Wawee Coffee is Chiang Mai's best-known local coffee chain, using beans grown in the mountains of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai provinces. The flagship branch near the old city moat has a shaded terrace that's popular with students and laptop workers in the mornings.
The coffee is a genuine improvement on international chains — properly roasted northern Thai arabica, served without the corporate gloss. The Thai iced coffee with condensed milk is particularly good. Several branches are scattered across the city; the ones near Nimman Road are usually busier in the evenings.