Cru Wine Bar

Overview

Cru has been a Kew favourite for over 11 years, but they shook up the menu in 2023, slowly morphing away from their brunch roots into a more refined, Euro-style wine bar.

Cru still handles the breakfast rush, of course – and the porridge with Davidson plum jam is always a great way to start the day. But owner Tony Donnini is now shifting the emphasis to lunch and dinner. "It's a work in progress, but we're pretty much there," he says. "While breakfast will still be offered, the long-term focus is to make Cru the stand-alone wine bar and bistro we have always intended it to be."

Cru's new-look menu is heavily influenced by Corsican cuisine, with a sprinkling of mainland French, Italian and Mediterranean flavours. Think fall-off-the-bone veal shank pie with tomato relish or leek and gorgonzola croquettes with truffle oil and dill. There's even a porchetta in the cooler months, with a braised lentils and roast chestnut.

Thirsty? There are over 300 wines in the cellar, and Cru also runs BYO nights on Wednesdays. Nice touch, that one. Corkage is $20 a bottle.

There will always be a place in Melbourne for cafes-slash-wine bars. It's a natural evolution and a great way for venues to hedge their bets. Cru is one of the betters ones. You don't often hear about it outside Kew, but that's because the locals know they're onto a good thing.

Image: Eleonora Gavazzoli.