2022 Update: Cru continues its winning streak. Food (steak frites, Brillat-savarin and Humboldt Fog cheeses) and drink (a nice Bordeaux) did not disappoint! read more

Cru Cellars - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

As always delicious. The food is a bit pricey with smaller portions but still good for a light bite or to grab some wine and split a board with your honey. read more

Cru Cellars - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Food and wine, add a piano and someone that can play to create a night folks won't forget. Had a few glasses of wine, but I really wanted better quality wine. This was ok for tonight, but will think twice about visiting again. Service was good and friendly. I'll try them again... read more

Cru Cellars - My wine - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Being a wine lover, I decided to check this place out and to my surprise it is a hidden gem. The location on Macdill had a very cozy vibe. My friends and I enjoyed our wine flights. I will check out the other locations. read more

Cru Cellars - Red wine flight - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Excellent wine list. Excellent truffle fries. Even better service! This is a perfect venue for a night with friends or an intimate dinner read more

Cru Cellars - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Came here for a girls night for a going away get together for a friend leaving town. The service was amazing, as was the food and wine! We enjoyed flights and bottles of wine along with various appetizers. The churros for dessert are an absolute must! Will definitely be coming here more for drinks and dinner. Such a great and fun date night spot!! read more

Since I prefer cocktails to wine, this place was never high on my list of places to visit, but a friend was having a party here, so I was in. Very pleasantly surprised that they offered three different flavors of Rekorderlig Cider - I tried both the pear and the passionfruit and loved them both. Service was excellent; we had multiple servers taking care of our table, and they did a great job of keeping all of our separate checks straight. They were also very on the ball with greeting newcomers, grabbing more chairs, and keeping the drinks coming. Because we were a large group, they added on 20% gratuity to each check. I ordered two items of food from their $6 Happy Hour food menu. Both were okay, but I wouldn't order either again. The hamachi tartare with sriracha and soy had a nice bite to it, but I never would have known it was yellowtail because it just didn't have much flavor. I did like the crispy crackers they served with it. The seared tuna with watermelon was a small portion, and it too was essentially flavorless. The one food item I definitely would try next time is the Farmer's Platter - your pick of cheeses and cured meats served with a warm baguette. You just pick the number of items you want to try. My friends ordered this, and the portion was generous, delicious, and beautifully displayed. Great spot for wine drinkers, with their own parking lot, cool interior, attentive servers, and many interesting options for food. read more

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INCREDIBLE service by Ari. She went above and beyond and we will definitely be back. Get that girl a promotion!

Cru Cellars is my obsession of the moment. The wine selection at Cru Cellars is fantastic and most of the bottles are well priced between $25-$35 per bottle. Whoever does the wine purchasing has excellent taste! After browsing through the front of the store we selected a bottle of Train Wreck Cabernet and decided to enjoy it in the bar area. The bar area is very upscale and cozy and there is also an outdoor garden area. We ordered several cheeses and appetizers to nibble on. The aged Gouda and salami were great. The tuna tar tar nachos were by far my favorite item on the menu. The appetizer was light and refreshing and it had a light kick of wasabi. The potato croquettes were good, but they weren't special like the tuna tar tar nachos. My husband and sister loved the salmon and quinoa. I'm not a fan of salmon so I will take their word. I tried the quinoa and cabbage that accompanied the salmon because they kept raving about the hoissan sauce. The sauce was quite good... I need to steal the chef's recipe! Will definitely be back!!! FYI: On Tuesdays the $15 corkage fee is waived. read more

Cru Cellars - Train wreck Cabernet. - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We used to love coming to Cru however over the last 1-2 years we've noticed an overall decline in their food and wine selection. There wasn't much change or variety added to their menu on a regular basis which constantly steered us away from dining here. We would still come in for just wine and cheese or shop their retail section however we're doing less of that also since we're not interested in the natural wine craze (been there, done that, don't care for them!) and lately that's mostly what they're interested in selling. There have been a few chef changes over the past few years and honestly they haven't been for the better. More recently they reportedly finally changed their menu however the dishes were not great (steak was cold, salmon was overtly salted, cheese portions were minuscule) and further confirmed the decline of this place from the "best wine bar" status they've enjoyed over the past several years. Also there have been major staff changes which began happening pre-COVID but which definitely have affected the overall vibe this wine bar used to have. It's sad because Cru used to be a great place hang out, relax and have decent wine, not so much anymore. read more

Excellent wine stop in Tampa. Everything from charcutterie to snacks and entrees Staff very willing to let you taste and asking questions to guide you to the perfect wine. Red wine kept in a cooler at exact serving temperature. Morgan as the bar liaison is an excellent asset to this experience. read more

Cru Cellars - Dry Riesling - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Let's start with the positives: The food here is EVERYTHING. This was my second visit and I have seriously loved everything I've put in my mouth here. This time I came in on a Saturday after dinner to enjoy some wine and charcuterie with a friend, but I was still tempted to order a whole plate because the menu is so good. I stayed the course though, and ordered charcuterie to share, our 5 selections were: Cheeses Cow: Comité Goat: Hombolt Fog and Crotin Smoked Salmon Duck Rillete We loved it all! Now for the reason I could only give 3 stars: the service was really bad. Disappointingly, unnecessarily bad. We sat at the bar where there were at least 5 people working and it wasn't that busy, but we were repeatedly ignored. We had to grab someone's attention for everything, including asking for water refills, and were never checked on. After we got our checks (which yes, we had to ask for) they sat on the counter with our cards in them for another 10 minutes before someone asked if they had been taken care of yet. This place is not cheap, well worth the price for the quality and taste of food, so we definitely expected better. I'll be back, but will ask for a table and a server next time. read more

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Love coming here for date night, quiet, romantic with delicious food and wine. Wine board is a must, dessert at the last visit was devoured. read more

give Omar a raise and all of his flowers. The rest of the service staff... let's just say they were half alive and even less invested in our experience. For real, our table was forgotten for vast periods of time and server (Kayley or Katie or something) was more interested in flirting with her co-worker than offering refills and offering prompt attention. I would recommend Omar any day... to work elsewhere. Decent ambiance but yeah the weak servers (and I am in the industry, not super picky) left much to be desired. read more

This was my first time ordering takeout from Cru and it was great! We ordered steak frites with truffle fries, a Cru burger with truffle fries and a Farmer's Platter. Everything was packaged well which I appreciate for take out. I love dining in at Cru for the atmosphere and wine list, but I will definitely get takeout again. I can't wait for their new location to open up at the Westshore Marina town center! read more

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

Originally I was disappointed with my server as she was not pleasant and seemed to not want to be here.. However Derek the manager was awesome and made it right. Loved the Cheese board and wine selection. read more

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Cru has been one of my favorite places in Tampa for small batch, unique wine finds. Now that they opened another location in Armature Works, you can discover their wines in more than one location! They have also just hired an new head chef, Chef Sloan, who has done a fantastic job of creating a new menu! Definitely a great spot! read more

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Loved this place! Perfect for wine and charcuterie boards, great selection of both. They also have small plates. The cheese curds with jalapeño ranch were soo good! Very elegant inside. Nice staff. No complaints. Will be returning. read more

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I was very displeased with my meal and service at this establishment. I got the steak sandwhich and it didn't meet expectations at all. Our server looked like the least enthusiastic person in the world. read more

I used to love coming here, but it's been a few years since my last visit. So on my way up from Miami to Tampa, I decided to see how Cru Cellars was doing. Well, in my opinion, not very well. In fact, I regret this latest trip. We came in around 9:30pm on a Saturday, and the wine guy behind the bar made sure to let us know that the kitchen was closing in 20 minutes, as well as the bar. I looked at the clock to confirm the time, and I went back to the front door, which clearly stated they close at 11pm. I was confused, so my guest and I asked another person at the bar, a young blonde lady, "what time do you close?" She answered something to the effect of: we are not Chili's, so as a small business we close whenever it is slow. So ok... First, I hope you are not like Chili's because you do not have Chili's prices and that is not what your guests expect. Second, I totally understand small businesses may have the need to close earlier, but if your customers drive from far away to come to your business, and you advertise you are open at certain times online and on your front door, I would think that out of respect to your customers you would honor the times posted or simply state on your door/website that you close whenever you feel like it, and to call before coming by. This was not an isolated incident. After us, there were at least two couples who came in and were told: "10 minutes before we close." They were just as puzzled as we were but perhaps a bit smarter because they decided to leave. In addition, the staff acted (again, in my opinion) a bit snobbish by saying comments like "you don't know what that is?" when we asked to explain food items on their menu. In my mind, if I am asking you to explain something, I probably do not know what it is. Why are you working there if you don't want to help your customers? Also be aware that their corkage fee for any bottle you buy at their market is $12. I used to complain about Miami prices, but boy, never again.... If these are the prices here, coupled with bad service, it is as if they are encouraging you to buy the bottles and go home, no need to stay at their bar and consume anything else. I'm puzzled! Needless to say, the service was poor and we did not get to really try the food. It reminded me of the movie Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts goes to the store on Rodeo Drive and the staff tells her "we don't have anything for you. You are obviously in the wrong place." An unfortunate experience. read more

I hardly ever review unless the service is THAT bad. We just went there on a Monday at 7pm for a friends bday dinner. we had to keep flagging down the waitress for service. I got my salad after we were done with dinner. Never came over with the check or dessert menu. I had to go over and ask them to bring it. The manager came to us and apologized about half way through. Then it continued. Finally I said to the waiter (there was a waiter and waitress) at this point it's getting ridiculous and at least bring us complimentary wine, it can be cheap. And still nothing. And then after getting up and having to ask for the check they brought one over. We were with a big group of couples. So then we had to ask for it to be split in different ways. This all would be fine and I wouldn't leave a review if they at all were apologetic and aware. But they weren't at all. The fact that I put this much effort into a review astounds my own self. That's how bad it was. read more

I really like this place! They have a great wine selection and can make a mean cheese and charcuterie board! I am a huge fan of their rose and triple creme cheese. Their bread is also always perfectly baked and toasty. This place is perfect for a date night or a girls night out. read more

The temperature in here is a little warm, and the decor feels very warehouse-like, but the service is pretty good, and the charcuterie is YUMMY!! I sat at the bar with a colleague, who brought me after visiting several weeks earlier and falling in love with the charcuterie and wine herself. Our server/bartender was incredibly obliging in helping me determine the right red wine that I'd never had but knew I wanted! read more

My boyfriend and I came here while on a trip to Tampa because we love trying new wines and charcuterie, which is exactly what this place is good for. Morgan was extremely helpful in helping us pick wines to try and charcuterie to put on our board. I guess a lot of their wines are natural or organic, if that matters to you (it doesn't really to us - we like all wine!) The charcuterie board was AMAZING and it was huge. We probably could have stopped at just that but we wanted to try some of the other food. My boyfriend got the bucatini and he really liked it. I got the steak sandwich and I wouldn't get it again. The steak was pretty dry and lacked flavor. The back patio was awesome and even though the restaurant sits on a busy street you feel really secluded back there and don't notice the street sounds that much. Overall, a great place to try some new wines and you have to get the charcuterie. read more

Cru Cellars - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Honestly I've gone to all locations but the vibe at this one is my favorite idk why maybe because it was the first ? Idk but it's beautiful here I love the setting in the back & the burger was incredible I wanted to try the steak but it was sold out so I know it has to be good ! But any location I promise you'll love it ! The quality is there across the board read more

The food, wine and ambience make this place one of my favorites for a girls night or day night read more

Cru Cellars - Truffle fries and charcuterie board @cheylovesfood - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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One of my favorite charcuterie boards in Tampa, all the cheeses are delicious. Get the truffle fries and a wine flight. Really nice lowkey ambiance and decent parking lot for south tampa read more

This is a great place for a date or girls night. The wine selection is good and the staff is always more than willing to help you with your choice of what to drink. The food options are great too and we always love to share a few appetizers. read more

Cru Cellars - Fried white cheese curds with jalapeño ranch - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Best place for large wine tasting groups. Food was awesome and comes in nice shareable portions. read more

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My girlfriends and I came to Cru on a Saturday night around 8 pm and conveniently snagged the last four top table available. It's worth noting that they do not accept reservations unless you have a party of five or larger - and I would highly recommend booking the reservation in advance if you want a shot at sitting down for dinner (the dining room is a bit small but there is additional seating on a beautifully decorated patio in the rear of the restaurant). We began our wine night with a mix-and-match of three cheeses that was accompanied by a baguette loaf. The cheese board also included a delightfully refreshing strawberry-basil jam and a few candied nuts (I can't recall if they were pralines or pecans but they were SO good!). Just a tip: If you choose the soft French cheese, dipping the nuts in it makes for a yummy palate-pleaser! Our three cheeses hailed from Vermont (cheddar blend), Holland (gouda, of course) and the soft, brie-like cheese was from France. The Cabernet out of Washington was pleasantly smooth and reasonably priced at $13. My friend ordered a glass of the Garancha which was fruity and not too bold. For our entrees, I ordered the Duck Confit which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious! I do have to admit to being a little unfulfilled afterward, as the duck portion is a little small and the side dish consisted of just some lightly battered onion straws. Luckily my friend had ordered a side of Brussel Sprouts for the table but for $14, they were just so-so. One of my friends ordered the Hanger Steak (cooked medium) - I think she overlooked the mole rub that was included in the entree description because she grimaced at the peppery flavor and the very black/charred exterior...but otherwise she happily ate around it. The hanger steak dish was served with patatas bravas and a corn medley - both sides were wonderful complements to the steak. Our other friend ordered the Cauliflower & Leek Soup and the Seared Tuna - both of which she said was great! For dessert, we were only given two choices so we went with the chocolate based dessert that was served with vanilla ice cream (house-made ice cream if my memory serves me correctly). Overall we cashed out a little under $200, not bad but a little steeper than what we were hoping for - I think purchasing wine by the bottle would have been our smarter choice if we knew we'd consume four glasses amongst the three of us. In summary, I totally recommend Cru Cellars for a romantic date night or relaxed girls' night out! I've read great things about their Happy Hour too so I am hoping to return to Cru in the near future! read more

I am not typically one to leave a review, but Ashton and Omar absolutely knocked my socks off tonight. I came straight from a flight, not dressed as I typically would be for one of my favorite dining experiences, and Omar could not have been more gracious about letting my friend and I come in pretty close to closing. Ashton was so thoughtful and funny and both he and Omar made sure things were great the whole time. I even mentioned how much I love Taylor Swift and, just like that, she was playing on aux. Cru has the best burger in Tampa, hands down no questions asked. I am so grateful for this experience and can't wait to be back soon!!! read more

This is a hidden gem in Tampa. Service is top notch and the wine selection is amazing. The best aspect of the experience is you can enjoy a great cab with great music..... one of the first places in Tampa to have current music! read more

Cru Cellars - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

A very intimate wine bar where you can come for small plates and also explore a good selection of wines to buy!

Wonderful wines, super appetizers & great service. Good vibes. Good price point . What more could you want ? Highly recommend read more

Service was great! Great neighborhood spot for a date night or dinner with friends. Love the flights options and small plates!

I am very pleased with the quality of wines and the knowledge of the staff at this terrific little wine bar / retailer, and I'll be making frequent stops at Cru Cellars when I'm in South Tampa. Several of my Yelp friends gave this place high recommendations, and when I saw that Cru Cellars won the 2013 Yelp award for best wine shop in Tampa I quickly added them to my list of places to try. I was in South Tampa for lunch on Friday, but decided to stop by Cru Cellars afterwards to look for a nice bottle of wine to serve with homemade vegetarian lasagna on Sunday. It was the middle of the afternoon, and I was the only person in the shop. Now normally I'd be worried about drinking in a bar in the middle of the day, but I figured that I was conducting important research in preparation for a nice dinner with a lovely lady, so I decided that it was all good. My super-experienced wine steward (I believe his name was Adam, the Assistant Wine Director) set me up with a flight of three red wines that they call the "Bold and Beautiful". That included tastings of a fantastic Zinfandel blend which he described as a mixture of grapes from older vines -- really a superb and very complex wine! I also had an Argentinian Malbec which is one of my favorite styles of wine -- this was very smooth and easy to sip and enjoy. My final tasting was a big, full-bodied Cabernet from Robert Hall -- this wine was begging to be paired with a nice steak. All three wines were fantastic, and well-worth the cost of the flight ($19). We chatted quite a bit about the various styles of wines, and my self-imposed rut of Merlots, Malbecs, and Cabernets. He gave me some tremendous advice about pairing my wines with the seasons, and recommended two different reds that were a bit lighter for the warmer months. After a small tasting, I decided to purchase a bottle of Montesecondo Rosso from Tuscany which is produced with hand-picked Sangiovese grapes from biodynamically-farmed vineyards, aged for one year, and then bottled unfiltered. The taste was bright, with lots of red fruits and herbs, and the cost was under $20 for the bottle. I'm really anxious to match this with the lasagna and see how they pair. I learned a lot from my conversation with Adam (I hope I got his name right?) and took a quick tour around the store to see the various styles of wine and regions of the world which they have stocked. Lots of different price points to appeal to every budget, and some superbly-qualified people to answer your questions and help you to find a wine that will appeal to you. Cru Cellars is a must visit to enjoy a wine tasting, a nice meal in the evenings, or a stroll around their retail shop. read more

Cru Cellars - Enjoying a flight of three delicious reds - an old-vine Zinfandel blend, an Argentinian Malbec, and a big, bold Cabernet. - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Cru Cellars is a great place to relax and enjoy some wine and cheese. It has been buzzing around town lately and made several wine bar lists for Tampa Bay. The dessert is also phenomenal - I definitely recommend the Creme Brulee - its airy and light and doesn't have an overbearing sugary taste normal recipes of it call for. My favorite wine is their dessert wine: Heinz Eifel Beerenausleseas. The inside of the bar is dimly lit and perfect for an outing with a friend or a date. Sometimes live music is available as well. The owner Jennifer is a certified sommelier and I have heard from friends that you can setup a consultation and have her help you find the perfect wine for you. She is active with engaging local bloggers and her pairings are spot-on in my book. Happy Hour on Tuesdays-Fridays from 4:30-6:30PM with $5 glasses and $5 small plates is certainly tempting to unwind to after a stressful day! There is also a decently sized parking lot in front of the business, which is hard to find in this area of town where parking is scarce with so many local hits nearby. If you love wine, cheese, or dessert then I would recommend Cru Cellars. read more

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Honestly if 3.5 stars was an option, that's what I would probably go with for this place, and I decided to round up. Pros: The Wine Shop; it has a great selection at a variety of prices No Corking fee on Tuesdays for Wine Shop purchases Good food; we liked both the flatbread and the burger Service; our server was both friendly and knowledgable Cons: Wine price; there really are no lower priced options on the restaurant menu and no happy hour. Set Up; it was kind of confusing as a first timer. We weren't sure if we should wait at the counter or just go sit down. We also didn't know about the corking fee option. I think the could use one extra staff member to work as a host. I see occasional deals for this place, like the CL deal right now. I would go back with a discount, but probably not for full price. read more

Cru Cellars - Whitey Tighty Wine Flight - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

What a great place for date night! The dim lighting & settings make this place an ideal spot for a fun time with that special someone. When we were there, we ordered a meat & cheese sampler along with a wine flight which had us feeling a nice buzz after we finished our glasses. We will def be coming back for more date nights in the near future! They also have a nice wine shop in the front of the store with many selections in store to choose from. Makes for another cool part of the store to walk around and hang out in ! Parking can be a little tough as any place in south tampa so just remember to prepare for a parking fiasco during peak hours. i would recommend to go during weekdays just so you dont drive yourself crazy looking for parking. read more

Cru Cellars - Cheese, crackers, prosciutto & wine sampler ... perfect for date night - Wine Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We loved this place. The wine flights are a great way for hubby to sample wines unfamiliar to him and for me to graze through some deliciously made cheeses. The atmosphere is upscale yet cozy and the servers are professional, friendly and on time. read more