Cru Fish Bar — Restaurant in Polignano a Mare

Very impressive. I only have praise for this restaurant. The service we received from Viitoria and Massimo was beyond exceptional. We arrived with no reservation and we were welcomed inside, although the restaurantwas full, we were given a table for two. Friendly and professional service from the word go. We were made to feel like we belonged in the restaurant and not made to feel like outsiders, which happens a lot in Italy. The menu is small, which is always a very positive sign. The restaurant is fine dining, for sure. The portions are small but the quality of the food is exceptional. Hands down the best food eaten thus far in the 7 days spent in Italy and we have eaten out twice a day. The oysters, fresh as can be, my wife loves oysters and she is adamant that these were the freshest oysters she has ever had. The dish was called 'Ostrica Gillardeau'. I had the 'Ricciola Gazapchio'. Lightly spice Amberfish. Beautiful, the Mango gazapachio was intensely flavoured, the fish firm and full of flavour, 10 out of 10. Main cause was the 'Ombrina' crispy Croaker fish, this is easily the best fish dish I have ever had, fish cooked to perfection, so delicate that it almost fell apart, flavours intense and preparation excellent. I forced myself to eat the dish slowly and savour the flavours and quality of the dish. Exceptional. My wife had the 'Scampi Flambati'. Again, prepared to perfection, prawns cooked to perfection, flavours incredible. I had the 'Tarte Limone e Yuzu'. Lemon flavour so intense it gave me goosebumps. A wonderful dish. All in this, restaurant was a lucky find but by far my best food experiencein Italy. Food was exceptional. The best seafood we have had and being from South Africa, that says a lot. We have wonderfulf seafood but this was truly on another level. Well done Viitoria and Massimo. You have a wonderful restaurant, your food is incredible, your service makes the entire experience something that must be experienced. Thank...

An amaaazing seafood supper at Cru Fish Bar this evening. Super memorable…despite feeling underdressed 😳 We were comfortably seated outside (90% of the seating is outside by the piazza). We were offered an amuse bouche of roasted local cherry tomato on a delicate & light crustini. Scrumptious. We started our order with a selection of their oysters imported from France (Gillardeau, Utah Beach, special de Claire ranging from 3-6€ each). Each one was large & plump and the Gillardeau really stood out as it was creamy with a hint of brininess. Delicious with the house made signature red onion jam! We followed that with an order of Asetra caviar (matured 16 years) with house made blini that featured crispy exteriors & soft centers with demi-sel butter from Normandy. Four stellar bites for us to share. Jude had the 48 hour marinated salmon cubes on coconut gazpacho and toasted sesame. I enjoyed the most tender diver scallops on smoked pepper coulis and lime burrata cream topped with toasted seaweed strands. Truly outstanding! I followed that amazing dish with the handmade gnocchetti with saffron mussels & lemon sauce. The gnocchetti was SO light complimented perfectly by the creamy saffron lemon sauce. Judy went with the pacchero with butter Cantabrian anchovy powder & crispy toasted pecorino crumbles. Really decadent & a great bite. Judy then ordered the Scamponi which were whole grilled prawns split down the middle & served with butter & thyme roasted new potatoes. Beautiful to look at but even better to devour! Cooked in the shell & so full of the roasted shrimp flavor while retaining the soft juiciness of the critters. Truly excellent work….i thought we’d both had enough…until Jude had to order the lemon tarte with uzu cream and raspberry drizzle! Another series of delicious bites but I’d had enough. I sipped my limoncello to help digest all the wonderfully prepared dishes. Such an...

Both my wife and I grew up on the west coast of Canada and have been eating fresh seafood all our lives, so our standards are quite high when it comes to fish.

We were amazed by the quality, presentation, and hospitality of Cru.

We didn't have reservations, so we had to wait shortly for a table, but the hosts sat us down close by while we waited and updated us to ensure we knew we weren't forgotten about and we only had to wait 5 minutes or so.

They gave us information on the local wines which were amazing (I even took a photo of the bottle so I could purchase some later)

The dishes were all exquisite. Each one had attention to presentation, and were sized appropriately for a proper multicourse meal so we didn't feel like we were burdened to eat more than our fill.

The atmosphere and care we received was exceptional and the service seemed personal and genuine.

The food itself was the best we've had our entire trip in Italy, and the seared tuna was one of the best I've ever had in my life with a perfect outer sear and a rare pink interior.

We hadn't looked at reviews before choosing to dine here but it's clear why they have received so much praise. They simply deserve it.

It an industry flooded with imposters and hype, this establishment is the real deal.

Treat yourself and make a point of...