Cru Bar & Cellar

Ph: 3252 2400; 22 James St, FORTITUDE VALLEY 4006 www.crubar.com

Modern Australian, $$, ** for Ambience
Open Breakfast Sat-Sun 8.30-11.30am lunch & dinner 7 days 11.30am-10pm; Licensed; AE DC MC V EFT
Chef (--) Owner

Mietta's Review
Cru, in the James St Market is still one of the smartest thing to happen in Brisbane for some time. Half bottle shop, half bar and very smart cafe it's a great showcase for Toby Hoopers' wine knowledge. The foods not bad either. There's a continuous parade of Brisbane's tuned in young (and quite a few older folk too). The only slightly sour note is, given the limitless variety in the adjacent bottle shop, what is offered seems a bit limited - nor is it cheap. Always open - always fun.

Other published opinions

Brisbane Times Score: 15/20 "A must for any wine buff, Cru Bar has an impressive global range of wines, from great vintages and grand marques to impressive newcomers, supported by chef Paul Hoffmann's solid menu"

Courier Mail food and wine guide Queensland 2008 "An antique Baccarat crystal chandelier hangs over a glowing onyx bar, making this a beautiful place to sit and watch the world go by"

Brisbane News Dining Out Guide 2007 "Since it opened four years ago, this groundbreaking establishment has become the preferred bar for many wine lovers, thanks to the seemingly endless drinks list bolstered by the attached boutique retail outlet"

Gourmet Traveller 2007 Australian Restaurant Guide "Cru has the heart of a wine bar and the soul of a bistro, albeit a Queensland-style bistro, with a backlit onyx bar glowing in the evening under the twinkle of an antique Baccarat chandelier and an open-air feel. The food here is more Mod Oz than mere snacks and dips don't let the laid-back ambience fool you."

Courier-Mail Goodlife Restaurant Guide 2006 "Soon after it opened in early 2003, Cru Bar gained an excited bunch of dedicated followers, attracting many to its James St address. These several hundred regulars are still going, day in, day out and it's not hard to see why."

Gourmet Traveller 2006 Australian Restaurant Guide "If Cru isn't packed with an upwardly mobile, intensely wine-aware crowd, then it isn't open. Jutting from two corners of the hugely successful James Street Market complex, this bar, cellar and restaurant has been a hit from day one."

Brisbane News Eating Out Guide 2006 "Cru is many things to many people, which is why it's best to book. Paul Hoffmann's menu offers light options ... A formidable wine list has boutique labels by the glass."

Courier-Mail Nick Bray 21/6/05 "The elegant bar appears to have found a place in the hearts of several hundred regulars who throng the place day in, day out, seven days a week. It's not hard to discern why. Cru is a very slick operation."

Courier-Mail Goodlife Restaurant Guide 05 "crowds flock there to relax on the side terrace, flop around on the chocolate lounges or wander about the extensive cellar absorbing the great atmosphere while they shop for fabulous drops."

Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide 2005 "Cru is a restaurant within a bar within a cellar, and very popular in all its guises. On the corner of the James St Market, Cru is the focal point of this emerging precinct, opening out on three sides to the street and back into the busy main thoroughfare ofthe market. During the week, the place is a haunt for the inner-city business crowd"

SMH Good Food Guide & Age GFG 2005 "With the influence of local wine legend Tony Harper, there's obviously a focus on what comes in a glass bottle, including an off-licence to one side. But it's the dine-in experience, backed by a formidable wine list (including plenty by the glass), that really counts"

Brisbane News Dining Out Guide 2004 "How you dine is really up to you at this hip bar, with its gorgeous marble features, chandeliers and chocolate brown leather seating."

SMH GFG 2004,'With wine consultant Tony Harper looking after the cellar and ex-The Grape chef Paul Hoffman manning the stoves,this newcomer is doing weekend breakfast and all-day dining.'

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Australia 2004, Excellent wine list,'a hip and happening place with an edge...tables that always seem to be overflowing with glamorous drinkers and snackers.The menu, built around a vast by-the-glass wine list, offers, light, bright tastes to be shared as you go'

Liquid-Bar Culture & Beyond, Winter Edition, 2003

Brisbane News 17-23/9/03, Trent Dalton'