An established restaurant and bar especially a bar. We lunched here recently sat a beautiful table right on the corner of James street and the laneway. The oysters were fine and the spaghettini and king prawns very light and well treated. Perhaps a smudge over cooked in the prawns but ok . Good wine list and nice buzz.
This quality bar / bistro is a consistent, sheer-curtained crowd pleaser. Service is old-school class & the wine list is a 53 page light read. Outside tables can be sticky but are the perfect spot for watching the James Street cultural procession. Cheers!
Very nice atmosphere the staff were really nice and accomodating. Wines were sold at a very reasonable price. Food were great as well. Will definitely come back again
Love coming here- staff are friendly wide variety of drinks and awesome food- my rare steak was perfect - the oysters were the freshest I have had for a long time
Staff are fun, friendly and attentive. Nice ambience. Food is delicious. Have come here with a group multiple times and the staff are always hospitable and welcoming. Incredible selection of wine. There is usually somewhere to park close enough by.
Last month walking around James street I decided to stop at this place for a drink with my friends.
When checking their cocktail menu I was impressed by they having 4 different options of espresso martini and decides to try a couple of them.
The one with chilli syrup was amazing and although not your classic espresso martini it is an well balanced and interesting cocktail with a nice heat to it. Would rate it a 5 out of 5.
The classic espresso martini was also well made with a balance between bitterness, sweetness and alcohol. Would rate it a 4.5 out of 5.
Overall I was impressed by my drinks and my friends were also happy with their choices.
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Jett Rink called out "Duck Confit!" as Cindy-Lou chucked his open McLaren convertible round the corner into James Street headed for the Cru Bar for lunch and his bottle of Old Crow splashed down his open necked and long sleaved white silk shirt. She pulled up to a sudden stop at the T intersection near David Jones's boutique store on the left. "Wild thing, I think I love you," Jett called out, and skinny, raven haired Cindy-Lou sang back, "But I wanna know for sure!" Her dark eyes smiled at him. Jett replied: "Street parking only, Cindy-Lou, only troggs park underground." The lights changed and a British racing green Rolls Royce SUV shot past them and grabbed the last car park near the Cru Bar. "Big Daddy's fast today, Jett." "Too damn fast; let's park up the street, we're not..." "Yeah, I know, we're not troggs." They found a park and after 20-something Cindy-Lou dragged white haired Jett out of the car - he resembled what might have been an aged James Dean - and told him to leave the Old Crow behind, they walked down the hill towards a huge man in a white linen suit and an even larger straw planter's hat on his head. Cindy-Lou kissed Big Daddy on the cheek: "Love your hat, Big Daddy," the lanky and thin young woman said. "Present from Mick Jagger, young beauty. Hope you've got your card, Rink, I'm aiming for the duck, a bottle of Krug, and a Coca-Cola for your great grand daughter, here." Jett smiled and replied: "How long you had that green truck?" "Most reliable car in the world; Lawrence of Arabia drove one through the desert." "So did I in Texas," Jett replied, "but it wasn't a truck." The windows were opened as usual at the Cru Bar and the smart crowd for lunch gathering; a table was found by the waiter and the drinks ordered as Big Daddy wanted. "Them funny couple are here again, Jett," said Cindy-Lou. In the corner near the bottle shop at a table drinking stingers and smiling at them were Edna Ferber and Tennessee Williams. Big Daddy and Jett nodded. The waiter came back and poured the drinks for the seated trio and mentioned a large table had ordered almost all the duck but there was one portion left. "You have it, young lady," said Big Daddy gallantly. "Why thank you Big Daddy," in her pretty American twang, but Jett and I are on a red meat diet today because the doc says I'm underweight." Having finished his first glass of Krug and pouring another, Jett said, "You're looking just fine, Cindy-Lou." and Big Daddy said, "The man's a quack, you're beautiful young woman." They ordered rare steaks for Cindy-Lou and Jett, duck for Big Daddy, and had a lovely lunch. "Don't you boys drink too much now," said Cindy-Lou, "we're goin' to the Defiant Duck tonight to watch that fine young Texan down south in Melbourne kick a million goals for Collingwood." "Only a million?" Jett Rink, replied.
Came here on a Wednesday afternoon for a leisurely cocktail. I had the tiger blood Martini. It was just the right blend of sweetness with a good chilli kick. I sampled the chips - beautifully crunchy and the fennel salt was a nice addition. Cru has a fantastic wine list and so I am keen to return to sample more of their menu.
This is a great place to catch up with your friends after a day at work. Just order from the extensive drinks menu and get some share plates. They get busy (and the place gets a bit loud) but it's never difficult to get a waiter's attention and the service is friendly.
Very good restaurant. Great good and service. Catered for my coeliac friend too. My only really gripe was that the oysters we were served weren't that fresh.
Cru bar has been on my list for a while but I've never visited until now. The Brie cheese was an excellent choice very creamy in texture with plenty of accomplishments. The espresso martini was good but not the best I've had. Definitely a great spot for cheese and a drink
Very cool place to have a drink, Champagne a plenty and a great, well exceptional variety of wines.
French theme kitchen with one of the most exceptional duck parfait we have ever tasted.
The duck gnocchi was very ordinary ....strong in duck jus flavour quite sticky, the duck was very dry and the potato gnocchi quite sloppy, the duck pie was incredible although very small it punched out enormous flavor. The duck salad was very elegant and must have been from another piece of duck breast to the gnocchi, the salad was very crisp and oozed flavour and aromatics.
The service is why the place doesn't get a 4.5 which it fully deserves, Non existent, very short and to the point but not rude. Perhaps the owners should consider some EQ training.
Check it out and very reasonable price wise.
A function room, bar and restaurant in front of James Street Market complex, facing James St. has an excellent choice of salads, share plates, sides and bistro favourites to suit most palates. Ordered a confit Duck salad, Haloumi salad and Calamari from the menu, although temped by the Gnocchi on the blackboard specials. All dishes were well presented and flavoursome. The calamari was perfectly tender and dry, salads delicious and wine by the glass is extensive and complementary to the meals. Attentive service and nice surrounds. Although busy James Street is on view, noise was minimal and it's worth the view. The quality of the meals, drinks and service was apparent and the total bill approaching $100 was apt for an enjoyable experience.
Gustavo De Brito Gonçalves
+3.5
Some good cocktails and yes a big big big range of wines and other stuff in their bottle-shop. But some very expensive prices too... there are better cocktails getting made for less in james street
Share plates are great and matched with an impressive drinks and wine list but the mains were a disappointment.
The duck was little dry and the black angus, which was ordered medium rare, was more on the medium to well done side of the temperature scale.
The location, staff and atmosphere saved it from being a lower score with mains stopping it being higher.
Three of us grabbed a table overlooking James St on a glorious Sunday afternoon.
We started with bubbles and beers to accompany out calamari- which arrived with aioli and lemon wedges,
It was crisp and light coated in japanese bread crumbs. Then came the plump prawn tortellini in a beautiful buttery sauce.
Our mains were a smoked salmon salad, chilli prawn linguine and salmon with fennel and mash. All meals were devoured with no leftovers- delicious.
We stayed for more drinks and to enjoy the view and weather.
Service was friendly and quick.
I love this place. A great place to go out for drinks with friends. Because of the adjoining wine cellar they have a huge wine list! We spent half An hour combing through the pages to decide on what to order.. They do have a food service, but that was closed for the night since we went there after a movie at the cinemas next door. I love this place. The service is mostly good. Definitely worth a revisit.
This place consistently has a great vibe. The staff are friendly. The space is open yet intimate & not too loud. It's constantly buzzing & a fabulous place to catch up for drinks & a bite to eat. Love how the crowd is not full of 20 year olds or hipsters. Also a good place for people watching. Food is good but far from outstanding. However I will continue to return here for the cool atmosphere.
I've always been such a huge lover of eating in James Street. Today I went with no destination in mind. I'm very happy I went here! There wine list is very extensive which is wonderful!!! They also have wonderful share plates and even had three specials on today. My partner and I got two share plates from the menu and one of the daily special share plates. We left very content, happy and full. I'll be back!
If you think that Brisbane is just sea and sun, don't go away before visiting Fortitude Valley neighbourhood. You won't regret it and it will probably change your opinion about the city.
Cru Bar in James Street Market (a must) is that kind of places conceived to make you feel comfortable, glamorous, with the best options yet at reasonable prices.
We have tried the hoisin chicken rolls which were delicious and then two Australian cheeses also very good. The wine by the glass has a very good selection of Australian and international brands. These are all available for take away at the adjoining cellar with a great variety of wine and craft beers.
Definitely worth a visit if you're in Brisbane.
Oyster with sauce is amazing! Not sure about the spring roll.
This bar has been a fave of mine for the past 8 years. Great location right on James St with a fit out that puts Melbourne to shame. Then the wine list is one of the best I've seen. Staff know what they are talking about and are absolute professionals when it comes to mixology. Then the little add on bottle shop is amazing as well. Makes me miss Brisbane!
The interior of Cru Bar indicated an unassuming and genuine experience and that's just what we got. The bar and the window seating are both very nice. I had the spring rolls and prawn linguine, both of which were fairly generous servings. They don't do take away containers so you have to be able to stomach all of it; absolutely delicious pasta and perfectly cooked prawns made this very simple.
Haven't been to CruBar for lunch before & thought we'd give it a try. A great place to meet & always has a good vibe around the James St Markets. Not quite as polished as at night but good all the same.
Strongly recommend (unless you're looking for a quiet meal).. Nice food, very consistent quality. Extensive drinks menu (great cocktails). Good prices considering how trendy the place is. Also good customer service & great vibe. Is quite crowded and noisy most of the time, so if you're looking for a quiet meal this is not the place for you.
Even if you are not drinking it's well worth going. Great service. We got 4 tapas between the 2 of us. Calamari, pate, croquettes and spring rolls. Would highly recommend.
We agree!!!. Thank you 'Out and About' for your accurate summation of Cru Bar & Cellar. From Sydney with high expectations, while visiting Brisbane we had the same enjoyable evening. Food and service was worthy of praise.
The staff were very helpful in reshuffling the reservations to accomodate our party of 8, we ordered 9 share plates between the 8 of us and extra chips and a dessert each. Although we were only JUST full it was very cheap, cocktails were nice. I'm glad we didn't take the waiters advice to order less because we would of left hungry otherwise. 8/10
Amazing atmosphere, efficient service & great food. Small menu which is great. Every dish was cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. Ordered 3 share plates to start with, ended up ordering an extra (4 in total) to share between 2 people. The wine list was extravagant and extensive. Will defiantly return to explore this list some more. The kitchen also makes a spectacular Pana cotta (the best I've ever had). Great night out will defiantly becoming back.
Local Favourite. This is one of my favourite spots for a light meal and glass of wine. I love the wine list and food is always fresh and decently priced (especially the lunch menu!). Cru bar has a great atmosphere too, just watch out for the cougars!
I have sinned. Being a lovely day, we decided to try somewhere different for lunch, somewhere with sunshine. We walked out on the poor service at Bar Alto and had a mediocre experience at Bitter Suite. It just reinforces what a great venue Cru Bar is. Excellent service, great food and extensive wine list. I'll be back there tomorrow to repent for going elsewhere!
Good food in a bar setting. Came here on Saturday night for dinner with some girlfriends. Had a nice meal and an excellent wine list but the atmosphere was a bit lacking - was definitely more bar than restaurant. Still, we had a great time and I'd go back.
Great lunch. Had great lunch with friends last Saturday, all meals were cooked as ordered and the service was there when needed, but not in your face. Perfect for a slow Saturday lunch.
The food is always great here. Never had a bad meal. Service is good too. Really busy on weekend- pub like atmosphere so if want to a quiet night then go mid week. If your after a night out then start here for dinner on weekends.
Casual Elegance. I love this place for an elegant and easy lunch. The smoked salmon salad was fresh and zingy and the wine list was excellent.
I have been coming to Cru for over seven years and I honestly have never had a bad experience. The staff are friendly and attentive. The food is good consistent bistro fare. Being someone who has run restaurants for a long time this place is has some of the best management in the industry. Considering the cost of goods on their extensive wine list everything is reasonably priced. I believe the interior has not changed since it opened but this place has not aged a bit. Cheers Cru, you are a locals dream.
Try the tasting plates flavor some brilliant
Really good sharing plates and a huge drinks selection.
Cru bar has been a favourite destination of mine for the past 9 yrs and in this time i've enjoyed the wine list, the bottle shop exspecialy, the food is good nd the decore nd vibe always excellent for lunch, afternoon tanquery nd tonics or dinner dates.. In the last couple of years though the staff have dropped their standard of service nd looks ( not to judge a book by it's cover but) last week I was there for a bussiness meeting nd the staff that day looked like they were better suited to the benliegh tavern than the enigma that is cru.. But if ur after the best wine list in town nd the most comprehensive bottle shop never stop frequenting this fine establishment. Just don't go on a Friday night unless you want to be stalked by the mutton dressed as lamb known as cougars!! Friday night cru bar becomes cougar bar..
Great service, good range. The service and wine list is top notch. The food is decent but not yet at the same standard. Stop in for a light lunch and share a bottle with someone before having a chat with the staff and getting a few bottles for later.
Had breakfast here a few times and each time was scrummy!! Been for drinks also and they do Moët by the glass - fantastic!!!
Gorgeous location, fun and funky. Food has always been good - a little exy but the perfect Friday night for a drink and a bite to eat
Favourite Lunch Spot. We eat there fairly often while shopping at the James St. Market and it is always good, the food is always spot on and Bob is the best waiter in Brisbane, we have had a bit slack service on his day off.
My pick is the prawn chilli pasta I could eat it nearly every day.
The attached wine shop is just great, an extremely large selection with very competent staff
Great food, the staff very much keep and eye on things to make you feel relaxed , please try the spring rolls and crab cakes The Best! ..
Fun in the Neighborhood!. Great service! Good food and incredible wine selection! A great, classy place to take family and clients! Anytime! Calamari, ANY salad, and grilled shrimp are wonderful!
Had a great experience at Cru. Staff friendly and very attentive. Food delicious and a great atmosphere.
Brilliant cellar & staff. The guys that work in the cellar are so knowledgeable and helpful and don't just try and sell you the most expensive wine. Most of the staff in the restaurant are nice too. We've had some great times at the Cru Bar. Only bad thing is how dirty the toilets always are (sorry).
Great food!!. Visited for early dinner on Saturday night. Service was professional and quick (the restaurant wasn't that busy).. Menu for mains is brief (only 4) as I guess they pride themselves on their share plates (some of which sounded really great).
Our table of 6 picked 3 of the 4 dishes and everyone was completely satisfied with their meals (a rare thing these days). My lamb shank pie was amazing - rich and tender braised lamb shank, stripped off the bone and encased in pastry. Accompaniments were pea puree and caramelised onion (served cold which was interesting). We ordered a couple of sides, but the mains were actually a full meal in themselves (not always the case!). Washed down with a couple of glasses of pinot and it was pretty close to perfect :)
Great food- a recent discovery for brilliant breakfast. Service is top-notch.
Dodge the old guys. I like going to cru for cocktails and tapas as the food and cocktails are both good and the location is great. The crowd, however, is old.
Calamari Calamari Calamari. Saturday or Sunday afternoon, grab a bench seat, enjoy the nice weather & grab some Calamari. The Best.
Outstanding!. Great location, great decor and ambience, friendly staff and most importantly; stand-out food. My partner and I dived into 3 sharing plates including the spring rolls, mooloolaba prawns and pork with raisin couscous. The only disappointment was the spring rolls, and that's only because the others were so deliciously brilliant. We shared a pear, walnut and parmesan salad which was also noteworthy.
I'll be back here regularly, not only for the food, but for the amazing range of sparkling white, champagne and brilliant international beers such as Kwak and Chimay.
Great atmosphere with breezy surrounds and fresh, light cuisine. Meals are pricey, but the cost is reflected in the quality.
Cru bar is the best resturant ever with the great and truly awesome paul hoffmann as the chef... Great chef makes great food ( obviously)
In summary, delicious and reasonably priced food and cocktails, friendly and efficient service and comfortable seating.
Today we picked up my Mum from the airport, enjoyed lunch at Cru Bar and went to Mount Coot-tha to look over the city...
The brunch menu is available from 10am to 1pm on Saturday and Sunday, and the menu seems pretty good. I ordered the gorgonzola blue cheese & mushroom omelette w' smoked tomato relish & toast ($12.50) and the other travel bunnie had their petit eye fillet sandwich, rocket, whipped chèvre, avocado, onion jam, chilli tomato relish & fries ($16.50). Both of us ordered coffees to start off with and they arrived in no time.
The first order had to be wine – Cru have a long wine list which should really be a bible and again is quite tough to go through.
Eyes Bigger Than Belly
+4.5
Sometimes I feel like I'm breaking some kind of unspoken rule. " Thou shalt not like thy mother-in-law" Sometimes when I hear people whinging about how awful, inftefering and just plain mean their MIL's are - I want to slowly back out of the room - like t
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