Still on my burger quest. Decided to give Cru a try since several friends have mentioned it. The burger was pretty good. Cooked to order although a thin patty, kudos to the chef for being able to cook it medium rare. The bun was nice and crispy. Upgraded to the truffle fries which were yummo. However the star of the show was their fig and prosciutto flat bread. OMG it was amazing, and I don't particularly care for flat bread. The wine selection is pretty fab too. I will be back. read more

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Despite a couple of obvious issues, the wife and I had a substantial, flavorous and jovial meal. Once you get past the wrecthed looking floors and rickety seats the experience can be quite pleasing. Your first perception due to the ghastly flooring is that it's a dump. As you walk in a wine shop with the first row blocked by a bicycle. There is a counter with a register, some run-of-the-mill tables and chairs and unsightly boxes piled against the wall. Absolutely nothing at this point suggests that you are in for a good time. As you pass through a doorway there is a bar, some high seat tables and chairs and an outdoor seating area. This area looks much more pleasing. With advance notice we were able to get Chef Jay to prepare some dinner menu items for brunch. We shared a fabulous Charcterie Board chock full of delightful accoutrements, the wife had the Salmon and I had the Grouper Tacos. The food was fresh, tasteful and flavorsome. Omar helped us choose a wonderful Pinot Noir that was perfect for our meal and we had a great time. The stores wine selection was a pleasant surprise, nothing ordinary, I did not recognize a single bottle. Someone has taken the time to select a variety of wines that are very good to exceptional and very easy on the wallet. The staff can help you choose something delectible or you can participate in a wine tasting. The wine alone is worth a visit, just to discover something exotic and new. read more

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I've always heard great things about Cru Cellars and last week I was finally able to pop in the Palma Ceia location and check it out; what a delicious experience! The atmosphere is small and cozy with multiple little rooms and a wine bar. If the space doesn't already give you a homey feel, the staff certainly will; they're incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Cru Cellars offers wine-by-the-glass, wine flights, and a retail selection of hand-made and organic & natural wine bottles. We started with the 7 piece Farmers Platter (option to choose 3, 5, or 7) which was just the right amount for a table of four.... or maybe we just really like cheese!! Regardless, definitely make sure to try the Sottocenere (cow, semi-firm, black truffle) I couldn't stop nibbling at it! The Bucatini Carbonara was a stand-out entree; so rich and creamy with a nice punch of garlic flavor. Also incredible was the the duck entree. The duck was great but the bed of Brussels sprouts it sat on is what really stole the show! They were fried with maple so they had a nice unique sweetness to them. I need all my Brussels sprouts to taste like this from now on! We had the bread pudding for dessert which was delicious and topped with their strawberry jam and fresh whipped cream. read more

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2nd time I NEEDED bubbly Cru Cellars, Morgan, hooked us up. 'Sorta' cava to start with a full bodied chard which paired amazingly with our clams and gamers board. Clams had a kick, but the sauce and the wine evened it out to perfection. The farmers plate, triple cream cheese, cheddar (with crunchies) and a spicy capicola were fun to mix and match flavor with our Som selection red wine tasting. Great wine picks, some enhancing the homemade strawberry jam or the honey and fig jam, the cor...baby pickles are so yummy. Then dinner , a shared steak with I need to know what they put in the chimichurri sauce, sauce was perfect. Took home the bread pudding with yet another great selection of vino from Morgan. read more

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Cru cellars is a cute wine shop and restaurant in the Palma Ceia area of south Tampa. I've been a couple times and have always enjoyed the experience here. Their wine selection is very good and most times after dining, I end up leaving with a bottle! The truffle fries is something I recommend! My favorite thing on the menu along with the steak with béarnaise. The service is great here as well and the staff knows their wine and give great recommendations. Always make sure to look on the price though, because they will recommend a $30 glass of wine sometimes(I made that mistake once and spent almost $100 on wine) Overall, i would definitely recommend Cru Cellars for you next outing! read more

Cru Cellars - Steak Frites - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This review is just based on bar service. Not very impressed with this particular establishment at Armature Works. I went here when it was in the late evening. It's a nice bar area, but overpriced and the service can be hit or miss even when not busy. The pours are okay and come in a plastic cup with a hard stop line of where to pour. It keeps it consistent, but I just prefer a glass instead. I'd just rather hit up one of the other bars while here. Just not my first pick. read more

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Yesterday, we decided to check out Cru Cellars in south Tampa for brunch. I had heard the brunch menu was impressive and it did not disappoint. We made reservations at 11 and the restaurant filled up fast after they opened. They offered indoor & outdoor seating. We grabbed a table outside on the back patio. We started with a mix of coffee, mimosas, and wine. The wine selection had some great offerings. We looked over the menu and figured out what we wanted to eat. I went with the croque madame. My friends decided to go with the crab omelette and the banh mi benedict. Our food came out in decent time and it all looked great. We dove in and were not disappointed. The croque madame was perfect. My buddy said the banh mi benedict was super flavorful and he really enjoyed it. Both of my friends that had the omelette raved about it. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit. The food and service were on point. We really look forward to a return visit in the very near future. read more

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Such a hidden gem. I LOVE Cru Cellars! It's such a cozy spot with an amazing happy hour. I always get a glass (or two) of the $7 house white and split an app with a friend. Notable mentions go out to the cheese curds, bruschetta, and mushroom flatbread! They also have a cute wine shop with an abundance of options to choose from. Perfect place to stop if you need to pick up a bottle for dinner or as a gift for a friend. read more

Cru Cellars - WINE - HOUSE WHITE 750mL - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Cute spot, great little patio, and a creative menu: small but tasty! The fig and prosciutto flatbread was probably my favorite thing we ordered: great drizzle of balsamic reduction and just a few bites split among 4 of us. The sauce on the salmon entrée is dynamite and the fall-apart tender duck confit with blackberry sauce and super crispy potatoes dauphin was a lesson in texture. Delish. Oh and the maple glazed brussel sprouts were cooked perfectly: lots of crunchy edges and no big barely cooked cabbage bites! They also do a good job on the tuna tartare, with crunchy wonton chips and lots of flavor drizzles on the plate. And the peri peri cauliflower is a neat take on buffalo cauliflower with the side of cambozola cream as an elevated bleu cheese dip. I missed having more spice but the batter and cook on it was perfect. (I demolished them.) We got a few flights and the wines we tried were ok but not mind blowing. I love that they rotate in new wines regularly and that you can also peruse/buy wines by the bottle to take home. Our server was good, but we had some attitude from the hostess when we asked to turn the fans on the patio off. (As they were wheeling out the heaters...?) In general, they did really well with a back to back sat section on a Friday night and the food came out fast and delicious! read more

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The French toast was great! The cinnamon roll was also good. The place was smaller than I thought and it was quite chilly inside but overall I enjoyed it! read more

Cru Cellars - French toast - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Absolutely love this little gem! Wonderful well curated menu, quite relaxing ambiance and excellent service. Well worth a visit.

Great date night spot. The ambiance is intimate and the attention to detail is on point from start to finish. Had carpaccio, steak frites, and a tartare. Look forward to coming back! read more

Cru Cellars - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Great spot! Good wine, vibe and people. Great selection to choose with articulate and friendly workers.

I came here on a Thursday night with my girlfriends and we had reservations. It was pretty busy in there so I would recommend making reservations. The seating area inside is smaller in the back and they have outdoor seating. I started off with the red wine flight and it was on the sweeter side. I loved all of them and I was surprised because I like drier reds. Then I opted for their house red which was great as well. For food, I got their wild mushroom flatbread and it was delicious. I loved how it is light crisp crust and backed with toppings. It's bursting with flavor. They also have a wine store in the middle and a bar in the back where the tables are. I had a great experience here and the service was great despite the busyness. read more

Cru Cellars - Wild Mushroom Flatbread - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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What a gem! This cute space is perfect for date night for two or a small gathering of family and friends. When you enter Cru, you will be welcomed by the lovely staff as well as a nice array of stocked shelves filled with wine to purchase and take home. If you have time or made reservations, check in at the hostess desk to a grab at table, enjoy the ambiance and order food and wine! The cheese curds were our first bite of a light crunch with gooey cheese - you can't leave these behind! You can build your own charcuterie board with the finest cheeses, strawberry and basil compote, and fresh olives, pralines and baguettes!! There is delicious hummus, flatbreads and we were also told that the Cru Burger is popular! We will definitely try that next time! read more

Had good times here! For years, I would pass by here many times and always forget to come in here. That was not until recently. When you first walk in, you enter their wine store before you head out to either of the bar counter room on the left or straight ahead into a smaller room with a few dining tables to the right of the store's checkout counter. The food was amazing! For entree food, I've only had the Farmer's platter so far. My favorite cheese from there is the Sottocenere (With specs of truffle!) and favorite wine is the Dr. Konstantin Cabernet Franc. The quality of each item (your choice) or the farmers platter is excellent. For their choose five farmers platter I wasn't expecting a whole loaf of bread. I like to think of these platters as "deconstructed sandwiches". The champagne vinaigrette used on their "Cru salad" is on target! With the ingredients used in the salad and that amazing dressing, there are bursts of flavor variety with every bite. Most of the portions here are shareable sizes (Except for the smaller farmer's platters). Otherwise, you can have a whole shareable to yourself as an entrée if you're hungry enough (me, lol). The seating environment is very relaxed and chill classy throughout the location. I would consider coming here again. Good with one or more people to share with. read more

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This was our first time visiting the original restaurant. We've been to the one at Armature works. Service was amazing and not rushed at all. We truly enjoyed the Chef's choice for the cheese and charcuterie. Some items like the salmon lacked seasoning and the cauliflower wasn't crispy. But...the sauce that came with the clams was to die for and we were able to purchase some yummy wine. Will definitely be back. read more

Boosting my review up after visiting 2x within the past week. They used to have a CL Deal, so it didn't hurt your pockets as much. I still believe 9oz for $22 is overpriced at Cru and when buying a 9oz pour of Prosecco at Armature - it's $16 w/out including tip. The only redeeming quality is that you can bring your wine cups from their Armature location to Cru in S. Tampa to trade in for a house wine for free. I did just that recently and found their White Blend Spanish house wine to be very drinkable and so tasty - would pay $8/glass. I would only return with this promotion & snag this deal! Charcuterie is their specialty and they have Happy Hour, again (*Happy Dance*)! Service was great - we had the whole place to ourselves in a weekday & were checked on often. read more

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Top 5 Tampa establishments in my book. I'm a Tampa native and I'm ashamed with myself that I only recently began frequenting Cru Cellars. If you're a wine lover, this spot is for you. If you're a food lover, this spot is for you. If you're a brunch lover, this spot is for you. Brunch: excellent, delicious, creative takes on traditional options. I love the francais omelette, the salmon bagel, and eggs Benedict. Wine: they offer the most natural wines ive ever seen at a wine bar. There truly is something for everyone and the staff is well educated in wine and are able to make perfect suggestions. There's always something new to try as they are frequently rotating new wines through. Dinner: truffle fries are LIFE. My favorite fries in town. I dream about them and miss them as soon as they're gone. The clam appetizer is a must as well. The food is wonderful and the chef does a fantastic job! Wine club: we joined upon our first visit because we love trying new wines and it's actually an incredible deal. We get two wines a month (always different and from various regions and varietals), a free appetizer per month, and a discount on events. read more

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Love this place, when someone asks me about my top picks for dinner in Tampa, Cru is always at the top of my list. They have a great wine menu, their food is fantastic, and the staff are very knowledgeable and helpful. The restaurant is great for dinner, dates, or small groups. Definitely recommend their hummus appetizer, and for dinner you can't go wrong with the steak frites or short rib.Enjoy! read more

Popped in here with a friend to discover a very cozy wine bar in the back of a wine store. They offer a dimly lit room with a bar and a handful of small tables. Space is tight. We were the first to arrive. Even though service should have been spot on it was spotty, as our server seemed distracted while she continued to prep for the night behind the bar. We went with a mushroom flatbread, which was tasty. A reorder for me. We also got the house salad which was fresh and enjoyable. Lastly, we tried one of the Farmer's Platters. Ours had an assortment of cheeses, nuts, olives, jams and bread. My friend loved this and this is the reason we went here. I'm not a fan of cheeses and cured meats. Plus this is easily prepared at home, so it is not a menu item I would ever choose. I didn't have the heart to tell her this would not get my taste buds excited. I went with the flow. Plus our bill for these three items and 4 glasses of reasonably priced wine was $100.00. I personally think this is high. They do offer a happy hour with special pricing on wine and bites. I'll come back to try Cru Cellars again. There are other items on the menu I am interested in trying. For now it's a 3.5 in my book. Oh they have an outside area which would be nice when the weather cooperates. read more

Loved our brunch here today! The food was incredible, and the service was amazing also! We had to try the award winning burger, and it did not disappoint! The empanadas were great and we loved the forager Benedict! read more

Cru Cellars - Burger - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This is not the first time I have been here for a meal or wine. This is an awesome little wine and dine place. They have a great selection of wines in their quaint cellar racking display, which you can take homenor enjoy there. Great vibe for just a casual glass of wine and conversation or a meal. Very helpful and friendly staff. Great for recommending a wine pairing for your meal, knowledgeable to help suggest something you may like based on your personal taist. I have to say these Eggs Benedict are hands down some of the best I have had in a while. Personally, the bar is where it's at. Very chill and low key for a relaxing Sunday brunch. I can't recommend this place enough. read more

Cru Cellars - "The Diver" sparkling Rosé, Filled & CrabCake Benedict with a side of hashbrowns. - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Was hungry for steak tonight and I tried the steak frites at Cru w/fries. The steak was horrible, almost rancid, but not enough that I sent it back. If I go back there again, I will definitely get a hamburger. Wine was very good. Service was OK but the steak was horrible. read more

We ordered multiple small plates, one dish I wasn't even sure what to expect and it was amazing. Order a bunch for the table -even entrees and share, you'll thank me later. We didn't drink but seems to be a great selection. I would say our service was a tad inattentive but they were pretty busy. It's a small/quaintier type of atmosphere. read more

Great place for wine and food. We loved it so much we joined the wine club!! The happy hour has a good selection and the prices on wine can't be beat! read more

Just got appetizers so I'm not quite sure how the entrees are. The fries were good - but the green sauce was amazing. Loved how you could do wine flights too. read more

Cru Cellars - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Great food and service! The vibe is very nice. This is one of our go to restaurants, we love coming here, always a great experience. read more

Cru Cellars - Beet Salad & Bucatini Carbonara with shrimp. - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Love everything about the Palma Ceia place. Passed it several times without really noticing it but when I tried it WOW !! Love the wine selection & the Shrimp with Garlic cream is out of this world. I mean plate licking good. The Burrata & Tomato app is very very good as well. Tried this place in December on a trip to Tampa & have come back to Tampa 2 more times & went directly back there for the steak frites, confit duck, & Faroe island salmon. All dinners were delicious every time. Can't rave enough read more

Cru Cellars - Duck confit - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Skip taco Tuesday and go to Cru instead where you can grab any wine bottle off the shelf and avoid a corking fee. Some bottles are as low as $13, which must be the cheapest in town. The fig / prosciutto flatbread is incredible while feeling like you're eating in a wine shop. read more

Food was ok. I'm not always alcohol free but I was that night and had a meet up with a group there. It would have been amazing to at least have one option for a non-alcohol wine. I was surprised there was none with the current trends for AF movement. Get a few in stock. Thanks! read more

This is a difficult one. Among the wine bar or kitchen they are in the passing grade. Very close to the 3.5 stars but not there yet. I think the food need to step up among the wine bars. Selection of the wine is just average. There are several thing they can improve. The portion of the plate is small compared to the Bay Area wine bar kitchen. Food pallet is at the sour side. If they can improve this two, it may be great attraction to the customers. Food price on the small plate is at the high side. Flavor and taste still need big improvement. I have the blacken octopus and seared tuna. The octopus is one tentacles. Which is small for the price they charging. The sauce can be more complicate by not stay on one sauce. May be grilled a bit better. The seared tuna coating can be improved. Not impressive. It is almost like Japanese tuna sashimi. If the outside is seared, it can include some awesome seasoning. May be smaller cute but more piece which provides more are of the seared outward tastes. Overall, they are try to sell the wine which the taste of the food need to be more attractive. read more

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Great wine bar with a pretty good selection of wines and knowledgeable sommeliers. Our sommelier was able to provide good recommendations and was generally attentive to replace our glasses. The charcuterie selections were varied and complemented our wines. The has a dinner menu that we didn't try but it looked good and would definitely come back to try it. Definitely a spot to visit for a date night or pre/post dinner drinks. read more

Cru Cellars is definitely a great place for a date night. The setting is dimly lit and intimate, a very calming place to just to relax and enjoy some great bites and drinks. I definitely recommend exploring the section of the property that showcases their wide collection of wines for retail -- and you can tell, each one was selected with great care from their knowledgeable and passionate Sommeliers. A few of my favorite dishes will have to include: "Cheese Curds": white cheddar that's breaded and fried to perfection "Seared Octopus": the BEST OCTOPUS I'VE EVER HAD "Moules et Frites": plenty of mussels and the french fries are still so crispy in the white wine sauce "Steak Frites": seared so well, and paired with a bearnaise sauce that will keep you drooling for days. Chef Sloane Wilkins does such a phenomenal job creating dishes that truly embodies the spirit of Cru Cellars and the Cru Crew! read more

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Picked up a charcuterie and bottle of wine. Took like 3 mins to do. It was easy and no wait in line or anything. I loved the charcuterie. Real quality ingredients. And the wine paired with it was lovely. read more

A cute little place. To bad it took 10 minutes of sitting at the bar before I was even acknowledged. Not the way I wanted to start my first experience at Cru Cellars. It really didn't improve after that like I was hoping it would, they weren't even busy. For a wine bar I thought they would have a better selection of wine by glass. I ordered the... Cheese curds which were really good. The roasted jalapeño ranch was a perfect compliment. I do wish it would come in a ramekin instead at the bottom of the bowl they were served in. Happy hour nachos were just ok. They're served with a non-typical chip that were sprinkled with sugar. The chicken served on top was just ok too, a little dry. They definitely could have used more cheese. read more

Cru Cellars - Very good. The roasted jalapeño ranch needs to be served in a ramekin. - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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A tiny restaurant in the back of a wine store makes for some interesting conversations. If you are claustrophobic do not come here or bring a group and request the group dining area that is out in the open. There are lots of seats at the bar and a few tables for 2 tops or 4 tops. We're bar people so that's where we went for a light snack and drink before dinner. We went around 6pm on a Saturday which I thought would have been more packed but it wasn't bad at all. We were able to find a corner at the bar and ordered the chef's cheese plate special. For the amount of cheese and etc you get doesn't justify the $ amount but ..you are in 'South Tampa'. Regardless, if you're already here you're ready to drop some $ so DO it! I did the Spanish Trail flight and left tipsy (job done check). We always forget that this place is here but venture back to it every couple of years. =) read more

Cru Cellars - Chef selection - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Two times now and I am still charmed. Cru Cellars is one of my favorite surprises. I stopped by the wine shop to pick up a few bottles because Cru so generously supported my daughter's school fundraiser-auction. I had the great fortune to meet the owner, Jen, who told me about Cru's wine club. I have a big collection of wine and nothing makes me happier than trying to new wines, especially from small craft wineries... something Cru specializes in. One of the wine club perks is a free appetizer monthly in the Cru restaurant. So the spouse and I decided to try Cru on one of our date nights. We loved it. We sampled wines, tried the tuna tartare ($12), a Cru salad ($10) and shared the steak frites ($26). The salad was a salad. It had a nice light dressing and the crispy chickpeas gave it some crunch. The tuna is quite good with wontons and a siracha kick. The steak was even better. Cru uses filet mignon. I often scoff at filet mignon. Let's face it. It doesn't have much flavor and once called 'the ladies' cut', it was fed to the 'weaker sex' because it is soft and easy to cut. The filet at Cru could not be criticized. It was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. It came with absolutely delicious frites and an excellent bearnaise sauce. We agreed we would crave the steak frites in the future and appreciated that our meal with wine came to less than $100. Our first experience meant there would be a second and I have to say, it was just as good. This time we decided to try a Farmers platter that is basically a charcuterie with cheeses, jams, nuts and bread. We also ordered the fig and prosciutto flatbread as well as an encore of the tuna tartare. All three dishes went perfectly with the different wines we tried... the pinot noirs pairing nicely with the tuna and the flatbread.. the whites great with the sheep and cow cheeses on the Farmers Platter. I want to call out the flatbread because it is seriously good if you are a fig fan. The sweet fig jam is well matched to the prosciutto and blue cheese and the greens add another layer of flavor and texture. The only drawback is service. Cru gets packed and when it does, the service slows down. We had to call out and then wait quite some time to get another glass of wine. That said, the food is definitely worth the wait. read more

Palma Ceia is the best location in my opinion. I took one star away because their once incredible cheese and charcuterie board has shrunk significantly in terms of portions. Other than that I'm my opinion it's one of the best meals in town. The food is fresh and tasty, the service is great, and the wine..... whoever their sommelier is has nailed it consistently for years finding great wines at great price points. Love this place! read more

If you're looking for the best wine tasting in town, look no further! My organization hosted a wine tasting for 48 people at Cru and it was such a successful event. Cru worked with us to include 3 different packages for intro, mid, and sophisticated palates. We got there early to set up and they got us a glass of wine to help! As our guests arrived the staff was incredibly responsive and checked in often. We got to sample wines from all over the globe and there were generous pours for the tasting. They brought out sliders, fries, and flatbreads all of which were incredible and tasty. Our group had so much fun and Cru was an amazing place to hold this event! read more

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