Social enterprise restaurant est. 2009 serving healthy, vegan food. Menu is based on Shan, Burmese, Thai, and western breakfast dishes. Operates a zero waste kitchen working with local organic farmers. Makes almond and coconut milk for coffee and tea. Smoothie bowls, juices, and milkshakes are on offer as well as cakes, pies, brownies, and ice cream. Ingredients are listed for each dish. In the same compound is My Best Life CNX and a charity thrift store. Air-con room inside & outside dog-friendly seating. Computer use allowed and has power outlets. Note that whilst the cafe is vegan, items with beeswax are sold on the premises. Previously at 116 Maneenoparat Rd. Open Tue 9:00am-5:00pm, Wed-Thu 9:00am-8:00pm, Fri 9:00am-10:00pm, Sat 9:00am-8:00pm, Sun 9:00am-5:00pm. Closed Mon.
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14 Sirimankalajarn Soi 9, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50300
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Last update on 12 Dec 2025 by LilacHippy
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182 Reviews
First Review by eatyourveggies
LauraPartridge
Points +49
will be back! - Edit
Cafe has a really nice interior! And we were so excitied to try out their food. We ordered vegan pancakes and my sister a gluten free version. It was delicious!! And the Cappuccino I had with it (with home made almond milk) was to die for! Great experience! We were happy to have such a huge selection of vegan food and drinks.
Read morePros: clean spot, tasty food, a lot of homemade things
Guest
HaileyPoLa
Points +1118
Nice cafe with a cause - Edit
I really liked the mango shake and the hummus sandwich with eggplant! I would have given it 5 star if there was AC...
Read morePros: Nice food, Charity
Cons: No AC
Guest
Alohammm
Points +117
Vegan Kao Soi - Edit
Good atmosphere and good cause!
Read moreTheir vegan kao soi is to die for!
Guest
Mango Authority
Points +87
Very UnHealthy and UnTasty - Edit
I was at FBC today with my wife and 2 y.o. son. We had Samosas, Salad Sampler of 3 and Vegan Pancake (400 baht total).
Read moreHere is what I have to say:
If you are on a healthy side of veganism and/but not just for moral reasons you have to stay away from this place.
1. Salads were SUPER HEAVY LOADED WITH SALT.
Thai food is supposed to be spicy but that much salty.
We could barely taste the actual salad. All our mouths could feel was THE SALT. Remember we had sampler of 3! salads? But that were SALT + SALT + little bit of spices + EXTRA SALT! And I can't stress this enough!!!
2. Samosa is DEEP fried. You kinda expect healthy version of a meal at a vegan restaurant? Wrong. You get loads of hydrogenated over time oil. And we have experience of having samosas at other places in Asia - it doesn't have to be fried at all.
3. Vegan pancake is just a piece of dough with A LOT of coconut. Basically - oil again! + Some cane juice pretending to be kinda maple syrup. And some freaking pieces of UNRIPE fruits my son even refused to eat. You could not afford to go to market and buy ripened ones? In THAILAND!!! Really?
Bottom-line:
I really get where the good reviews are coming from.
Newbies! It is a great place to start if you try to ditch the SAD diet. Loads of salt and oils from vegetable sources + little of unripe fruit is a VEGAN diet and better than SAD. People who is used to a lot of these ingredients probably will be happy. But it is UNHEALTHY!
And for those of you who is on the HEALTHY vegan lifestyle with something like high carb, low fat, low salt approach please stay away for your own sake. You will be disappointed! It is not healthy, not tasty at all and expensive for Thailand. I would give it a one star rating if happycow would have it for a vegetarian restaurant.
On the bright side the place is chill, the waitress is super nice, kind, polite and beautiful. It's the food guys.. sorry..
Pros: Place, Waitress
Cons: Food, Salt, Oil
Guest
MayaPapaya
Points +59
Really awesome place! - Edit
Had an amazing fruit salad and coffee here, and it's great to know the money is going for a good cause! Also has a nice second hang store with some interesting stuff :) highly recommended
Read moreGuest
ElySunrise108
Points +41
Bell'idea - Edit
Il locale e' molto carino e le stelle sono per l' idea avuta.. Il servizio e' estremamente lento..
Read moreGuest
LeilaMasson
Points +92
relaxed vibe, good cause, organic - Edit
This cafe is comfortable and a good place to chill. The Thai food was very tasty, the Western quesadilla a bit tasteless but I guess one should not expect authentic Mexican food in Chiang Mai. I like the fact that most of the produce is organic and that the proceeds go to a good cause. For me that is reason enough to return! Will have breakfast here tomorrow.
Read moreGuest
uschiverena
Points +580
good vegan pancakes - Edit
We had the glutenfree vegan pancakes which were really nice. Sadly the fruits were cut with an onion-knife, not that pleasant. The Black and White smoothie was ok. Like that it's a non profit cafe with a second hand shop inside.
Read moreGuest
MOJO!
Points +132
Clean Vegan Food - Edit
This place is amazing. They use very little oil, quality ingredients and the place is supporting a great cause.
Read moreThe pad thai has very little oil but is packed with delicious flavour.
Vegan pancake is a winner!
The Jok, rice porridge is a tasty dish that truly satisfies.
The salad sampler is perfect for trying out all the salads that they have on offer.
Very impressed.
Pros: Great food, lots of vegan options, Extensive list of smoothies, Nice staff
Cons: Can be hot inside, sit by a fan
Guest
YozzyOti
Points +93
Nice Cafe for what they are doing. - Edit
I think I had a berry vegan sweets and lime juice
Read morethe sweet was a smaller than I thought.
Over all both of them were ok
The cafe was non-air conditioned. They also sell charity goods and used clothing. I bought Nancy Chandler's map of Chiang Mai (300 THB) at the free bird cafe. I was satisfied with the map which made my stay in Chiang mai much better:)
Guest
WeFewVeggies
Points +375
You MUST Eat Here! - Edit
A Great "Earthy"Cafe with Opportunty Shop!
Read moreCurries, Smoothies, Salads Etc.
Immune Boosters, Super Foods Etc.
A Taste Explosion with Amazing Fusions of Thai Flavour...
Organic, Raw , Vegan , Vego!
HELP Support Thai Community WWW.ThaiFreedomHouse.Org
Guest
JasonNevin
Points +37
Great Food - Edit
Been 3 times and i love the warm oats for breakfast but the real highlight was the curries. Bursting with flavour.
Read moreThere is no garden.
Pros: Location, Breakfast, Curries
Guest
Fedep
Points +67
Great Menu - Edit
Very original menu with many different vegan options available. We try the tea leaf salad which was good but not the best I have had. The yellow noodles were good but a bit dry, overcooked and not very tasty... I really liked the "Black and White" smoothie (almond, cocoa and coconut). It was refreshing and light. Some people might thing that is too watery but in my opinion it was perfect! My boyfriend loved the coffee and the gluten free brownie. The shop sells second hand clothes, Spirulina, Triphala an other natural goods. Great place and menu. The recipes could be better...
Read morePros: Charity project, Charity shop, Menu
Cons: Food can be better
Guest
agentbey
Points +96
The Bird that flew away - Edit
You ever have been to a restaurant that you love the staff, the cause and location but not the food. I am torn in writing this review because I really like what Free Bird Cafe's mission. I've have been three times to date.
Read moreThe people behind this mission are awesome. However, food is not their business. Its a great idea and works for many people who are looking for something other than Thai food.
For me the food lacks luster. I ordered the famous Black and White smoothie. This could really be an awesome smoothie if it were smooth. The blended almonds are a bit gritty to be slurping through a straw. They could add more cacao powder to bring this to optimal goodness. The ice offsets the chocolate smoothness. I would suggest using frozen bananas instead of ice to give it more richness.
I ordered the Burmese Tea Salad and it was very delicious. But the portion could be prepared with one cup of more of leafy vegetables.
On my second visit I was not happy about my meal. I didn't finish it. My friend ate it out of pity and not being wasteful. I don't like wasting food at all. But the Pad Thai missed the basics of Pad Thai seasonings. For example, it didn't have any tamarind in the seasoning. Tasted more like buttered rice noodles.
I also ordered another smoothie without ice. I wanted to just get the coconut milk with mango. In my mind it would be this nice creamy blend. As I began to suck down this creation my tongue told my brain to stop. Why is there water in this smoothie? You can see the coconut milk separating from the water and the mango bits floating around. I sipped down a quarter of it and stopped.
I am not impressed with the food. So one last try. I really want to support the business and NGO. I met another friend there for lunch. Ordered the stir fried vegetables and the carrot pineapple juice. The juice was excellent!
Stir-fried you got to be kidding me. My blood pressure shot up from the amount of salt in this dish. It contained a good amount of vegetables but lacked original flavor. Basically, seasoned with soy sauce and salt. The red rice that comes with the dish is very good.
I hope the business continues to blossom and the free bird brings more goodness back to the nest.
Pros: NGO, Clean atmosphere, Location
Cons: Flavors, Smoothie uses too much water
Guest
freeprincebandar
Points +305
So so food - Edit
The place looks nice except that if you want to sit upstairs you have to be willing to take off your shoes. Even though we don't eat with our feet, I feel that taking off shoes lessens my dining experience. The food was humdrum. Another diner warned us that they use a brand of soymilk which actually has real dairy milk in it, go figure. But that eliminates many items from the menu for vegans. Not a repeat.
Read morePros: social welfare enterprise
Cons: food not good, customers with shoes must sit outdoors
Guest
msvegan
Points +377
Below average food for Chang Mai - Edit
Despite all the rave reviews-by strangely single reviewers only- this place is nothing outstandingg. The menu is limited and offers nothing really unique. The food is over-priced for the quality and portion.
Read moreIm sure the owner's intent is good to help Burmese refugees, but, the menu and food really need some work. It might be better if they specialized in Burmese Veg cuisine as none of the dishes here impress or have much flavor. It is a place I want to give a better review to for intent but I cant because the food just wasnt good.
Updated from previous review on Monday December 05, 2011
Pros: Good.intentions
Cons: Limited menu, Flavorless, Overpriced
Guest
Nadir
Points +17
my favorite place in all of thailand - Edit
When I first got to Chiang Mai I decided to go straight to Free Bird Cafe for breakfast, as I had heard so many good things about it from fellow travelers. Alas, it was Monday and Free Bird was closed. And really this is the only mild complaint I have about Free Bird. Sure it is totally selfish to want the workers not to get a day off, but after tasting the absolutely amazing pickled green tea leaf salad, you will understand why I would love to see it open 7 all days.
Read moreAside from that first day and the next Monday, I went to Free Brid everyday while I visited Chiang Mai. Sometimes for breakfast, sometimes for lunch, sometimes just for tea, I was instantly smitten with cafe with an amazing consious. The staff are beyond friendly and you can tell they love that you are there. They constantly offered to add hot water to my tea, even when I was more than willing to buy another pot.
The prices are beyond reasonable. And as I said before the Pickled green tea leaf salad was extraordinary. Facts are facts: this is beyond a doubt my favorite salad I have ever eaten. I ordered two the day I left Chiang Mai. And really & truly, as my bus got further and further away from Chaing Mai I wondered why I did not order a third.
As an added bonus there is a used clothing store on site. Sadly for me, most of the clothes are ladies, but I bought a few t shirts for myself and a dress and a few shirts for the lady I love.
That all profits go towards helping Burmese refugees makes what was already an amazing cafe near perfect.
Please note that during the week the cafe closes at 4:30 for good reason, as it morphs into an education center for those same Burmese refugees.
I can't lie, I more than 1/2 wanted to move to Chaing Mai and live next door to Free Bird Cafe, alas the stars were not aligned for this. But I can say any visit to Chaing Mai without a/numerous visit/s to Free Bird = you not doing it right. And if you are lucky you will be able to meet the amazingly adorable neighborhood kitty that will curl up next to you as you read/write/enjoy your tea/meal -- such an added bonus to such an amazing place.
Pros: amazing food, amazing staff, the garden
Cons: closed on monday, closed for dinner during the week
Guest
lisabyrd
Points +60
YAY!!! - Edit
Hello, ok, so I am totally biased since this is my cafe but I thought I would write a review anyway. Free Bird Cafe is the place that we at Thai Freedom House www.thaifreedomhouse.org share our love of food, health, happiness and giving with you. Each dish is prepared with love by our Burmese refugee students who work in our cafe/community center. Whether your stopping in for an espresso,latte, super food smoothie or breakfast or lunch, we hope you can appreciate the freshness of the locally grown and sold (organic when available) veggies and our sweet treats prepared daily. We love to share the cuisine of Thailand and of our students from Burma and Shan State along with information about travel in these areas in our community library.
Read moreAnother bonus of eating here; 100% of the profits go to supporting our school/community learning center for Burmese refugees who have nowhere else to access education.
While your here check out our Pre Loved Charity Clothing Shop downstairs for some funky fashion finds :)
Thank you for all of your love and support!!!
FREE WIFI, COMFY SEATING INSIDE OR GARDEN TABLES, STUDENT ART GALLERY, INFO ON LOCAL BUSINESS' AND EVENTS AND MORE...
Pros: profits go to charity!, delicious local food, hard to find burmese treats
Guest
yourfacehxc
Points +202
Warm atmosphere, average food - Edit
No hype here, very average spot. While the people and actual restaurant are cozy and warm, their food is lacking. The pumpkin soup I had was flavorless and oily. I couldn't even recognize it as pumpkin. Our hummus platter was unimpressive despite the focaccia bread. For 125 baht the serving we received was incredibly small, consisting of a tiny cup of hummus and a few raw vegetables. The flavor was good but a poor deal, without a doubt. The sandwiches were tasty but again, expensive for what they were. I realize the proceeds benefit a good cause but this spot is simply nothing write home about. 2 stars for the food, 4 stars for ambiance and well meaning.
Read morePros: Warm and cozy, Friendly, Good cause
Cons: Expensive, Small servings, Food is nothing special
Guest
eatyourveggies
Points +2120
Adorable cafe! - Edit
I adore this place, but I only had breakfast there. The menu looks amazing though, so you must go!! Great smoothies with spirulina but they are kind of expensive. Such a great thing they have going on there with the school.
Read moreGuest
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