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Cru Restaurant Brings Manhattan Vibe To Westport’s Main Street

WESTPORT, Conn. — Enjoy drinks or dinner in a chic Manhattan lounge environment at Cru, downtown Westport’s newest restaurant.

Cru, a new restaurant that opened in downtown Westport, has the look and feel of a chic Manhattan lounge.

Cru, a new restaurant that opened in downtown Westport, has the look and feel of a chic Manhattan lounge.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Inzitari

Sheer curtains, loveseats, fabric and leather-covered chairs, and dim lighting all give Cru —which opened Tuesday night— a sophisticated lounge vibe. Equally eye catching is the restaurant’s diverse international menu, which is divided into three parts: Americain, Pacifique and Mediterraneen.

“We wanted to give our customers a lot of different options,” said co-owner Steve Prokop. He and business partner Todd Rose also own Cuvée, an upscale, Zagat-rated lounge/restaurant in West Hartford.

Each section of the menu includes salads, small plates and entrees. Some of the American dishes include grilled cheese and tomato soup, southwest flatbread, black and blue crab cakes and Cru’s “darn good” sliders.

On the pacific side of the menu, diners will find a variety of sushi rolls. There’s a paella roll made with chorizo, saffron, scallops and piquillo peppers. There’s also a Saugatuck roll, which includes cucumber, avocado, hamachi and mango caviar.

Other pacific menu options include lobster rangoon, pork belly dumplings and Kobe skirt steak.

Diners craving something Mediterranean can enjoy hummus fries; a "craft" macaroni and cheese dish made with goat cheese, comte, brie and truffled wild mushroom; prosciutto-wrapped chicken; short rib gnocchi or prawn roulade — prawns, greek yogurt and pear rolled in avocado.

“We didn’t want to do what everyone else is doing,” Prokop said of the menu. “We definitely have more options than a mainstream restaurant.”

The menu also includes cheese and charcuterie plates, and dessert, including fried apple pie, dark chocolate mousse and gelato “sliders” — pistachio gelato with waffle cookies and Nutella.

Beyond food, Cru offers an extensive drink menu consisting of wines, martinis, champagne and artisanal cocktails.

The nearly 3,000-square-foot restaurant, located at 125 Main St. below the Gap, seats about 110 inside, Prokop said. In a few weeks, the restaurant will construct a pop-up cafe in Parker Harding Plaza with Saugatuck River views. The cafe, which will take up three parking spaces in front of the restaurant, will have seating for approximately 30 people, Prokop said.

Currently, Cru is open Tuesdays through Saturdays for dinner beginning at 4 p.m. Once the outdoor patio opens, Prokop said the restaurant will begin to serve lunch.

For more information or to make reservations, call the restaurant at 203-222-0924.

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