10/18/08

very class and uppidy

by CatMarJen

Very class and very uppidy.

They are very attentive and above all the food was awesome. I felt like Jesus Christ went down from heaven and cooked the food for us. hahaha. but seriously, if it wasn't 200+ per head, I would go back here everyday!!!

• Pros: wine list,food,service
• Cons: none

04/07/08

Disappointing

by gofish321

There are many other restaurants I would recommend with food that is as good but with better ambiance and service. The room was boring and the atmosphere was staid. The sommelier was generally unfriendly and, when we asked for a recommendation for a glass of white, brought us two $38 glasses without telling us the price in advance and without offering us the wine list. The food was good but almost too pretentious - sous vide, foam, blah blah blah - I also never need to try white asparagus or curry ice cream. Not worth the price. Go to Union Square or Gramercy for a better experience on all levels.

• Pros: wine, food
• Cons: service, ambiance, attitude

01/20/08

Should good things really come in such small doses?

by tadevosy

So I went to Cru encouraged by the high rating on city-search and the "best wine list" promise. The latter didin't disappoint--their selection of wines is head-spinning, and the sommelier knew pretty much each one of them from the pricey chateauneuf-de-papes to the obscure galician wines. Their by-the-glass selection, too, was impressive. The wait-staff was great, too, though yes, a bit intrusive at times.

The food, on the other hand, left so much to be desired that I literally came home and had a midnight snack before heading to bed. For one, our excellent appetizers were followed by rather mediocre entrees, with an intermission of about one hour, during which our food was "being plated." The portions were laughably small, no larger than the appetizers. That I would have lived down had it been memorable food. My lobster-broccoli pyramid was bitter. My husband poullard tasted of... well... nothing and was luke-warm.

Will definitely go back there for a pre-dinner glass of wine but not dinner.

• Pros: Amazing wine list, good service, nice decor
• Cons: quality and quantity of food

08/07/07

OUTSTANDING meal and service

by eveningout

This place is spectacular. Every single thing about the food was perfect. Fish and meat cooked to perfection, and amazingly delicious with fresh, delicate flavors. This is paired with attentive, well-informed servers, who make you feel comfortable and like real guests. The wine that was recommended was also excellent. I can't think of a single negative comment (aside from high prices, but that's par for the course). A friend who had been there about a year ago warned me about miniscule portions, but this has clearly changed for the better. We will go back again and again.

• Pros: Food, wine, service
• Cons: None

05/29/07

i would go on this CRUise again....

by pclipper2000

My wife and I had the chance to visit Cru this past saturday. After a long day shopping on 5th ave, we

were greeted by rocco at the front door at 6:30. We were promptly seated and began our adventure.

We generally enjoy stopping at the bar for a couple of pops, but ended up a at quaint table for two. The fun began. We orded the chef tasting menu- HOLY COW. Shea Gallante and the staff at CRU were the best we have ever dealt with.. the food, wine, service were second to none.. we ended up staying for 5 hours....

Shea Gallante is outstanding as are his staff. Thanks for probably the dinner experience we have ever had.

• Pros: food, service, wine, everything
• Cons: the night had to end

05/05/07

Loved it!!!

by ktalle

Great food and wine! Attentive, (but not overly,) staff! I would suggest the chef's menu option. You are suprised by every course. We had about seven courses, (it was har to keep track. It felt like to food just kept coming,) plus dessert and for dessert we each got something different, trying four desserts by the time we were done. We both loved and would reccomend the Gazpacho but we were split when picking a favorite dessert. I could eat a million passion fruit brulees and my date was crazy for the chocolate and pepermint "extravaganza" as he called it. The wines were paired perfectly. The only thing that could prove to be a flaw are the prices... Our bill was high! It is worth it though so save up your money and spend it all at Cru. It was a meal I will never forget!

04/06/07

Can't wait to send all my friends there!!!

by tscunddy

I dined at Cru on a Saturday night, (not my idea since I hate dining with the masses,) and had an amazing experience. They did seat me a little late but the hospitality more than made up for it. It was a special occasion and they went the whole nine to make us feel special. The food was top notch, (especially noteable were the poularde and the apple beignet,) and the wine pairing was perfect. I would not hesitate to return and will certainly tell all my friends. Worth every penny!!!

04/01/07

Shame on You!

by Richard_W_Lund

My friend and I had dinner for the second time at Cru, last Saturday night. Things were going

very well until an univited, 3 inch long, 6 legged vision of ugliness was behind me on the

banquette and moving toward my head. My friend asked whether he should ?get it? or call the

waiter. I chose the former, for speed and expediency. The waiter, noticing some commotion,

came to the table and asked what was wrong. We asked him what he wanted us to do with

the contents of the napkin. He took it quite gingerly, stating that he was kind of queasy around

such creatures and, at arms length, carried the napkin off towards the kitchen. Not long after

that, the Rocco, the Maitre D?, dressed to the nines, with hands hips, came to the table and

stood in front of my friend and said ?If you think that what you did is a funny joke, our patrons

don?t appreciate that sort of thing. Perplexed, and despite our considerable combined education, all we said - and in unison was "HUH"? He said the napkin was empty and by implication accused us of

fabricating the incident. To what end? We weren?t angry. We weren't demanding a free meal.

We didn?t so much as ask for a drink! We came to Cru for a good meal, not a free ride. So

after spending $360.00 we walked out of there feeling abused, vowing never to go back with our friends or our business associates.

We realized that a celebrity chef does not necessarily guarantee tasteful dining, good

manners or a modicum of class.

• Pros: There is no "PRO" when the patron is accused of lying and/or cheating
• Cons: No class among the staff. Potential for embarrassement in front of friends/clients

02/26/07

Total Amateur Hour

by ladyluck1211

We had 8:30 reservations but seated at 9:20. The wait-staff was nice but awkward, intrusive and one almost knocked over a few items on our table. Still, we enjoyed our delicious 3-course pre-fixe meals and wines by the glass.

When the bill came, it was much LOWER than expected until we realized they had forgotten to include an ENTIRE pre-fixe meal of $75. I also noticed an extra charge of $5, because I asked for fruit instead of the selections on the menu. I gave my card, wondering whether they had realized their clumsy service and decided to ?comp? one of the meals. When the waiter returned, I told him that there seemed to be something wrong with the bill and to re-check it. He was shocked, ran back to the computer and soon joined by three others. He finally returned and said ?We?re sorry but it seems we only charged you for one meal. Can we re-run your card for the correct amount?? So of course I said yes, it was one thing if it was intentionally omitted but I didn?t want to swindle them out of their money. So they redid the bill and brought it back but the $5 supplement was still on the bill.

A quality restaurant shouldn?t nickel and dime a customer who is already spending a decent amount to try to get another $5 out of you because you got a tiny plate of apples instead of the more elaborate desserts on the menu. I thought that was particularly disingenuous after I pointed out, with tip and tax, a $100 error. They could have at least knocked off a glass of wine or the $5 supplement. Not only were we not offered this gesture, the waiter stood over me nervously, then immediately asked if he could take the bill when I signed it, as if I?d change my mind. If I intended to run off I wouldn?t have brought it to their attention and if I cared about getting a few bucks off by way of a complimentary beverage, I wouldn?t have pointed out the error in the first place. Food was great but the wait-staff were total amateurs.

• Pros: Great wine list, great food
• Cons: Amateurish wait staff, unrefined service

12/30/06

Flawless

by choulli

I brought my husband here to celebrate his 40th birthday over a very special meal.

We were impressed with the impeccable service & attention to detail at Cru.

The atmosphere is a bit more formal than I usually enjoy - something that might make some diners feel intimidated - however the staff is attentive, highly professional & will do their very best to make your experience at Cru a special one.

Having ordered the 3-course meal, we splurged & put our trust in the sommelier to provide us with wine tastings for each course & were thrilled by the unique experience.

My only regret is that we allowed our server to talk us into a 'pasta tasting' - something which put our stomachs (& the bill) over the edge.

Sadly, I believe it was his attempt to get us to spend more $.

The food was excellent for the most part but some dishes missed the mark, such as the

'Fish' Saltimbocca, which was dry & unimpressive.

The Amuse Bouche were fabulous.

We could have dined on those all evening with our wine!

Upon making our reservation, I had told the hostess that we would be celebrating my husband's birthday - a detail I did not need to repeat upon our arrival.

When dessert arrived, Happy Birthday was written across his plate & a single candle had been placed in his chocolate tart.

Our server came over & politely wished my husband a 'happy birthday'. Very discreet, very well-done.

In closing I must note that our bill was astronomically high - something I fully expected, but cannot reasonably do very often.

• Pros: excellent wine list & a sommelier to back it up, lovely ambiance
• Cons: astronomical prices, some inconsistencies - dishes range from excellent to average or overdone