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Crú Wine Bar
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
99 reviews for Crú Wine Bar
Review Highlights
"And of course the flights were delicious."
(in 30 reviews)
"Fantastic cheese plate, too."
(in 8 reviews)
"patio and enjoyed myself thoroughly."
(in 22 reviews)
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99 reviews in English
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Review from Jack M.
Austin, TX
1/2/2012
Yeah, it's a chain. So what?
I really enjoy this little bar, quietly tucked away in the middle of not-so-quiet downtown. The wine selections are great, the flights are reasonably priced, and the food that I've tried went well with the drinks I was having.
But you can get nice wine and good nibbles anywhere. Seriously, it's not that hard and everyone sells the same wine, so what makes one wine bar different from another? Atmosphere.
And that's ultimately what I really like about this place. It's almost always quiet and inviting and warm. The music is never too soft or too loud, it simply fades into the background and you only notice it when you want to notice it. The soft lighting makes everyone look good, and the ambiance is one of quiet class and sophistication. It's a great place to meet someone for a date, or to meet an old friend to catch up on new news. -
Review from Lauren B.
Austin, TX
12/21/2011
Incredible service! And a wonderful atmosphere... absolutely perfect for a date, night with friends, or even a "me-time" glass of wine.
They also just got a new chef and he is fantastic!
ps. try the New Zealand red wine... it surprises you and is quite tasty -
Review from Ashley S.
10/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been to Cru before, but at a Dallas location. I can't remember ever having a bad time before. It's probably impossible to have a bad time when wine is involved.
Step 1: Stop here before drinks & snacks before a show at the Violet Crown Cinema
Step 2: Get an Italian wine flight, they are fantastic!
Step 3: Order snacks (they have excellent HH prices)
Step 4: Order the mussels! (chorizo/jalapeño flavored!)
Service was excellent, as it should be. I didn't like where they sat us. The spot almost felt communal and I'm not a fan of this. It was just too close to other people dining there. I'd like to take advantage of the outdoor space once it finally feels like Fall. I'll surely be back when I'm invited and feelin' yuppie.Listed in: Oh you fancy, huh?, Wine ~ All about it
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Review from Meghan W.
Austin, TX
2/8/2012
This place (both downtown and in the Domain) is one of my most favorite restaurants/wine bars in all of Austin. They have a tremendous selection of wines (along with a great happy hour) and their tasty savory offerings are also quick excellent. I recommend the beignets - lavender sauce! Awesome. I have always had a great experience here.
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Review from Ashley G.
11/12/2011
This place is very classy! The wine flutes are so fun, creative, and delicious. I wasn't all that impressed with the food though. I liked the grilled cheese and tomato soup but it was a little too salty for my taste. My group also ordered the fondue and it was a little on the cold side so we sent it back. The desserts and the pizza were solid. The atmosphere is very pleasant and the wine is great. I would give this place 5 stars if the food was a little better.
Definitely check out the wine flute option though!! -
Review from Danica D.
New York, NY
11/22/2011
Two words... Sexy. Reds. I throughly enjoyed the wine flight. Three mini flutes filled with tasty red wine and a very helpful information card made sitting outside of this 2nd street wine bar very enjoyable. Also, the pumpkin and sausage rissotto was show stealer for sure. I think it was a harvest menu special so it probably won't be around for long. Go quickly!
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Review from Lindsey K.
East Lansing, MI
4/22/2011
It was the last night of our girls weekend and we wanted to find somewhere special to have dinner. Cru has a beautiful, intimate patio that perfectly fit the bill. The staff was so courteous and friendly I kind of did one of those "Me?" and looked around to see where the famous person was they were being so kind to.
We ordered wine flights, which came out w/ cool descriptive cards. We shared the cheese fondue which was excellent- served w/ pear, apple, bread, broccoli rabe, and baby red and yellow peppers. We also shared the pear, gorgonzola pizza that had honey and basil on it. What an amazing combination! The pizza could have been cooked just a tad longer, but overall was excellent.
We had a great evening on the patio at Cru. I'm looking forward to going back soon. -
Review from Eryn G.
Austin, TX
6/30/2011
Very helpful, nice and informative staff.
We asked about having a private event and the manager spent 20min chatting with us.
Goat Cheese appetizer was AMAZING, we ended up ordering 2!
Happy Hour Specials were great! -
Review from Micaela G.
Austin, TX
4/21/2011
I wasn't sure what to give Cru, I think a 3.5 if I could. I went last night with a few friends for restaurant week and my first impression was that it's definitely somewhere I want to try out for a relaxing happy hour or date night, the vibe was great and I loved the decor, but there were a few things that held it back.
No less than three people greeted us from the front door to the table (a very short walk mind you), but then it took what seemed like forever for our waiter to show up. He was definitely weeded and unsure, but he seemed to be the only one so it could have just been an off day or a new waiter-whatever, no big deal. Though, a girlfriend of mine ordered all her food gluten free, and he forgot every course. Also, they have definitely trained the bussers to always keep the water glass full, to the point that it was obnoxious-helpful, but too much.
After a bit of a wait, first course comes, crab cake with a spicy sauce. It was DELISH-just the right amount of spice, not too fishy but a small portion, would have liked a bit more but that's probably just because it was oh so tasty.
Second course-mashed potatoes with a petit fillet and a tomato dish. The steak was cooked perfect, very tasty especially when paired with the potatoes-the potatoes could have maybe used a little salt or spice but that's just my taste. Tomato dish was good.. Sort of bland except for a few bites with some blue (or similar) cheese, THAT was good!
Dessert-molten chocolate cake with vanilla and raspberry, it was good but ehh. No better than a boxed cake. I didn't get to partake in the wine but my girlfriends liked it (cc Cabernet).
The portions are small but by the end I was so full, and happy with the food even if service wasn't that stellar. I think they have the potential to be great but everyone seemed a little unsure and too eager to please. However, I will definitely be back to see if they can earn a few more stars! -
Review from Laura A.
4/22/2011
My friend threw my wedding shower here. Nice place. We had such a large party we got the back room instead of up front. It was a little warm at times, but the hostess tried her best to keep it cool for us. The waiter was friendly, the wines delicious, and the company even better.
The food was good, although small portions for the gentlemen. We had a choice of two salads (wild arugula, watercress, fennel frond, pine nuts, ricotta salata w/ meyer lemon viniagrette or torn bibb, peaches, brown sugar cured bacon, and blue cheese viniagrette, which I chose), and main dish (scampi style seafood capellini with shrimp, calamari, mussels, bell peppers, basil, lemon, and white wine sauce, or pan roasted chicken piccata with lemon, white wine, capers and spicy broccolini or petite filet with niman ranch tender, creamy mashed potatoes, and red wine sauce, which I chose).
I had a great time, and highly recommend Cru for any small parties you may have! -
Review from Sarah M.
Austin, TX
10/16/2011
I have been to Cru multiple times for cocktails and little bites, but today was the first time for breakfast. Awesome! I got the crab benedict which was cooked perfectly and my friend got the steak and eggs medium which was also cooked to perfection. The place was super clean and busy, and the servers handled it well.
The coffee is a little pricey but super good and surprisingly worth it. I will be back! -
Review from Jessie D.
Austin, TX
9/29/2011
Nice atmosphere and great selection of wines. Nice alfresco seating. Kitchen a bit slow, but food was good. Portions are tapas-sized, so best to order 3 items for 2 people. Great happy hour deals until 7.
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Review from Keri B.
9/30/2010
What a great place for a gaggle of giggling gals! The staff here were very accommodating for our monthly women's wine group from the beginning, e-mailing and calling to check on numbers and reserving tables in the dining room for us, and our waitress, Carenne (sp?), was friendly and knowledgeable about the wines. Here they give you a sample taste before pouring your glass even if you've already had 3 glasses of that same wine. This kept Carenne very busy with our group, which only turned out to be about 9 as opposed to 15, but they never batted an eye after setting aside 4 tables for us, 2 going unused.
The wine list is extensive in varietals, with an equal mix of white and red, if you go both ways like I do. But they only offer 3 of each (i.e. 3 Chards, 3 Pinots, etc) and as Darla pointed out, they are lacking in the S American varietals, leaning instead towards French and Italian and American. Everything I tried was good. I was even pleasantly surprised by a Granache, which I typically don't care for and the glasses are $3 off for Happy Hour (making most still $7 and up).
They offer half off their stone fired pizzas for Happy Hour and as a group, we sampled most all of them. The Margarita was bland in my opinion, but the pear Gorgonzola was a great mix of sweet and tangy and the best was the sausage/goat cheese/bell pepper, with it's wangy goatiness offset by sweet peppers and basil and salty sausage. The flavors played well together on my palate with nary a timeout.
One precaution: When I arrived, sun blinded by the walk from my car, I immediately asked for the restroom and was a bit befuddled by the black toilet, surrounded by black wall tile, sitting on black flooring. I had trouble locating the toilet in my sun-spotted state. I'm pretty sure I hit it tho.
Our group really enjoyed our time here, drinking, gossiping, discussing religion, and daydreaming about Taye Diggs......sigh. Another successful combo of great location, great service, great food and wine, and great company!Listed in: Wine-hos! (i.e. Women Who…
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Review from Darla A.
9/29/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I am just rating them on Happy Hour. I want to say - I was torn between 3.5 stars - but overall - I rounded up, because they did a lot of things well. As you will read, there is definitely room for improvement.
As local HHs go, they have some offerings, but would not be at the top of my list. I look at selection of wines/drinks vs price savings, food offered at a discount, busyness and ambiance of the establishment and service.
The Wine Selection - They have an ample selection of wine ($3 off per glass). No Prosecco on last night's list - although the list changes daily. As predominantly a white wine drinker, they lose points for having only predictable whites, no Torrontes, No Albarinos. No Vernaccias, and NO PROSECCO! The whites they did have were decent - after a reasonably fair Capposaldo Pinot Grigio ($7/HH$4) - I settled on a Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc ($9/HH$6) that had a lot of citrus grapefruit flavors. It was quite nice. I understand on Thursdays from 4 to close - all bubbles are 1/2 off the bottle and they do have a La Marcha Prosecco on the bottle list for $36... that may warrant a Thursday HH in the future which could bring up their score.
The food - While they have an extensive menu - at HH, they only discount their pizzas to 1/2 price. At full price, they range from $12-$16 and have an assortment of Margherita , Pear with Gorgonzola, Sausage/peppers/goat cheese, Steak and Arugula and a Mushroom pizza. We ordered all except the mushroom pizza, and they were quite tasty. It would be nice if they discounted more than the pizzas, but the pizzas were good. Best pizza? I am torn between the Sausage/pepper/goat cheese and the Pear and Gorgonzola. Both offered a unique flavor combination that you do not usually get to experience on a pizza.
The establishment - they have a great patio area and inside is quite comfortable with faux painted walls and floor to ceiling wine rack on the back wall. The crowd - for HH - it was D E A D in there. That surprised me, as it is an ideal location. Perhaps it was because it was Tuesday, or perhaps it was because there are other better deals downtown.
Service - It was superb. Our server was extremely knowledgeable about all the wines, and was able to suggest wines to people's liking. She was attentive, friendly and split checks with ease and no drama.
It wold be nice if they were a little more price competitive at HH and opened up the food offerings, but all in all it was a nice evening with great friends in a comfortable place.Listed in: Prosecco rules!, C'mon get Happy..., Wine all about it!, Get Swanky
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Review from Sally B.
Austin, TX
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Endlesss mimosa's! Pear/gorganzola pizza is way yummy! The best on a Sunday Funday!
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Review from Dillar S.
Austin, TX
8/24/2010 3 Check-ins Here
This review comes after several Cru experiences.
Occasion 1 - Stopped by after an event with a small group of people for a small bite and glass of wine. Service was on point and the five cheese pizza with truffle oil, and arugula salad on top was phenomenal. (but why write a review over one slice of pizza and one glass of wine?)
Occasion 2 - Marketing meeting with 10 others, once again service was on point, Karin's (the server) knowledge of the wine selection was amazing, and the patio served as the perfect area for a 6pm meeting. (once again why write a review over a great patio and wine?)
Occasion 3 - Relaxing dinner with my sweetie and a few glasses of red wine... perfect! We had the chefs choice cheese tray and a meat tray for an appetizer; perfectly paired with our wine. Next, the tortellini each bite was a story of its own, mouth watery goodness. Then I remembered that amazing cheese pizza and ordered one, once again Karin paired a glass of wine with the pizza and my taste buds were rejoicing.
So now I must write a review! On three separate occasions I have had excellent service, a knowledgeable waitresses, delicious food, and great wine. The inside has a romantic atmosphere for couples, but also serves as a great place to have a conversation over dinner with a small group. The patio has nice large umbrellas and makes for a great happy hour spot or relaxing place for people watching.
I can't wait for my next outing at Cru. Thank you Ryan and Karin for a wonderful experience. -
Review from Ardie S.
Updated - 6/27/2010
A quick update on Cru from today's visit. First and foremost, the Sunday brunch at Cru is on again. Yeah!
My friend and I were met at the door by the same waitress who last waited on us 23 months ago and it was a good thing. Elizabeth's service was excellent again as before. I was happy to see such staff stability in a restaurant.
We totally enjoyed the cheese fondue with the bread, apple, baby carrot, and string bean dippers. I opted for the Cru House Salad with Ahi Tuna, and that brought the rest of the memories back quickly.
I wasn't able to indulge in any libations today, but the glass of house champagne my friend enjoyed was reported to be decent.
Happy Sundays are here again at Cru!Listed in: Working My Way Back To You, Three Chicks
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/21/2008
Cru is an enjoyable little diversion near Austin City Hall. I've always been there on Sunday's for… Read more »
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Review from MJ K.
Austin, TX
8/28/2011
Meh. Go here for the wine, not for the food. Of all the times I've been here, the only food item that I can remember was ok are the mussels. Dinner menu is over priced and not cooked well. Other apps.. meh. Tuna tartare (I should have known better) made me angry. Cheese plate is good. Convenient location.
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Review from Nycia E.
Austin, TX
3/28/2011
I made reservations for a friends 30th bday, phone service was great and they even called to confirm reservation time. When we arrived the waitress greeted us with a smile and menu, but after our almost 2hr stay enjoying wine and food she wasn't as thrilled about waiting on us.(maybe she was ready to call it a night!)
Overall the food was pretty good and the flights were delish!! -
Review from Kristie A.
Dallas, TX
9/7/2010
We have this bar in Dallas, and when I come to Austin I try to stay away from the places I can go to in Dallas. BUT after walking around a while and looking for a place that didn't have the music turned up to 11 we happened upon Cru. Noticing an empty table on the patio we grabbed it. Our waiter with the curled up mustache was so sweet. My friends and I each ordered a flight of wine. I ordered the patio one that had sweeter wines. The pinot grigio was my favorite out of the three.
All in all we had a good time, but that was because of the patio and the pretty dead vibe of 2nd street, and good company. Did I mention the cute waiter? I hope this place does well in Austin. One day I'll go to the one in Dallas and try the food.Listed in: Wine Spots, Austin, TX, Austin's Patios
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Review from Richelle T.
Austin, TX
12/7/2010
Cru wine bar is a perfect brunch spot. I've had a few of their dishes and all were pretty good. The crunchy french toast is good. It's like french toast coated in frosted flakes topped with strawberries. The steak and eggs is also good but the steak is pretty small so I don't think it's really worth the money.
As far as I am concerned there is one thing on the brunch menu that is truly a gem and is not to be missed. Crab omelette. O.M.G. It is worth every bit of the $11. The crab is tenderly seasoned with a subtle yet mouthwatering flavor. The omelette is accompanied by roasted potatoes that are OK (need ketchup). Get the crab omelette. You will not be disappointed. -
Review from Erin R.
9/26/2010
Hmmm....not sure what to say about Cru. I liked it, I really did, but it's not anything spectacular. I've been to my share of wine bars around town and have my personal favorite (the Grove), so I hold every other one I go to to that same standard.
The service was slow. It was about half full when we were in there (which was a Saturday night at 8:30!), but it seemed to take forever to get a wine order in, followed by even longer to get our dinner order taken. Then it took a good half hour for our food to arrive.
The prices were exorbitant. We ordered the pizzas, which were $12 and $14, respectively. They were personal sized, and the hubby walked away hungry. When we go to the Grove, we can get a large pizza for $15, loaded with veggies, and we split it and still have a slice or two to bring home! AND the pizza at the Grove is better.
I'm not saying I won't go back....it's a solid spot on 2nd Street and if the mood strikes and we're downtown, I'd give it another shot. But if I'm in the mood for a wine bar/restaurant to go to, I'll stick with the Grove. -
Review from Annette P.
Austin, TX
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like this place because it is walking distance from my office and they offer a Happy Hour with a nice variety of wine flights ($3 off during HH) and $3 appetizers. The appetizers were good but they were very are small and still overpriced at $3. They have knowledgeable staff who educated me on the wine flights I chose. The atmosphere is casual and not too loud (yes, conversation is possible in this place).
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Review from Brittany R.
Del Valle, TX
8/17/2011
Had my birthday/girl's night happy hour here. There were 5 of us and we loved the place! The atmosphere was great, 4 of us ordered wine flights that we all enjoyed. I personally had the mussels and they were delicious. My friend ordered a pizza and was not shy in eating nearly the whole thing. I would love to come back, especially for their Monday free pizza happy hour!
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Review from Jonathan W.
Austin, TX
10/16/2008
I started with the potstickers appetizer, which was covered with little crunchy fried noodles, drizzled with some surprisingly tasty sauce, julienned peppers and veggies. It was one of the tastiest things I've had recently. Very nice.
The Kobe beef was presented nicely, subtly seasoned, but a bit on the tough side, which I would have brought to their attention had anyone inquired about the quality of my meal.
Chocolate mousse desert trio was good overall (and hard to really screw up, IMO). I decided to save the best for last, so chose my order as white, milk, dark chocolate. The white chocolate tasted like vanilla protein shake with a store-bought icing finish - really, horribly bad, and I actually thought I'd rather have spent the calories elsewhere, after finishing it. The milk chocolate was surprisingly rich and good, so much so, that I expected more from the dark chocolate than it was able to deliver. The dark chocolate had a thinner, lighter texture, which seemed a bit of a letdown, but in fairness, had a very rich and nice bitter flavor.
Overall, quite well done. Not the full makings of a 5-star experience, but very good. I had a lovely time, and therefore award the 5th star to my beautiful and talented Jill W. -
Review from Caldotis C.
Austin, TX
3/17/2010
Hubby and I stopped by last week on our way to a friend's art opening for a quick drink. It was "champagne Thursday" so we were treated to a free taste of some really nice bubbly. That's always a nice welcome.
We had been to a Cru before, and their concept is nice when you are just wanting to check out some new wines. However, the negatives for this place have to be 1.) the staff 2.) the decor. The waiter at the bar was fine- pleasant and quick. However when a second waitstaff came over to chat with our waiter he proceeds to bitch about customers right in front of us. Tacky!
The decor is also pretty tacky. The cheesy painting of wine labels on the walls is poorly done and really cheapens the place. And don't get me started on the women's bathroom decor... It is a serious contender for Worst Bathroom in Austin. The black toilet with non-matching black toilet seat...ICK!
While decor is not enough to make me dislike a place, the staff need to really step it up. If they are charging $15+ for what amounts to one glass of wine, they need to perform their jobs with that level of courtesy. Otherwise, it's just a joke. -
Review from Lisa A.
Austin, TX
7/20/2007
I've been to Cru three times over the last few months and I've always had a great experience. They serve a nice selection of wine but it's the cheese menu that I really love. For $5 they bring you a hunk of delicious cheese and along with a generous portion of bread, fruit and olives. What could be better than that?
The first time I went was to celebrate a friend's engagement. It was the perfect place for an impromptu party. I'm not one for wine flights so I got a tasty glass of peppery Shiraz that the waiter suggested and ordered a champagne flight for the couple we were feting. OMG! They let me sample each glass and, well, Jesus Christ that's good champagne!!!!
Second time: Drank too much wine while waiting to get a table at La Traviata. After an hour we didn't care that we weren't seated next door, and another hour later we were slurring, "Screw La Traviata"...
Third time: We sat at the bar and ordered the fried calamari and the sesame crusted ahi tuna. The tuna was over cooked and the calamari was flavorless, extra rubbery, and weirdly conformed (where are the tentacles?)...so much so I wouldn't try them again and I'm now a little suspect of their hot food. We still had a great time and enjoyed the atmosphere, cheese, and wine.
Basically, this is a great place for a girl's night out and if you like wine and cheese you'll love Cru. -
Review from Amy C.
Austin, TX
12/7/2008
A friend of mine and I met here for a late night snack-and-drink to discuss some recent developments in his personal life, and I quite enjoyed my first visit. It's a cute little place, with indoor and outdoor seating. It's a bit loud, with fun music playing in the background, which suited our purposes just fine.
The food and drinks are very nice. We each had a flight (I had champagne, he had pinot), and split a cheese tray. The champagne was quite nice, and my friend seemed to enjoy his wine. The cheeses and accompaniments were well-chosen, and the portions were plenty for two people to snack on.
(Is it wrong that I really enjoyed fidgeting with the mini-cleaver that they brought out for the cheese? Choppity-chop!)
As far as areas for improvement, the main thing I would mention is that it took quite some time for us to get water and to order our drinks. The server was quite friendly, and even went and got us an extra accompaniment to our cheese tray, but the pace of the service seemed a bit slow even though business was winding down (we showed up around 11:30 or so).
Overall, though, I liked this place and would happily go back.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Liz W.
Austin, TX
12/13/2009
We went there last night after a party at the Ashton and was pleasantly surprised! It's perfect for a date night with the boyfriend or hubby!
We started with a glass of the Lamarca Proseco - but after tasting - we liked it so much and switched to the bottle.
The mussels were perfect - and the broth was excellent to dip the crusty bread in.
The 5 cheese pizza was the perfect size - and since I have an aversion to truffle oil (after a 8 course truffle dinner / incident) - they graciously held that.
And the shrimp potstickers were yummy - very fragrant and tasty! It was very nice to be able to choose 3 totally different appetizers and not feel guilty about it.
The service was perfect - very attentive. And not just from our waiter - but from others in the restaurant. Another server checked on our table after we got the food - and later picked up our check and ran the credit card for our server. These guys have either put an emphasis on training - or on hiring experienced servers. Either way - that's tough to do but definitely worth it!
I noticed that their attention to detail is what puts this place at the top of their game. They have little votive candles in the wine bins that you have to climb a ladder to light them. At 10:30pm - they relit them. I found that very telling as most people would ignore such a small detail.
Nice job Cru! And thanks to Priscilla our server! -
Review from Sabrina M.
Austin, TX
Wow the $3 happy hour specials were divine: sampled the bruschetta, margherita pizza and fried potstickers. We went at 5:45 and it wasnt crowded at all but started to fill up. The decor is so classy, it has an upscale feel. Very Italian. Can't wait to go back!
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Review from Amber D.
8/25/2008
Note: I've been to both Austin-Cru locations, both were good, but I will be reviewing my experience downtown.
The interior is exceptional, they have the perfect amount of dimness to the lighting that gives the bar a haunting glow. Servers are fantastic. Selection is pretty decent - I had the "No Pain Like Champagne" flight and my friend ordered the cheese plate. Our one complaint: stale bread (even the crispy bread/chips mixed in could literally be BENT like RUBBER), but everything else served up was a diverse and delicious mix.
A little pricey, but that's what comes with wine bars. Great specials such as 1/2 off bottles of sparkling on Thursday (Domain location -not 100% sure downtown) and 1/3rd off bottles of wine (downtown) on Sunday.Listed in: The Austin Wine-O, Isn't It Romantic
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Review from Allison P.
Fort Worth, TX
8/7/2007
Alright, so it's a little pricey, but I really enjoy coming here for good wine and cheese.
The first time, I was here to celebrate a friend's engagement, and enjoyed a flight of wine. It was a great setting to celebrate with a small group of people.
Came back a second time with the BF for a glass of wine and some cheese. I stuck with the Classic Cheese flight, because I prefer the harder nuttier cheeses as opposed to the soft, creamy cheeses. Perfect!
Was back here recently to share the same cheese flight with a couple of girlfriends. Our waiter was really nice and attentive, and just let us take our time. It made for a really relaxing evening.
Overall, I like the setting the service and choices, but it can get pretty crowded on the weekends, and it doesn't take long to run up an expensive bill!Listed in: So Cheesey!, More wine. Less whine.
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Review from Courtney M.
Pflugerville, TX
7/1/2008
My husband and I were looking for a way to celebrate our 12th anniversary and after perusing the menus around the Domain, decided the wine bar would be something fun. We weren't quite sure what to expect, but we were pleased overall.
We each decided on a wine flight--he the Sexy Reds, and I, the Patio Whites. We thought the cards were fun to read about the wines as we tasted. We wished we could have them as a keepsake! But our waitress took them away. We also enjoyed the All American cheese plate, which was nice and we felt fancy for the parents of three young kids who rarely get out!
After our wine flight, we each picked one to get a glass of for our dinner, which was a great, thin crust, portobello mushroom pizza. Perfect size for us to share after eating so much cheese.
We easily rung up a tab of $100, which we thought was high, but for special occasions, what the heck! -
Review from Jeff W.
Austin, TX
8/6/2009
Well, first of all, I HATE places that have teeny 2-tops that require one person to face a wall 3 feet forward. I don't know if it's a painful memory of repeatedly standing in the corner throughout kindergarten or ingrained in my Sicilian blood to face the door but it's a serious pet peeve of mine. How much creativity does it take to let everyone in a people watching spot people watch. If the crowd were any less attractive, I suspect my wife who otherwise could care less, might've switched seats with me. Alas.
On another note, the apps were definitely dinky tho in the range perhaps expected. Seared tuna, caprese, and fondu all tasty - in fact the fondu, as much as it pains me to admit having (and having not facing anyone at that) was in fact very good (tho dinky - had to ask for more bread so we could finsh the lower half).
The waiter kept walking off with the wine list - which added 5-10 minutes between glasses which wouldn't have been too bad if I could see some of the people behind me. Pretty odd for someone who you'd of thought would want me to keep drinking. Perhaps he didn't want me to get a good look at the prices...
"How's that?", you ask.
Turns out 3 of the six drinks (4 flights and 2 glasses, really) were more expensive on the bill compared to the menu (which he finally left with us after our last round). Not by much, couple bucks apiece, but still pretty inexcusable. The manager said, "we change around our flights so often it's hard to keep straight". Hope the IRS doesn't get word of that. Oh, and btw, Mr. Manager, as you may have noticed, 2 of the drinks were single, specific glasses of wine.
Don't worry, I am sure they fixed their books immediately before overcharging any more customers.
(also, I would have expected a break for their mistake, a free app, a coupon for another visit, something, but honestly, I don't think the manager particularly cared. But I won't read too much into it.)
All in all, nice enough, was a good time (but I credit my wife for most of that), atmosphere pretty decent despite my view, food small but good and not overly expensive for the type of place, wine was all quite nice, just watch your bill. -
Review from paul s.
1/1/2009
I'll start by saying that we try to frequent locally owned restaurants, but for two new years eve first nights we've found ourselves here. both times we have left pledging to come back for more. last night was the 2nd visit.
two adults and three kids (one an infant in a giant ass stroller) and they eagerly welcomed us. we just needed a quick snack/wine to keep us fueled for the evening.
our server was very friendly and accommodating. my wife and I each had a flight of wine and the kids needed something warm as the temp was dipping quick. we were surprised that they did NOT offer hot chocolate and convinced our server to warm us up some milk. he came back and said the chef had agreed to make up special hot chocolates for the kids! this was a big hit with the kids and also made my wife very happy.
our flights had three wines each and price was very fair $9 for hers and $13 for mine. we had two apps, both were $10 each. portions were smallish but the quality was high so we were happy. -
Review from Deji M.
6/17/2009
We went here once for a birthday dinner. Being that we weren't that hungry, SO and I agreed to share something to be active eaters in the festivities. We ordered the spinach salad and a pizza, and I got a reasonably-priced wine flight. Not bad, not bad.
The salad came out, and I was pretty sure the girl was going to say I was on Candid Camera. When she didn't, I started counting how many pieces of spinach there were (15) and thought to myself man, if I had just brought some of that spinach I bought earlier today ($3.89/3lb container at Sam's) I would have some more to toss in here. But I didn't, so SO and I each got 7.5 spinach leaves.
The pizza was alright, albeit a little oily. But you have to know that going into some pizza. Definitely not Homeslice, but whatever.
My most favorite ever part of dinner was when the bill came. We all diligently wrote amounts on the back of the check to be swiped for our credit cards. We all didn't realize gratuity had been added already, and only put down the amounts for our meals. A little tipsy, we didn't notice we were $7 short of the bill that already had 18% gratuity included. When the waitress saw this, she did what she had to. Apparently thinking someone had written "$125" instead of "$25" she ran the card for that amount - $125 - giving herself a huge ginormous added tip. Oh, that took some sorting out. Eyes started blinking really wide and sobering up. She eventually returned with the problem corrected, obviously upset about that bonus tip being so close, and yet so far.
It was alright but... I've been to other wine bars I'd go to over this one. -
Review from kenneth m.
Austin, TX
9/28/2010
We were downtown and had just finished dinner, and were looking for a wine bar to finish off the night. This came up as the nearest wine bar, so we walked over to find it. It is on a nice, little, hidden street, that doesn't feel like you are downtown.
The menu is laid out by flights, and there were several that caught my eye. I was happy with my 3 tasters, and the atmosphere was nice as well and the bartender knew her stuff.
All in all, if I'm in the area, I'll stop by again, but I don't think I'll be making a special trip just for this.
My review is very bland, I guess that was my attitude towards the place as well. -
Review from Jaye J.
Austin, TX
5/1/2007
OK, I know it's a little pricey. I also know it's located as what I've dubbed "Little Dallas" (the 2nd Street District), but kids, if you're looking for an upscale glass of juice, this is a nice place to drink it down.
My mate and I each had a flight. Her's was the ABC (Anything But Chardonay), mine, the California Dreamin' (reds from Cali). I ordered mine because it had my all-time favorite, Ridge Lyton Springs. My mate ordered hers because it had her all-time favorite, which I don't remember because I don't like white wine, so who cares? (And this makes spot number two to offer my favorite wine by the glass, which even my only-white-loving-friend declared "Lovely. Oh...that's just...lovely."
Seriously, she discovered Stump Jump from this, and that is a fine white wine.
We also had the All-American Cheese flight, as well as the calamari (slightly spicy--rings only, no tentacles) and chocolate fondue (semi-sweet). Our server was incredibly knowledgeable when we asked about everything we ordered (with great recommendations), and he was amazingly attentive...until the hot blondes with Gucci purses entered. Then we turned into the chopped liver that wasn't even offered on the menu.
Oh well. We're hot in our own right and still had a fantastic time on a random night out. Neither of us had been out for a "fancy" night in a while and we felt like we deserved it. Our consensus was that we would not only come back, but we'd recommend it to out of town guests. Hey, that's a pretty big compliment from two stuck-up food and wine bitches... -
Review from Bobalu S.
Austin, TX
6/26/2007
I wouldn't even bother, but everyone else loved it, so I am moved to provide some balance.
PRO - The room is pretty.
CON - The wine is too expensive. It's not that I went to a wine bar on a beer joint budget, it's that they have marked everything up too much.
The waitstaff (I sat at the bar) knew virtually nothing about anything on the wine list. They spent most of their time discussing various gyms and their workouts, in the way self absorbed, sullen, younger people in the service industry sometimes do.
This entire area makes me regret any zoning variances or economic incentives the city may have given the developers. If I want Dallas, I'll go to Dallas. Cru, Taverna, that chain Mexican place . . . UGH! -
Review from Dana B.
5/7/2009
Cru was the 2nd wine bar on our Sunday wine crawl. I wish I could say that I checked out their wine list, but I was blindsided by a Sunday special. $15 will get you a 6 wine flight (3 reds and 3 whites) along with a cheese plate. I enjoyed most of the wine and all but one cheese. Wasn't a fan of the cheese that smelled like feet but the Chimay cheese and the Humboldt Fog were quite delicious. The cheese plate also had a few slices of apple. The waitress was very accommodating to the ladies in our group; she answered all of our questions in stride. She made a couple of recommendations for other ladies in the group on what they should order, and both of the ladies were happy with their wines. She did mention that they change up the wines and cheese each Sunday for the $15 special.
Cru has a nice patio with plenty of umbrellas for shade. The inside of the restaurant appeared to be elegantly designed and would be a good setting for a romantic meal.
