Cru Wine Bar and Cellar

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
James Street in Fortitude Valley is a kicking precinct playing host to the more upmarket venues of the area – and Cru Bar and Cellar is a testament to this. With a modern, stylish interior and plenty of choice at the bar, it is no wonder that Saturday nights here are so popular. Cru offers an extensive cocktail list for those feeling a little parched, including some carefully selected and well-represented wines; however, those after something with a little more bite should try a Cru Bar original such as the lychee lush which combines Paraiso Lychee Liqueur with sparkling white wine and garnished with a fresh lychee. But brilliant concoctions like this aren’t the only thing on the menu – Cru also offers a great selection of meals, share plates and cheese platters to accompany your tipple.

Share a plate of vegetable pakoras with pickled herbs and watercress salad served with yoghurt and mango chutney, or order the Peking duck broth with rice noodles, sprouts, pickled coriander and corn dumplings all for yourself. For meals with a bit more size and substance, try the char-grilled Tasmanian salmon on roasted kipfler potatoes, red radish and artichokes with Dijon mustard and caper berries, or the spaghetti marinara with Queensland scallops, salmon, prawns and black mussels in chilli cherry tomato sauce. Ask one of the staff to help pair your meal with the perfect wine – the team at Cru pride themselves on this area of expertise. James Street has a number of restaurants and bars, and Cru Bar is definitely one of them.

Ben Upton