This is a more difficult review to write than my normal, because I am not able to achieve a narrow focus. Of course, that is good, because I like virtually everything on the menu at the Rose Restaurant.

Let's look at the Rose Restaurant by time: from the early opening they serve perhaps the best breakfasts in Chiangmai: American, English, German, and Continental. Not just good tasting, but excellent value as well. A very filling and very well prepared breakfast is under 100 baht. They have the usual features: eggs, toast, coffee or tea, orange juice, breakfast meats, etc. But the details! The coffee is fresh brewed cup by cup. Two breakfast meats, not one. The American breakfast offers American bacon while the English breakfast offers English back bacon with a tail. Choose also from ham or sausage. The Continental breakfast has toasted croissants that are fantastic. The German breakfast makes me think I just woke up in a countryside inn in Germany: wurst, eggs, coffee, and several types of bread including broetchen. Es schmecht! The toast and croissants come with a large serving of butter plus strawberry jam and orange marmalade!

I happen to think that the Thai breakfast (boiled rice soup or khao thom) is just about the best morning khao thom in town (I like it with pork, but they also offer chicken and shrimp). My family loves to have khao thom with toast or (best of all) warmed croissants: the breakfast of champions, we call it.

And so. And on. And so on. What esle can I say but "Outstanding!".

In the afternoon and evening, they feature International and Thai specialities, pizza, and (here it is again) all day breakfast. Once more, I must lose my composure and rave a bit: it is all better than good, it is damned good. The German schnitzel, the Swiss roesti, the Thai soups and rice dishes and one plate dishes: every one is very good. How do they do it? I don't know, I just love to eat it.

Did I mention the pizza? They call it the "second best pizza in town" but I call it a bit of heaven in Chiangmai. The crust is fabulous: not thin, not thick, with a touch of crispiness for texture and a light, flavorful taste. Add a tomato sauce that is NOT SWEET (thank you, pizza gods) and all the usual Italian-style toppings and cheese and the result is simply delicious. OK, so I sometimes like toppings that are not available - mea culpa. The menu at the Rose Restaurant is a work in progress, so perhaps soon there will be more delicious toppings for the pizza.

A variety of liquid refreshments await: domestic and imported beers, some decent house wines, a full bar with all the standard drinks, fruit shakes and smoothies, and soft drinks of all kinds. I recently fell in love with the banana shake - super for the current warm weather trend we are suffering under.

One last note (as if all the above have not yet convinced you): the Rose has scheduled barbeques, usually to coincide with a major sports event such as a Formula 1 race, a major football/soccer match, etc. This works out well, because the Rose Restaurant features a very large screen TV and cable so that such events can be seen and enjoyed by all of the customers. The barbeque menu varies, but I've had ham, spare ribs, German sausages, chicken, pork cutlets plus different styles of potato salad, tomato salad, and garlic bread - all of it very tasty. Darn, now I'm hungry all over again!

So, I recommend you stop in any time and try the excellent food at the Rose Restaurant. Without a doubt, I think you will find a number of things to order and enjoy.

Location

The Rose Restaurant/Rose Guest House are located at:

87 Ratchamankha Rd.
Chiang Mai 50100 Thailand

Tel: 0 5327 3869

Web site: www.rose-guest-house.com

Open from 8 am to 10 pm or later.

Disclaimer

I have performed some professional work for the management of the Rose Restaurant. However, they had no foreknowledge of this review and have not influenced the review in any way, except to create the excellent food that I have enjoyed so very much.