CRU Bar & Cellar — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I feel it is important to share a deeply concerning incident which occurred last night. (Friday, 1st of February 2019 approximately 8:30pm) It began when we ordered a mezze platter as part of our meal which was clearly described as containing “ Chargrilled Octopus”. Unfortunately when the dish arrived the featured portion of it clearly contained charred Octopus larvae instead, better known as “Baby Octopuses”. We understand that some people enjoy eating them but unfortunately we both don’t. We proceeded to politely explain this to the waitress and asked if she could arrange to have that portion replaced with something else, well this is where the issue unwillingly escalated. Upon verification that the menu gave no indication that the Chargrilled Octopus was in fact Octopus larvae (Baby Octopuses), we were then confronted by a rather aggressive man that we assume was the manager. This man began by saying that “Octopus is Octopus” and did not believe the “age” of it made any difference. Feeling somewhat intimidated by him and trying to avoid a scene, we told him not to worry about it, unfortunately he went on to demand a reason as to why we didn’t like to eat the Baby Octopuses, insisting that it was not misrepresented on the menu and he was not about to accommodate our request. He then abruptly walked away and let us continue to eat what was left of a dismally looking “Mezze Platter” now consisting of a few slices of salami, some peppers and cheese crumbs as garnishes, accompanied by dried crackers.

Shortly after the manager returned to interrupt us again explaining that as much as he was sorry for losing his temper with us, there was nothing he could do about the food as it had nothing to do with him anyway, he went on to explain that the food was actually controlled by a different company, effectively insinuating that he had no control over what was served whilst trying to convince us to eat it anyway. We accepted his apology and politely asked him to allow us to dine in peace, which he reluctantly did eventually. We continued to dine nervously wondering what spiteful actions our further dishes were subject to upon delivery from the food serving company to our table. We then paid for our bill in full (yes including what we didn’t want) and left the establishment. We both totally understand the restaurant business having some involvement in it personally in a capacity we’d rather not disclose. For this reason I totally understand the pressure a busy night like last night can impose on floor staff, however there were three major indiscretions which are blatantly obvious in this case and paramount to consumer protection in the hospitality industry, A menu should clearly state the product being served, it did not. 2. A customer should not be made to pay for what was not ordered or received and 3. No patron should be made to feel intimidated or harassed for merely expressing their dietary concerns. These indiscretions are not merely bad custom, they actually breach Australian Consumer Law and for this reason I am...

I have been a regular customer at your restaurant and have always enjoyed the atmosphere and food. However, I had a disappointing experience tonight (Saturday, around 11pm) that I feel needs to be addressed.

I came with friends for drinks and paid in cash at the bar. A tall male bartender with blonde curly hair (over 180cm) handled my payment. He neither provided me with a receipt nor returned my change. I waited at the counter for quite a while, but he kept making drinks and doing his own tasks without acknowledging me or saying a word about the change.

While the amount of change was not significant and I am always happy to tip, there is a clear difference between leaving a tip by choice and having someone simply keep the change without asking. This behaviour feels disrespectful and leaves a very bad impression, especially towards a regular customer who spends generously and tips well every visit.

It raises questions: Was this an intentional overcharge? Was the cash taken without providing a receipt to avoid reporting the sale? Or did the staff member intend to pocket the money personally?

Whatever the reason, it is disappointing that for the sake of a small amount of change, your business risks losing a loyal customer’s trust. I hope the management will take this feedback seriously, as staff like this can damage the reputation of an otherwise...

We went to here for dinner last night. My partner’s birthday is coming so, I made a booking at the very last minute 😄 so we’ve a counter table which is just in front of bar.

They have good wine selection. Even you can choose it in the shop. I’ve a one white burgundy for our dinner which was light and easy to drink. Goes well with the seafood base food. Love this.

But before that, staff had problems to find wine. It took quite long time haha. It’s understandable but it would be better than this. Also they don’t fill up wine if you are not ask to. Haha.. it was bit disappointed. Cuz when you order more than hundred dollars wine, you are expecting that they are pouring wine for ya. Also it took too long time to get main after entree. After we finished our entree, they didn’t really clear up. Plate was sitting there for more than 15mins. We even stacked plates for them.

Food was good. Oyster was fresh and big size. Love it! Dumpling sauce goes well with it. Will try it again. Scallop was bit sour with sauce but my partner enjoyed it a lot. Steak was perfect. Onion and sauce was really good. Will grab this another time soon.

Pasta was with crab and red sauce, little spicy but you can handle it! Squid ink pasta goes well with...