Bar Not Found
Cocktails • DJ nights
161, 90-91 Sri Phum, Tambon Si Phum, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200 (just north of the old town)
Bar Not Found is the opposite of everything you’d expect from a hidden bar. No dark corners, no jazz, no cigar smoke, no moody pretension. Instead: a brightly lit living room, a long multi-coloured bar, Bauhaus-inspired eclectic decor, and cocktails named after colour swatches.
Finding it is the first puzzle. There are four doors to choose from — you want the third one from the left, up a flight of bright orange stairs in the Changphuak area, a short tuk-tuk ride north of the old town. The entrance is deliberately confusing, which is funnier when you know the bar’s name.
Opened in September 2024 by four friends — Foam, Game, Jane, and Amber — all bartenders, chefs, and industry people from Chiang Mai’s growing drinks scene. Game, previously at Tuub bar, is something of a local legend among bartenders — the kind of person other bartenders watch work. Bar Not Found has moved fast under their direction. It landed at number twelve on Thailand’s 20 Best Bars list within its first year, and its mixologists are now competing internationally.
The cocktails are colour-coded. Sapphire tastes like mint, cacao, and wine. Coral is passionfruit and cranberry. Turquoise is niam leaf and kombu. Each drink is named after the colour it actually is — order by shade and discover what the team has done with the concept. Expect local Thai ingredients used with genuine creativity and zero pretension.
The vibe on a good night leans toward a house party — DJs from 9pm, conversation flowing, a young creative crowd that’s here because they care about drinks, not because they’re performing for Instagram.
What to order: Pick a colour you like and trust the bartenders. If you can’t decide, ask for their current favourite.
Best for: Anyone who thinks hidden bars take themselves too seriously. A perfect counterpoint to the darker, moodier stops on the circuit.
EXPERIENCE BAR NOT FOUND as part of our old town Northside Route, together with Arkive and White Rabbit.