The Drunken Flower Bar and Restaurant gets its name from the original days when it made its debut on Huay Kaew Road as Chiang Mai's first wine tasting club which also sold imported flowers and bulbs from Holland. It has now moved to the very upscale and trendy Soi 1 of Nimmanhemin Road. The very chic Modiva restaurant just opened next door. Nimmanhemin Soi 1 is a dead-end road, and the Drunken Flower is the very last aging two storey wooden building, surrounded by a lush garden. Tables under parasols are scattered around what would have been the driveway, offering a very residential and relaxed atmosphere. The main building houses more sitting arrangements and a very long bar "serving" a DJ with a selection of thousands of CDs and tapes. The live musicians also perform indoors.
The colorful entrance signs claim the restaurant as being "the Oasis on Nimmanhemin" with recommended dishes and special cocktails of the day also being posted on a small blackboard. Drinks are served from an outside bar while the kitchen is in the back of the main building. Nightly entertainment ranges from single singers performing soft easy listening folk and contemporary songs during the week to livelier two men bands on the weekends. Musically inclined customers are welcome to join in and jam.
This garden-restaurant style eatery offers a wide menu of recommended dishes, Mexican food, Thai-style farang dishes, farang salads, light dishes, main single dishes, soups and curries, sautés, spicy salads, fish and some selected vegetarian fares. Most food items cost between Baht 65 and Baht 75 with the most expensive being the chicken fajitas with tortillas at Baht 140. Mexican and newly introduced Thai Yai dishes from Shan State in Myanmar are surprisingly popular.
The beverage menu is also very extensive. All the well known hard liquor brands are available and a large choice of cocktails is featured. House wines, imported and local beers are also offered with prices ranging between Baht 65 for a large local bottle of beer and Baht 100 for an imported one.
By far, the best attraction of this eatery is the owner's large black Labrador named Charcoal freely mingling with customers. The only time this friendliest dog has ever shown any kind of animosity was when it was roughed up by some drunks.
Owner and manager Pichaya Chavasit said that the Drunken Flower has been operating successfully for the past 7 years with a mostly local clientele of regulars but burgeoning problems include the steep rent, yearly floods from excess mountain rains, general cost of living increases and fierce competition.
The Drunken Flower is located at
295/1 Soi 1, Nimmanhemin Rd. T.Suthep A.Muang, Chiang Mai 50200.
