Cru Wine & French Food

I often eat solo when I travel. Many restaurants can make you feel uncomfortable. Quite the opposite at Cru. Everyone from front of house to wait people to the chefs were warm and welcoming. I was assigned a table but opted instead to sit at the bar where I could watch the chefs in the open kitchen. It was a fun show! The chefs are very professional and produced amazing looking food. I had the French toast, pigeon, a green salad and the apple desert. Everything was magnificent. The French toast starter was a delightful combination of toast, black garlic, cream cheese, ham and a topping of grated cheese. The pigeon was cooked to perfection and the confit legs were offered in a separate plate . Fall off the bone excellence. The rioja paired beautifully with the pigeon. The salad was a great accompaniment. I don’t often eat desert but this was worth breaking tradition. Not an inexpensive meal but a memorable one.

We had dinner at Cru recently, and while the food was generally okay, the overall experience left much to be desired. The open kitchen setup became a real drawback, as the chefs were extremely loud—chatting about private topics and using frequent profanity. This made it hard to enjoy what was supposed to be a relaxing evening with my wife. The chef on the pass (likely the sous chef) was particularly disruptive and seemed unaware—or unconcerned—that guests could hear everything. On top of that, the mashed potatoes with the main course were served cold. We don’t expect silence or robotic service, but a bit more professionalism would have gone a long way. It became so distracting that we skipped dessert altogether. On a positive note, the front-of-house staff were kind and professional. Unfortunately, we won’t be coming back.

On our first visit to Oslo, we stumbled upon CRU in the Barcode section of the Bjørvika neighborhood. Without a reservation, we were seated after a short wait in the dining room with high ceilings, soft green and grey tones, and a view to let us peek into the open kitchen. The CRU menu puts a tasty spin on French classics, using local Norwegian ingredients to create memorable dishes. We started with French Toast - Pata Negra (Ibérico ham), cheese cream, black garlic and balsamic. Our main entrees were Atlantic salmon from Namsen - Broccolini, spring onion and mole blanco, and Wild Turbot - Chanterelles, spinach, sherry vinegar and wild garlic butter sauce. For dessert we chose the Strawberries - Pandanus cream, Tasmanian mountain pepper meringue and strawberry sorbet, and the Chocolate Mousse - Hazelnut, whiskey caramel and hazelnut ice cream. The food and wine at CRU are the real gems of this restaurant. While proper, the service was a bit slower and less friendly than we expected. However, we would certainly come back for another taste.

Been to Cru a lot of times when they used to be up in Majorstuen, and always loved it. But this time around, they’ve really upped their game after moving down to Bjørvika. The place looks fantastic – stylish and modern interior with a warm, welcoming vibe. Went here for a nice lunch, and everything was honestly 10 out of 10. The smørbrød was to die for – fresh ingredients, perfect balance of flavors, and beautifully presented. Service was friendly and attentive without being over the top. If you’re looking for a spot in Bjørvika to treat yourself, I can’t recommend it enough. Cru has definitely cemented their place as one of my go-to favorites in Oslo.

Very good french cuisine! Even if you compare to good restaurants in France. The duck and the foie gras were very good

We had planned this special dinner for our last night on our trip encompassing the British Isles and Scandinavia. We felt this restaurant's menu and it's chef's background, melded these two areas together perfectly. We were right! This dinner began with our server paying attention to every detail, explaining the timeline of the evening, and even finding us fun beverages to try knowing we don't drink. We decided on the eight course menu, which was absolutely amazing. The food was delicious, accessible, sophisticated yet not pretentious; it was exactly what we were looking for. We spent about 4 hours there and enjoyed every minute. The portions were a great size, I was pretty stuffed by course six, but our server just delayed the next two courses so we could breathe a little. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone traveling to or living in Norway, if you like what's mentioned above. I will include photos of some of our dishes. Thank you Cru and staff! What a pleasure, I can't wait to bring our family back when we come to Norway again.

Had a beautifully plated lunch at Cru’s new location. Pâté en croûte: Outstanding. Rich and well-balanced, with a great contrast from the crisp pastry and tangy accompaniments. Shrimp sandwich: Easily the best I’ve ever had. Perfect hand-peeled shrimps, a crisp toast, and a bold hit of caviar with the poached and fried egg made it unforgettable. Rhubarb dessert: Visually striking but underwhelming. Texture felt a bit disconnected and the flavors didn’t quite land. “OK minus” – not at the same level as the savory courses. Service was professional, and the setting is clean and elegant with a balance between bistro and luxury. Worth a visit for the shrimp sandwich alone. Will return for dinner service.

Amazing culinary experience, great sea food combination of ingredients a pleasant exquisite pleasure we unconditionally recommend

I absolutely adored my evening at Cru. I will run, not walk, back here the next time in Oslo. It was a quiet and intimate dining room (I ate downstairs), and I was well-attended-to all evening, especially by a nice Scottish waiter who saw I was a wine lover and was chatty and helpful. I had a ravishingly good glass of Sekt (sparkling riesling) by von Buhl, which was crisp and acidic and a bit biscuity, though not as much as the blanc de blanc champagnes I love. The bread and butter on the table was the most delicious dark caraway bread I've ever had in my life, hands down. I had a slow-cooked lamb stew that was small but thrillingly good. There was watercress and bacon along with it, over a pea purée and with some fresher peas. Absolutely delicious, the meat was extremely tender and tasty. I would have wished for twice as much. My waiter/sommelier steered me away from a 1999 Château Lanessan (which he let me try anyway) because it was kind of faded and instead towards a 2015 Barda Pinot Noir from Argentina, which was in a much better window and ended up matching better. (Though in the end, although it is tastefully made, there was too much new oak and sweetness in it for my taste.) I had a crème catalane at the end which was very nice and palate-cleansing. The main portion was small, but the food was incredibly good. Maybe have a little apéro snack before you head to Cru. And yes, the bill adds up quickly, but this is Oslo. This was quality.

This was my first visit to CRU, my expectations where not that high because I had heard both good and bad reviews of the place, but anyway here we were. Nice location quiet and secluded at Majorstuen (Oslo West) The Restaurant was warm and nicely decorated. The waiter seated us and started telling us about the menu (We went for the 7-course menu) the staff was professional and friendly, the sommelier was very knowledgeable and he recommended some great wine throughout the entire meal. This is one of Oslo's best restaurants right now, the food and the wine was perfect inn every way, as was the staff @ CRU. Highly recommended.

Had a wonderful evening at Cru catching up with a girlfriend. We didn't have a full meal but snacked on their blini's (Løyrom, blini, røkt rømme & rødløk) and later marinated olives and salted almonds. We sat downstairs in the winebar which was very cozy with lit candles and a fireplace. The service was great, the girls working there were sweet and attentive. It was so "koselig" in fact, that we closed out the place! I will definitely be back next time I'm in Oslo for a romantic evening with my husband.

Cru is one of my favourite restaurants in oslo and its a place I always recommend. Great food and atmosphere, creative kitchen and skilled waiters. its off the beaten track and feels local and intimate.