Cru 2nd Floor
Wine bar • Tapas • Live jazz
8-10 Samlarn Road, Phra Singh, Old Town (opposite Phra Singh Post Office)
Walk past Wat Phra Singh toward the post office. The passage is directly opposite — turn right down it, past a postcard shop, and look for an unassuming wooden sliding door. It doesn’t look like the entrance to one of the best wine bars in northern Thailand. That’s the point.
Through the door is a vestibule — a wall covered in post-it notes left by past customers, a small moment that tells you people come back here and want to leave their mark. Head right, up the wooden stairs, and you’re inside: a vaulted old Thai wooden house with warm lighting, classic jazz playing, and a bar that takes up most of the room because there’s a serious grill behind it.
The wine is the reason to come. The owner, Khun Pete, also runs a wine distribution business, so this isn’t a bar that stocks whatever the local supplier delivers. The selection is predominantly French, with unusual vintages you won’t find anywhere else in Chiang Mai, and it’s deliberately limited — six or so offerings on the blackboard on any given evening. The staff are young, knowledgeable, and happy to walk you through what’s open tonight. Every visit is different because the board is different.
The tapas deserve more attention than the word suggests. The small plates coming off that grill are good enough that you could make dinner of them — and plenty of people do. Order three or four to share, work through the wine list, and the evening takes care of itself.
The crowd is a comfortable mix of local residents and tourist couples who’ve somehow found their way here. Weekends get busy. There’s a smoking balcony overlooking the temple street below — bring your glass out and watch the evening settle over the old town.
No reservations needed. Just show up, find a spot, and ask what’s on the board.
What to order: Whatever Pete’s pouring tonight. Tell the staff what you usually drink and they’ll steer you to something better.
Best for: Wine lovers who are tired of the same bottles everywhere. Couples. Anyone who wants a quiet, civilized evening with good food and no pretension.
EXPERIENCE CRU 2ND FLOOR as part of part of our Chiang Mai hidden bars Wine Route — including the OVS Wine Cellar and the Algonquin, a private members’ club.