🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Let's be honest up front: Nong Bua Lamphu isn't a full-on cafe town the way Chiang Mai or Bangkok are. Most places here are local cafes run hands-on by the owners — roasting, brewing, and baking in small shops rather than running serious roasteries. The charm is in the friendly prices, the lack of crowds, and the rice-field or mountain views that big cities just don't have. We've ranked these by the coffee, the atmosphere, and how easy each one is to fit into your day — not just social-media buzz.
The prices listed are rough ranges from the latest menus and can shift with the season and the time of day. A lot of the small shops in town take cash more easily than transfers, so it's worth keeping some cash on you. And if you're heading to a spot out of town on a weekday, check the cafe's Facebook page first — a few of them keep irregular hours and don't always close on the same days.
Nong Bua Lamphu Cafes Ranked
The Chato Cafe
The town favorite and the most famous cafe in Nong Bua Lamphu. The building is done up as a European Gothic castle, so there are plenty of photo corners, with a mountain backdrop behind. There's an area where kids can hang out with goats and geese, and live music on Fridays and Saturdays. The menu runs from coffee, bingsu, and bakery to pizza and Thai-Western dishes. It's right in town behind the Natthapong Grand Hotel on the Udon–Loei road, so it's a really easy stop before you carry on.
Naka Loft Cafe
A loft-style cafe mixing raw concrete and wood under warm lighting, with plenty of chic photo corners. The standout here is that they use beans imported from Chiang Mai and bake fresh bakery every day. The crowd favorites are the tiramisu and the affogato. It's a comfortable, quiet spot in town, great if you like a calmer cafe. It's in Nong Bua sub-district, not far from the town center.
Or Fresh Coffee
A small in-town coffee shop that genuinely cares about the craft. They use single-origin beans, make every pastry in-house with carefully sourced ingredients, and have keto and gluten-free options if you're watching what you eat. This is a coffee-lover's place more than a photo spot — perfect for a good morning cup before you head off to a temple or drive up the mountain. It's in Lamphu sub-district, right in the center of town.
Nordic Coffee (Nordic House & Coffee)
A minimalist cabin cafe out by the rice fields, surrounded by shady trees and looking out over green paddies. The coffee is medium-roast with creamy body, and beyond drinks there's fresh farm breakfast — rice porridge, fried eggs, sandwiches — at friendly prices. It's a good spot to sit a while and catch the morning breeze. It's in Pho Chai sub-district on the edge of town off Route 3037, just a few minutes' drive from the center.
Feel Like a Home
The name pretty much sums up the vibe — it's as comfortable as dropping by a friend's place. The strength here is the house-baked bakery, with the chocolate caramel macadamia as the crowd favorite, and they take birthday cake orders too. It's an in-town spot that works well for getting some work done or settling in for a long chat. It's on Analayo Road in Nong Bua sub-district.
WANWANG Cafe
A small cafe with an outdoor seating area and an easygoing feel that lives up to its name ("day off"). It's a good pick if you're after a quiet spot to sip coffee on a free day. This is more of a locals' regular than a tourist stop, with mid-range prices. Check the latest location and hours on their Facebook/IG @wanwangcafe before you go to be safe.
Belief Cafe & Garden
A garden cafe split into several zones, each themed differently — European, Korean, Japanese — plus a seaside-style corner for photos. The signature drinks are the coconut coffee and the black coconut coffee, and for dessert there's strawberry cheesecake and matcha. It's in Non Sang district, a fair drive out of town, so it suits people who plan to come specifically to shoot photos and stay a while rather than just passing through.
Thung Na at 9Dee Cafe
Part cafe, part restaurant set amid green rice fields, with both air-conditioned and outdoor seating — good for groups or families. Beyond coffee you can order Thai-Isan food, pizza, pasta, and steak, and it stays open late, until 9pm. It's in Na Klang district, a bit further out from town, but the rice-field view is worth it if you're passing that way.
MeJaKin Cafe & Restaurant
An open glass building that pulls in natural light, with a spacious layout and both indoor and outdoor seating. It's a cafe-restaurant combo where you can order coffee, Thai-Isan food, pizza, steak, and hot pot. It works well for a lunch or dinner where you want to eat properly and still sit and relax. It's in Na Wang district, far from the town center — best for people already touring that area.
Nawa Day Cafe
A small cafe surrounded by nature, with loft-style decor that makes it an inviting place to sit. It's a good pick if you want to escape the bustle and sip coffee somewhere quiet. It's a relaxed local spot that doesn't get crowded. Check the opening hours on the cafe's Facebook page before you go, since it's a small place with irregular hours.
Grab a cafe before you head out
If you're planning to visit Wat Tham Klong Phen or drive up Phu Kao and Phu Phan Kham, it's worth hitting an in-town spot like The Chato, Or Fresh Coffee, or Feel Like a Home in the morning before you set off. A lot of the out-of-town cafes close early (around 18:00) and sit in the opposite direction from the sights, so you'll save yourself a loop back.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Nong Bua Lamphu food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
How to choose if you only have time for one
- Want great photos, going with the family — go for The Chato Cafe. Plenty of photo corners, animals for the kids, and it's right in town for an easy stop.
- Here for the coffee, want it quiet — go for Or Fresh Coffee or Naka Loft, both of which put more care into the beans and the brew than into being photogenic.
- Want to sit a while and catch the breeze off the fields — go for Nordic Coffee on the edge of town, or Thung Na at 9Dee if you don't mind a longer drive.
- Want both coffee and a proper meal — go for MeJaKin or 9Dee, where you can order full main dishes.
Getting around and budget
In-town spots like The Chato, Or Fresh Coffee, Feel Like a Home, and Naka Loft are all within a few minutes' drive of the district center. Belief, 9Dee, and MeJaKin, on the other hand, are in other districts (Non Sang, Na Klang, Na Wang) and take a decent drive to reach — better suited to people already touring that area than to making a special trip for one cafe. Nong Bua Lamphu doesn't have convenient public transport in town, so renting a car or motorbike from the town center or Udon Thani is the way to go. A cup of coffee mostly runs around ฿45–85 — clearly cheaper than the big cities — and desserts and bakery start from about ฿45.
Cafes in town
The Chato, Or Fresh Coffee, Feel Like a Home, Naka Loft — easy to grab before heading out to a temple or up the mountain.
Cafes by the rice fields
Nordic Coffee, Thung Na at 9Dee — green paddy views, great for sitting a while in the morning or afternoon breeze.
Cafes out of town
Belief (Non Sang), MeJaKin (Na Wang) — a longer drive, best for people already touring that area.
Want a full Nong Bua Lamphu plan covering temples, mountains, and where to eat?
See the 1-day Nong Bua Lamphu itinerary →