but I would've preferred the sauce in a cup or collecting dish to allow for dipping/drizzling of the dark sauce. We then shared the beef with garlic, the prawn pad thai, and the papaya salad. The beef with garlic was tender and flavorful, and the sauce made the white rice quite tasty. Between my husband and sister-in-law, I didn't get a single prawn from the pad thai, but there were bits of chicken and egg that were still quite tasty. The noodles were soft, not sticky, and there was just enough sauce to be smooth, but not runny. The papaya salad hit the spot, quite spicy thanks to the slices of fresh peppers in it. Our service was fine - time for us to choose from the menu, drinks brought as quickly as we expect, and for the only time in our 11 day trip to the UK, the check arrived without us asking or waiting for 20 minutes (which might seem pushy to those who are accustomed to enjoying their table for the whole evening, but as Americans, we'd rather just have it there).

Had dinner here on Valentine's day with my boyfriend. We had a minced meat on leaves for appetizer; it was tasty but ginger was a bit too much for me. I ordered a pad thai which was decent but nothing special -- the noodles were chewy but the shrimp didn't taste very fresh. My boyfriend's sizzling beef came on a stone plate, with enough sauce to eat with rice. On the service side: our waiter was nice but clearly inexperienced. When asked about the menu, he often had to check with his manager before coming back with an answer. Originally he said we could drink our own wine, but the manager came back and informed us that each bottle would cost £5 so instead we bought a glass of Thai iced tea and wine (overpriced but wine often is at restaurants).

This place is fantastic. The food is always delicious. Been here for times and never been disappointed with anything. Love the prawns! Any of them. Any style. Just get them. Delicious! Chiang Mai had been recommended to me over and over and I understand why. If you are in Oxford do yourself a favor come here.

This was reported to me as one of the best restaurants in Oxford, and certainly its best Thai, and I found it excellent. It's down a narrow alley walk off the High, but there's a small sign out on the street itself. Main seating area is upstairs. I had a stir fry with duck and vegetables, quite delicious. My companion, unfamiliar with Thai food, tried at my suggestion a basic beef with basil, the dish I usually try to calibrate a Thai restaurant. This was ground beef rather than slices, and had no veggies in it, but she reported it good.

This is probably some of the best Thai food I've ever had. It's always on my list when I'm on a business trip to my company's other site. They really hit the balance of spicy with rich flavors, and every dish I've had has been phenomenal. Their Tom Yum soup with seafood is fantastic--I've never seen such huge mussels and generous portions of shrimp (prawns) in a Thai soup. Their curry entrees are also very tasty--I've had both their red and green curries, and both have been wonderful. They also have non-traditional meat options for their curries (i.e., venison), which are worth a try. If you have room, also be sure to order the coconut mango sticky rice for dessert...really a great end to a meal!

Mom and me visited Oxford last week and I went to yelp straight away to check restaurants around our area to have lunch. We find this lovely and tiny Thai restaurant - lovely!!! The food was good, we shared one starter and then one main each, no dessert or coffee because we were kinda late to carry on visiting. Price was ok, £38 service charge included so we didn't leave any tip. If I go back to Oxford I will probably try something new but I'd go back if I'd leave around the area :)

A little tricky to find but if you're in the mood for Thai this place is a good place to go. Their Pad See Ew was really good, as were the veggie egg rolls. It was a nice change from Fish & Chips!

We just had dinner at this restaurant when we visited Oxford. We had beef basil, pad Thai and beef soup noodle. Beef basil was pleasantly spicy which stimulates my appetite. Pad Thai was flavorful and spice was just right. Yet, beef noodle soup was bit tasteless and disappointing. In general we are very happy with what we had and will definitely go back. Will avoid noodle soup.

Solid Thai place in oxford! Small place but it was small place. The service was good on a busy busy Saturday night. The meal was tasty and the starters we're good enough to order again if I wasn't stuffed at the end of the meal.

Scallop doesn't have any flavor. Roasted duck too sweet. And a bowl of jasmine rice costs £3! Besides, the restaurant doesn't seem very clean, and it is steaming hot

Best Thai in central Oxford, booking may be required. Fantastic Kapow chicken, amazing building, having been going there for 10 years, very dependable. Only possibly bettered by Olli's Thai off Iffley Road.

Food is really good for oxford - endemic to the UK is the fear of spicy food - so ask for the chili dish.

I was in Oxford for a few weeks last summer for work. Whenever I travel, I always look to find a great Thai place and see how it compares to other places. I read about Chiang Mai in a travel book and decided to try it out. It's not easy to find! You can be on the street where it's alley is off of and miss it if you don't look for the small sign. But once you see the sign, all you do is walk into a little alley and make a right into the restaurant. It is on 2 levels. The staff is very warm and welcoming and tended to my needs very well. On my first time there, I ordered a Thai iced tea and I have to say it was THE best I have ever had. It was creamier than any before it and just perfectly flavored. For an appetizer, I ordered the crispy tofu which arrived beautifully arranged on a platter with an ORCHID for a garnish. Gorgeous! The tofu was perfectly crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. The dipping sauce was tasty as well! I am a huge fan of Pad Thai and am very particular about how it is made. Chiang Mai's pad thai met and exceeded all my expectations. There was ample chicken and shrimp. There was just the right amount of sauce and the plate came fresh and steaming to my table. If I remember correctly, I scraped every last bit off the plate that I could on the first visit. The next time I went, I saved some to take away and savored it the next day for lunch. :) I never felt rushed and as a woman dining alone, felt very safe while I was there. I was treated with respect as a visitor to the country and appreciated the politeness of the staff. The ambiance was nice, as it is in a converted pub. It is very rustic feeling, a little on the small side, but intimate. The stairs are a bit steep and squeaky, but it adds to the charm! My stomach rumbles as I write this. Is it wrong I want to go back to Oxford because of this restaurant? :)

First time left speechless while eating dinner because of the dishes ordered had brought back my childhood memories. They used specific southeast Asian produce ingredients that are rarely found, such as the little green balls. I like to test authenticity of a Southeast Asian food by ordering papaya salad which was executed perfectly with the intensity of the fish sauce, chili peppers along with the dried shrimp. The curry some of the top I've had so far, we had the duck curry with enough balance of meat to curry sauce ratio. Surprisingly they had custard which is a must try since it was the crust-less style I grew up with and have to say was better than my mother's! Will definitely miss this place since this is the closest to my parents' home cooking. Do make reservations during peak time or come early enough.

This place has definitely lost a star on my astronomical radar. I called to make a reservation early Friday afternoon for later that evening. Understandably they did not have a table at 7 or 8pm but they assured me that they would be all set to take us at 9:30. We were really eager to have the best Thai food so we agreed to coax our stomachs into waiting on a late dinner. We arrived just in time for our reservation to a truly packed restaurant. There were people waiting on the stairs and our group of 5 stood around while the waitress informed us that it would be a 5 minute wait. Fair enough. Over 40 minutes later we were seated, after several reminders to the staff and countless assurances that we would be seated in a 'few minutes'. The few minutes turned into almost three quarters of an hour. Though they were kind enough to give us a bottle of wine, it seemed like it was mainly fuelled by the fact that the owners knew one of our company as a regular customer. The other people were not so lucky. My beef Pad See-ew Noodle was a little off in terms of flavoring, though the couple bites that I had of Gaeng Talay were delicious. The chicken pad thai was a little too sweet and sour as well. I would really just go here for their curries which I concede are just gorgeous. Anyway, I was embarrassed to have promised my friends an infallible restaurant while being made to stand on a staircase for 40 minutes and being treated as if we hadn't booked. Honestly, it was the longest wait I've ever had.....with and without a reservation.

I had lunch here again and still thought it was great. The 'mild' dish still wasn't mild. Ground chicken basil with fried egg, mmm.

Very disappointed. Had heard good things about this place from everyone we had mentioned our liking of The Bangkok House to. So, we went. Cramped seating with a strange decor upstairs. I had stuffed chicken wings which were tiny, dry and tasteless. My partner had fishcakes which were deformed, rubbery and tasted like a mixture between sucking on plastic and Fairy Liquid. We followed this with two main dishes of nondescript curry. I could have made better, and I am not a very good cook. The bill arrived and was only marginally cheaper than The Bangkok House. Will not return. Why would I when the other place is so near with such nice food?

This is an amazing restaurant. The food is delicious. The fresh spring rolls were so fresh. And the sauce on the fried calamari was nothing like I had ever tasted; not to mention the meat was very tender and not at all rubbery. I can't wait to visit Oxford again so I can return to this restaurant.

My fav-our-ite Thai restaurant in all of the UK. I love the food here and whenever I am in Oxford I always stop off here for either a lunch or a dinner. I took some worldly travelled people here (who tended to be picky -in a good way- about food) and they loved it...touchdown!!!!! As they say in the United States... I love the atmosphere - it is a converted Tudor pub - I think - (though it can get too warm so you have to consume beer to keep cool - you have been warned). It is great for groups or couples. Be warned the entrance is a little difficult to find. You have to walk down a little alleyway off the main street and it will be on a door to your right. The picture to then entrance of the alleway is displayed in the Yelp pictures in this profile...so good luck. I walked past it four times before I figured out what the hell was going on. Call ahead and book so as not to be disappointed.

In a city that hosts several top notch Thai restaurants, this is by far my favorite. Small, cozy, and warm. Go down the alley off High and then head upstairs. The service is good, the food is excellent. Never had a bad meal in many years of coming here. I miss it already.

Well executed Thai food in the heart of Oxford, located in a charming , and very old, building hidden down an alley, just off the High Street. Apparently, in the dim and distant past, the building has been at various times a police station and a French restaurant ( incidentally, where Raymond Blanc worked..a very long tiime ago!). All that aside, it's been a Thai restaurant as long as I've known Oxford, and the upshot is that this means the restaurant seating is spread across a number of rooms on a number of floors, so you are heavily dependent on the capacity of your server. The menu tends towards the more conservative end of Thai food, but the standard is good I particularly enjoyed scallops with chili as a starter, combining sweet seafood ( still in the shell) witha nicely punchy sauce. Be aware that the restaurant is very popular, particularly, it seems, with slightly better heeled postgrad students, so you may want to consider booking ahead.

There are not many good Thai restaurants in this area. Chiang Mai Kitchen is a place where I would have my Thai food. It's a little cramped inside. *I had better Thai food, but if you have to go. This is the place* Entrance is at Kemp Hall passage. Food is average and expensive. Sometimes I feel that we're being rushed to get out here. This is due with their popularity. Which means, you need to reserve a table. My favorite dish is the Plah Nueng Giem Buey.

I was really lucky getting a table here on a Saturday night without booking - apparently normally you have to book ages in advance. Very yummy food, prompt and polite service, and a real step up from your typical Chinese/Thai restaurant. The menu's huge, which isn't great for a decision-phobe like me, but it means you can come back time and time again. What's great is that there's more variety than just the same dish with different meat; there are curries, dry dishes, very good starters, noodle dishes - the lot, but all a bit different from a typical takeaway. A word of warning though: if it has a hot symbol by it, it's hot!! My favourite thing is the old-fashioned lift they use to bring food upstairs. It's a tunnel in the wall, where they pull a cable and the food comes up on a tray. Very fun to watch and it really adds a sense of tradition and authenticity to the place. My favourite dish: Khanom Jeep £6.25: Little rice pastry dumplings filled with water chestnuts, minced pork and spring onions. Steamed and served with a soya/garlic sauce.

Some of the best that Oxford has to offer is hidden away in its alleys and secret passages, and Chiang Mai Kitchen tops my list of secret gems. Hidden just off the high street, it looks like an old tudor building that's probably listed like the rest of Central Oxford. The owners have somehow managed to make it feel Thai through decor that preserves much of the character of the building, yet is uniquely Thai as well. Into this wonderful ambiance, add the attentive staff and the best Thai food in Oxford. I have high expectations of Thai food, and Chiang Mai Kitchen is the only place in Oxford that doesn't disappoint. Be sure to reserve a table, as it's almost always crowded.

Amazing We met friends for a Saturday night meal 3 weekis ago and the food was the best I have eaten in Oxford in some time. I was not surprised it was so busy and you have to book but the food and service was the best. This Sunday lunch this week and again the food was amazing and it is great to have such a good choice for Veggies unlike aalot of Oxfords restrurants.

Tasty tasty tasty!

Friends have been telling me to go here for literally years but somehow I only got around to it for my girlfriend's birthday last week. The beautiful scent of the kitchen hits you as soon as you walk in. There's great decor, friendly and efficient service and, most importantly, delicious food. We had a duck curry, a seafood curry, coconut rice, some spicy chicken salad to start, a few beers and a Thai rice banana pudding for dessert. Everything was perfectly cooked and spiced and the servings were generous too. If I'd have one criticism then it's that the dessert was a little bland and heavy, but you don't really go to Asian restaurants for the desserts, do you? A great birthday dinner and a lovely night out. I especially appreciated how, even though it is a popular restaurant in a small nooks-and-crannies old building, they keep a respectful distance between tables and give diners space, rather than trying to cram in hundreds of people. My only tip would be to reserve (like we did), as even on a midweek night it was full and new arrivals had to wait about thirty minutes. But they take your name and everything by the looks of things, so I'm sure you get seated pretty efficiently.

We went on my girlfriend's birthday, having read glowing reviews. We were lead to a tiny table downstairs. Business was brisk & the service slow. Starters were OK but my red Thai curry was very average. My girlfriend enjoyed her king prawn course. I've had far better Thai meals than this! Pretty disappointing all round.

Amazing food. Extremely authentic. Great environment. Really a great experience all around. The northern Thai specials were unique to me and phenomenal.

As a student at Oxford, I did think Chiang Mai was overpriced. Now that I'm a grown-up(!) I can see that really, they're catering to an elegant, tasteful crowd. I was lucky enough to be dining here with a particularly special person and we had an amazing meal. Our waitress was cute and giggly: it may well have been her first day, but we forgave her mistakes while ordering as she was so dang sweet about it. My flat noodles were amazing, seasoned perfectly and portioned just right, and the accompanying salads were freshly, beautifully prepared. Yelp-love has it so right for this spot :)

Great flavors and food. One of the best places I've been to since arriving in England. Compared to the states, CA in particular, it meets the standard and is par to what I get in LA and OC. Great place to grub if you want Thai. I got the padsee ew and it's great! Everyone at my table loved their meal.

Very good Thai food! Prices are reasonable, though staff is usually a mix of rude and incompetent. Still, it's a restaurant I visit every time I'm in Oxford for more than a day trip, because the green curry is terrific.

Hands down, my favourite restaurant in Oxford, if not everywhere! I've been many times and never had even the slightest problem - as close to perfection as you can get. The food is sensational - all very authentic and every dish prepared very carefully and absolutely delicious. My personal favourites are the pork dumplings and chicken spinach parcels to start, both delicious and great for sharing. I love the sizzling dishes and my favourite dish is the beef in oyster sauce, so subtle and still packed full of favour. Also a fantastic wine list, many lovely bottles and a foolproof menu that gives very accurate descriptions under each wine so you know exactly what you're getting - obviously very carefully chosen by someone who cares about it very much. I've got to mention the ice-cream - to die for! Very rich and creamy, perfect after a spicy meal - the best ice cream in Oxford. Chocolate lovers have to try their bitter chocolate, delicious! The service is spot on - very polite, extremely efficient and happy to help. The manager does a fantastic job of keeping everything running smoothly. The best thing about non-chain restaurants is how much the staff care about making it a success, which filters down to the service. You'll have to book a table, as it's very popular indeed. Brilliant for a romantic date, a meal out with good friends, taking your family out for a treat - anything. I recommend going for dinner rather than lunch so that you can eat plenty, as it's well worth ordering a lot! The best way to eat here is to order a lot of dishes to share, and taste a little bit of everything. None of it will disappoint!

One of the best Thai restaurants I've ever been to! Great food selection, there special fried rice was amazing!

Delicious thai food. I had the curry with lychee nuts and I was extremely impressed with the flavor. The pad Thai was of high quality and the red curry was good too. Only slightly disappointed with the quality of the wait staff. They could have been more polite and accommodating. The prices are also a bit high and then portions are on the smaller side. In person could eat one order of curry. Overall a very good thai restaurant!

I studied abroad at Queens College back in the summer of 2007, and this was by far the favorite restaurant for all of the students in the program. Large groups of us came here for lunch at least 3 or 4 times during the month that we were in Oxford! I had never had Thai food before eating here, and now I am hooked!