CRU - Bar à Huîtres in Saint-Lambert, offers a most creative menu. A wide range of seafood and fish and a selection of tartare and meats aged on site. A dedicated chef will offer you about fifteen oyster varieties every night. The incredible staff will suggest the perfect wine pairing for your dish. With its affordable prices, this restaurant is accessible to everyone. A beautiful discovery, well located, beautiful decor and a relaxing ambiance. You'll love your meal!
CRU offers a refined dining experience with consistently excellent seafood, where the oysters are a standout and the tartare and yellowfin tuna sashimi frequently earn high praise. Dishes are described as beautifully plated and flavorful, from the octopus and sea bass to other fresh seafood options, with generous portions that often leave little room for dessert. Service is generally attentive and welcoming, with a thoughtfully curated wine program that complements the menu. The atmosphere can range from warm and intimate to lively and bustling, and some guests note that the terrace seating can be a bit wobbly while others enjoy the ambiance for a special night. A few visits highlight occasional inconsistencies in timing or execution and occasional lapses such as oysters not being perfectly fresh or gaps in service, yet these are typically outweighed by the quality and presentation of the dishes. Overall CRU is widely regarded as a top choice for a memorable seafood-focused dinner, offering flavorful plates, strong wine pairings, and an experience that many reviewers say they would return for.
Oh, it's absolutely tragic what's happening in St. Lambert. I went into CRU - Bar à Huîtres expecting a delightful disaster-because really, who trusts a seafood bar in a quiet suburban town?-& they had the audacity to be actually competent.
Here is a review for those who enjoy being'suffocated' by quality.
A Suburban Tragedy: My Evening at CRU
If you're looking for a place where the staff ignores you & the food tastes like a lukewarm freezer bag, stay far away from CRU. I was fully prepared to hate-watch an oyster bar in St. Lambert, but the staff ruined my cynical mood by being-wait for it-friendly & efficient. The absolute nerve of this place:
The Cutlery Crisis: They actually changed our utensils after every single course. Apparently, using the same fork for your appetizer & your dessert is'too much to ask' for these people.
The Staff Overload: There were basically two people per table. I felt so judged by their constant attention & seamless service. It's a small, elegant space, so you can't even hide from the professionalism.
The'Inedible' Highlights
We started with a seafood platter that was a total eyesore. Gravlax, shrimp, salmon tartare, oysters, & caviar? It was a colorful nightmare of'freshness.' Then came the Caesar salad. I hope you like the taste of'perfectly balanced lemon' &'homemade dressing,' because that's the torture I had to endure.
The Main Courses were even worse:
The Crab Sabotage: One friend ordered the oyster pasta, & because they knew it was her birthday, they buried it under a mountain of extra crab meat. How am I supposed to see my pasta under all that free, high-quality seafood?
The Tortellini Trauma: The veal tortellini came in a creamy, spicy sauce, & the portions were'huge.' It's like they want you to be full & satisfied. The tortellini à la vodka with burrata was equally offensive in its deliciousness.
The Final Blow: Heart Attack City
By the time dessert arrived, I was ready to call my lawyer.
The Crème Brûlée: Served in a bowl the size of a small swimming pool.
The Apple Cinnamon Doughnut Thing: They take French doughnut dough, stuff it with apples, drench it in caramel & heavy cream, & then expect you to just go home? I couldn't even sleep that night because I was busy hallucinating about cinnamon.
The Verdict: $349 for three people, including drinks, tax, & tip. For that price, you get an incredible meal, top-tier service, & a complete lack of things to complain about.
I'll be going back, obviously, but only so I can continue to suffer through their excellence. Highly NOT recommended if you enjoy mediocre experiences.
J'ai découvert ce resto cet automne & je le recommande chaudement. Les huîtres sont délicieuses, extrêmement bien apprêtées & le tartare est délicieux. On nous recommande aussi toujours d'excellent vin pour accompagner notre repas.
Pour une belle soirée en couple ou entre amis, vous ne vous trompez pas en choisissant le restaurant Cru.
Dec 21, 2025
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Had lunch with wife & her colleagues. Ordered from the table d'hôte where a three course meal is proposed. Soup & salad were delicious. I also loved my bavette (beef), but my wife did not find the salmon tartare that good (she's had better). Dessert (pain doré) was exquisite. Great service, too. Would recommend.
First off, we ordered so much food. Like so much. We just wanted to try everything as we really love their sister restaurant Primi Piatti, & let me tell you, we were not disappointed & we WILL be back soon.
We tried Rockefeller oysters for the first time & HOLY COW!!!! I am not an oyster person but these were unbelievable. A must order. The yellowfin tuna sashimi, absolutely unreal. Bone marrow with added beef tartare on top? Honestly blew me away. The octopus, some of the best I've ever had. The mashed potato, delicious. Caesar brussel sprouts? Also delicious. It was consistently amazing bites, probably anything on the menu will be just as good as anything I ordered, but you really need to try either the lamb chops, or the Chilean Sea bass. Just trust me!!!
We went on a Sunday & it was their first Sunday open so it was understandably slower than usual in there. Not the service, just the restaurant wasn't packed, which I personally love. Service was great & fast by Justin & Enrique, nothing short of amazing. Drinks were flowing & delicious. Prices were high, but the quality of food & service made it completely worth the price to us. I can't wait for my next visit to Cru. Thank you guys for your service & incredible recommendations.
Hier soir, le 5 août 2025, j'ai été souper au Cru pour la première fois. Or assurément, ça ne sera pas la dernière! J'ai tout adoré: L'ambiance, la terrasse & chaque plat incluant les huîtres & le dessert & surtout le tartare de thon servi sur une galette de riz frit. Aussi, notre serveur, Benjamin, un jeune homme hyper sympathique, aura été un maillon crucial à cette belle soirée réussi!
Je ne donne pas souvent 5 étoiles & je ne pensais pas en donner à ce restaurant, mais je m'avoue vaincu, tout était super! La carte des vins est impeccable, les plats sont soignés & diversifiés, le service est personnalisé. Nous étions un petit groupe de 6 & tout a été super. Seul hic, j'ai aimé l'entrée de tartare façon "sushi pizza", mais j'aurais pris un peu moins de friture. Mention spéciale aux desserts qui étaient sublimes.
Nous avons passé une soirée parfaite dans ce restaurant. Le sommelier a vraiment surpassé nos attentes en nous aidant à trouver le vin parfait pour notre repas. Les pétoncles étaient cuits à la perfection & la burrata délicieuse. Les plats, notamment le tartare de saumon & le flétan, étaient également excellents. Un grand merci à Diana pour son service impeccable, discret & attentionné. Une expérience à recommander !
Sep 21, 2024
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Service lent, ambiance bruyante. Tartare sans intérêt, la soupe de petits pois très bonne, & les huîtres excellentes. Mais bien trop cher pour la qualité du service & pour une nourriture que l'ont retrouve dans un restaurant classique.
We had reserved a private room for a birthday dinner. The staff was excellent, attentive quick & kind. The food was outstanding. Had oysters, tartare, burrata & dessert one of those restaurants that always hits the spot.
Plateau de fruits de mer excellent. Très bonne carte de vin. Plats principaux laissaient à désirer. À part les huîtres & le tartare qui est offert en entrée seulement, le concept du cru s'arrête là. Aucun tartare de boeuf, cerf, etc. seulement saumon ou thon.
Ne vaut pas le prix. Terrasse extérieure sans aucune ambiance avec table style plastique (la nôtre avait un coin cassé). Service était génial jusqu'au moment où le serveur a quitté, nous laissant avec un autre qui n'est jamais venu nous voir alors que nous aurions pris un digestif.
Nous avons adoré notre expérience. C'était délicieux & le service était parfait. Je vous conseille les huîtres, avec le tartare de thon rouge, comme garniture. Merci ! :)
Nov 7, 2022
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Nous avons passé une excellente soirée. Nous avions envie de manger de huîtres crues, nous avons été bien servis. Une belle variété, excellentes au goût, d'une grande fraîcheur. Tellement qu'on en a redemandé! Comme je sortais mon père, j'avais demandé une table tranquille, ils ont très bien répondu à ma demande & ce fut grandement apprécié.
Le tartare de boeuf en entrée, pour celles qui ne mangeaient pas d'huîtres, était excellent. Nous avions 2 plats de pâtes, 2 plats d'Omble de Chevalier (poisson). Tout le monde a apprécié. En ajoutant le vin, au verre, les cafés, les desserts, c'est là qu'on doit apportez un portefeuille bien garni.
Mais comprenez-moi bien, tout était excellent & le service, très aimable. Le prix, je savais que ça serait plus haut que la normale mais comme les dépenses personnelles de la colonne Restaurant dans les derniers 18 mois ont été à peu près nulles, il était temps qu'on se paie du bonheur!
