The Crane — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

We were greeted very pleasantly and seat upon arrival for our 6:30 P.M. reservation.

Our server was Natallya (sp) who was very cordial. She was extremely attentive to us and did not rush us with the order. She was prompt with bringing water and offering to take our drink order. Throughout the meal her timing was perfect from drinks, appetizers and main course to the check.

Drinks: Ordered a Vodka Martini dry and The Crane Manhattan Barrel Aged Woodford Reserve, Averna, House Bitters. Both drinks were spot on. The Crane Manhattan was excellent and held the "smoke" taste throughout the drink

Appetizers Ordered the Waygu Dumplings and Crispy Lobster Shrimp Spring Roll Appetizers to start. Waygu Dumplings were very good $16.00. Crispy Lobster Shrimp Spring Roll was average at best and overpriced at $19.00.

Salad: Caesar Salad was plentiful but the house made Caesar dressing was left much to be desired, no anchovies were offered with the salad. $13.00

Main Entrees: Filet Mignon at $49.00 about 8 to 10 ounces ordered medium rare to medium range was a bit dry and lacked tenderness usually associated with this cut. They had no creamy horseradish instead had a wine reduction with mushrooms that did not add anything to the Filet Mignon.

Peppercorn Tuna at $35.00 Seared and served over a bed of spinach with lemon basil sauce. This was ordered rare and was properly served. The tuna was very good and a large portion, but could have used a bit more lemon basil sauce. Surprised there was no wasabi offer with the dish.

Side Dishes: Steamed Rice $6.00 was well what can you say steamed rice. Risotto $10.00 was creamy and tasty. It has peas and tomatoes mixed in the risotto.

Total for drinks and dinner $209 before tip.

We did not have any dessert as we had planned that for another locale in St Pete.

Would we return for dinner, probably not unless friends really wanted to try the restaurant. Would we go back for drinks, definitely.

One issue may be the noise level as when we arrived at 6:30 P.M. the restaurant was basically empty except for a a couple tables and nice crowd at the bar. As time progressed the restaurant filled to capacity and noise level rose significantly.

As I believe everyone's opinion is based on tastes and prior experiences at other venues. There are many excellent reviews of the The Crane posted. Do not let one or two reviews influence your decision try it and see for yourself how it fits...

Abysmal service. Mediocre food Sat at the bar with my partner Took about 10 minutes before anyone even looked in our direction. Had to ask to see a menu.

The bartender looked absolutely lost and when i asked what her well tequila was she did not know. Took another 13 minutes for 2 shots of chilled tequila. She never checked on us again nor did anyone else. She also kept sniffing the jigger various she was using to make drinks. Seriously concerning and honesty gross to see a bartender do this… you should know your equipment is clean.

Had to beg for someones attention to order food When we asked how the Brussels sprouts were made nobody knew and they had to go ask the kitchen. When we asked about a side of french frys we were told 5-10 minutes. French frys and Brussels sprouts took about 20 -25 minutes. Food was not great but not bad. No one checked on us still

Afterward we tried getting a bartenders attention for about 10 minutes for the check. At this point we just felt like we were being ignored. Finally got the check from the woman whos bar section wed been sat in and not a single thank you thanks for coming, etc.. dropped the check off without a word and walked away.

Ambiance is underwhelming. Seems like they dont know if they are fine dining, modern or -asian. Felt almost like a club

~$50 for this experience left a bad taste in our mouths. No manager ever touched our table or “bar table” no one checked in or even attempted to be hospitable. If you are looking for true hospitality, great food, an experience and not just to get “kind of ” fed. Steer clear...

For those who like to ball on a budget every now and then)

We stopped in for a test run before our 12-year dating / 10-year wedding anniversaries.

Full transparency: this place is well outside our tax bracket, so we wanted to be sure that if we spent that kind of money, it wouldn’t end with disappointment.

When we arrived, we were seated immediately and started with $6 High Noons and a bottle of fancy sparkling water ($12). • Stuffed Chicken Wing ($19): At first I was a little taken aback—one wing for that price?! But it’s stuffed with 3–4 ounces of crab meat (the bone is removed). It turned out to be the most perfectly crisp, flavorful chicken wing I’ve ever had. Absolutely worth it. • Seafood Dumplings ($15–16): Perfectly cooked, with a delicious sauce. On their own, they could’ve used a touch more seasoning for that flavor punch. • Wagyu Flight ($99): No regrets here—just perfection. Pro tip: if you’re struggling with the coarse salt shaker, pop out the rubber gasket and salt bae yourself a pile. • Bread Side ($8): Served with an insanely good pesto. Crisp but not cracker-like, it really balanced the meal. • Truffle Fries ($8): Perfectly crispy, every single one. Only complaint—needed more salt.

The food came out quickly, and as much as we loved the dishes, the service tied for star of the show. Our server, Lisa, was fantastic—down to earth, genuinely enthusiastic, and clearly recommending things she loved, not just upselling. Top-tier service.

Bonus: I got to thank the chef indirectly through the see-through kitchen window and got a big smile back. Such...