Good View

Good View is on Charoen Rat Road, along the Ping River in the Riverside district. From the Old City it is a short hop by Grab or red songthaew, with the fare agreed first. The Riverside, Mojo Cafe & Gallery and Sip Bar are all in the same stretch.

It is a riverside bar-restaurant with a live band. The pull is the music and the setting, with a mixed crowd, so it is more of a social dinner and drinks spot than a pick-up bar. It suits an early-evening meal that turns into a late one.

Yes, it works well for both. The live band, the riverside seats and the food make an easy, public setting, and it copes with groups. Book ahead for weekends if you can, and arrive early for a table with a view of the river.

It is a bar-restaurant with a mixed crowd, so treat it as a place to eat and enjoy the music, not a working-girl venue. Say hello, buy a drink and let things develop naturally. If you want company on the usual terms, head to Loi Kroh Road instead.

Nearby are The Riverside, Mojo Cafe & Gallery, Sip Bar, Sayuri, Riverside Bar & Restaurant and Padma Massage. That is a handful of riverside bars and a couple of massage shops within a short walk, so you can eat at Good View and then try another room.

They are neighbors on Charoen Rat Road. Good View is a bar-restaurant with a live band, and The Riverside is Chiang Mai's classic riverside bar. Many people try both in one evening, and the quickest way to choose is to walk past and listen to which band you like.

Go for dinner and stay for the band, as the music is the main draw in the evening. Weekends are busiest, and the cool dry season from November is the most comfortable time for riverside seats. The live set varies, so check on the night, and book a ride home.

Reserve a table by the river, arrive for an early meal and stay for the band. Order food to share, keep your phone in a front pocket and settle the bill as you go. Take a Grab back, which is simplest late at night, or agree a songthaew fare first.