Osteria il Cru — Restaurant in Tallinn

I had expected when making our reservation that we were going to have a positive dining experience. The only positive experience we had was making the reservation earlier that day.

From our first interaction, our waiter made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. Although there were casually dressed diners, he seemed put-off that we would keep a jacket with us. He then dropped off the menus without any discussion or recommendations. He did not return for 20 minutes, and then he simply said “are you ready”. In hindsight we should have left at that point. We were left honestly wondering if we had managed to offend him somehow.

We ordered wine, water and fish. It was an awkward conversation asking about red wine recommendations and being told we should order white. We both understand that red wine often overpowers the taste of fish — we simply prefer red anyway.

Another 20 minutes, no water, no wine. And then our entrees arrive. We asked when our wine and water might arrive and made a change to a different drink (thinking this might simplify things), but it seemed to make matters worse. Our waiter comes back a few minutes later with the wine we ordered 25 minutes ago.

The presentation with the fish was excellent, the portion left you hungry and was not inline with a main dish. The taste was average, not bad but not great. I had expected better. At this point ordering anything more was out of the question. Our waiter continued to ignore us and I finally went to the bar to pay and leave.

I give two stars because once I brought this up to the owner he seemed to genuinely care about our negative experience. At the same time, this is a small restaurant and our negative experience should have been noticed by the owner or manager and fixed prior...

I had the pleasure of dining at Cru Michelin restaurant in Tallinn and experiencing their exquisite five-course menu. The journey began with the captivating BEETS TAR-TAR, a delightful blend of flavors from leek aioli, goat cheese snow, panko breadcrumbs, and the rich depth of cured egg yolk.

The PERCH CEVICHE followed suit, a symphony of tastes with guacamole, leek aioli, blood orange, and trout caviar, elegantly accented by marinated pearl onion, crispy bread, and leek oil. The interplay of textures and ingredients was truly a gastronomic marvel.

The third course, the CREAMY PUMPKIN SOUP, was a testament to culinary artistry. The infusion of goat cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds, herbs, and leek oil resulted in a velvety concoction that warmed both the palate and the heart.

For the main course, the choice between BEEF STEAK PICHANIA and ROASTED HALIBUT was a delightful predicament. I opted for the BEEF STEAK PICHANIA, and the juxtaposition of spicy red cabbage cream, celeriac, roasted garlic, tomato confit, and the indulgent wild berry-red wine sauce elevated each bite into an experience of pure pleasure.

The grand finale, the CHOCOLATE MOUSSE, was a masterstroke of sweetness. The interplay of blackcurrant, hazelnut praline, and blackcurrant sorbet, crowned with mint yogurt and fresh currants, left an indelible mark on my taste buds.

Cru Michelin's five-course menu transcends mere dining and becomes an artistic expression of flavors. Each dish was carefully crafted, a testament to the culinary prowess of the chefs. This dining experience was nothing short of remarkable, earning Cru Michelin a well-deserved five...

Ordered the tasting menu, overall a bit disappointed. From no bread whilst waiting (despite having bread plate and butter knife set), to not letting the main ingredients shine, perhaps it would have been more enjoyable if there weren't expectations of a Michelin listing.

Perhaps winter or off-peak meant freshness of ingredients were compensated with heavily spiced or flavoured sauces, creams, and pickles. They could work, but harmony lacking here with store-bought kimchi and green-coloured seaweed.

Main course beef steak didn’t come with options for doneness - came dry. Dessert shouldn’t go wrong - it seems the Buckthorne cream was mislabeled as Chocolate Mousse in the menu.

Didn’t mean to be so harsh - when you have a tasting menu / degustation menu, it is representative of your...