Grand Cru Wine Bar and Bistro

I wish I was more wow'd with this place, but nothing particularly stood out to me. We grabbed dinner here on NYE before heading off to the races. The lighting is VERY dim, which could be nice for a date night, but there was virtually no one else dining at the time so it felt a little misplaced. Plus, about 3/4 of the way through our meal, a party was sat next to us and they turned a light on above their table that really threw off the lighting even more. The service could have been more attentive. The drink list seemed ~creative~ (in a way that made most cocktails sound like they'd be weird), so I settled on the spicy paloma and it tasted very watered down and unimpressive. The beef wellington tarts name is completely misleading, as the meat is not prepared remotely similar to a beef wellington. The seafood ragu was good, and the scallops were good but again neither were seasoned enough to stand out. The butternut squash risotto was delicious and cooked well. Dish presentations were also thoughtful and elegant. I'd maybe try it again on a different night but probably not soon.

Came to Grand Crug right before New Year's Eve and had a great time. The restaurant was warm and welcoming and the service was excellent. The scallops were fantastic and I would highly recommend.

Went for a bourbon tasting and dinner. First off, this place seems casual and homey. The staff is super friendly and warm and made me feel so welcome.The space for the tasting was a decent size though there are lots of tables which are close - not to the point where it's uncomfortable to get in and out of.The dinner was good. Did it wow? No, but it was really about the tasting. The bourbon is where the event shined. I loved the welcome cocktail, the explanations of bourbon in general, and explanations of the specific ones. We also got a glass of red wine because, why not? The other attendees were friendly and it was just an all around fun event. I'd definitely come back for another event or just to try more things.

Nice spot in Ballston. I strongly recommend for a nice day because the patio area is really peaceful and lovely, tucked away in a courtyard with a fountain. Happy hour is at the bar or on the patio until 6:30pm. There's a few discounted food items, and $7.50 glasses of wine and $12 classic cocktails like old fashioned. The bottle of wine of the day is the best deal at $23. Beef bourginon and mushroom orzo were big hits. My friend said Escargot is better at some other spots. Service was a little slow but not awful. Overall a nice experience, and I would return.

Let's focus on the positives first. I love the wine market concept. There is small wine list but you can browse and select a bottle from the shelves. Excellent selection! Fast and very friendly wait staff - GREAT with kids. Extremely clean bathroom. I was disappointed with the food. Escargot tasted bland and needed more salt. Similarly, the Bouillabaisse didn't deliver while the shrimp and scallops tasted rubbery. Steak in the steak frites wasn't the best cut. I so wanted to love it here but perhaps another time.

With a dinning establishment with a name like Grand Cru you have established yourself as a high bar as Grand Cru wines are the pinnacle of quality and prestige within the wine world. Grand Cru in Arlington clearly makes the effort to be at the pinnacle of quality. When eating French I am always looking for fish on the menu as French know fish. I ordered the oven roasted honey balsamic steelhead trout with garlic roasted vegetables medley. It was perfectly prepared as I expected. The vegetables were equally prepared. With my meal I chose my wine from the by the glass menu which had numerous selections. I chose a classic Côtes du Rhône from the Domaine A. Berthet Rayne. For desert I had an encore glass. All in all Grand Cru is worth the visit if you crave classic French. My server was Erick and he was excellent. Attentive and knowledgeable. I enjoyed my evening at the Grand Cru.

Stumbled across Grand Cru Wine Bar as I was actually looking for my friend that was waiting for me at a nearby restaurant. Just know we ended up enjoying our time here instead of the other place. Grand Cru offers a great happy hour menu which includes $5 glasses of wine of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Rose, Pinot Nior, Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet. I mean come on they have something for all wine drinkers. As for food, they have a variety of reasonably priced apps to choose from. We opted for the truffled deviled eggs and mussels. I wasn't really a fan of the truffle deviled eggs, just a little too much truffle that over powered the taste of everything else. As for the mussels they were delicious. Those who eat mussels know it's really all about the sauce that they are in. And this garlic, thyme white wine butter sauce was top tier. Now that I know . where this hidden gem is located, I will definitely be back soon.

Went to grand cru on a nice day and was able to sit outside and enjoy a bunch of small appetizers! I would go back for the crab dip and beef carpaccio alone!!! Amazing dishes! I also really enjoyed the beef Wellingtons and our salad! My wine was great! I am excited to go back again! And possibly try one of the entrees. Great outdoor eating area!!

Was here last night and snagged an outdoor table on their quaint and inviting patio (it's first come, first serve even with reservation, get here early when the weather is good!). All the white wines were excellent but the escargot which is usually always great, was in need of salt.After an hour of more wine and chatting (long after the escargot was gone) we were like where's our food? We asked another server (the one with the megawatt smile :)...that's when our 'real' server came back and apologized and said our meal would be out shortly- the order apparently hadn't made it to the kitchen. Also they comped our dinner (scallops and pasta dishes - both very good) which was totally unexpected.I'm already a regular here so I will definitely be back. This was an unusual wrinkle, not normal. But how they corrected it was appreciated, a sign of their customer service so thanks GC!Note to management- your menus are getting tired and showing their age. You've been using the same ones since I've been coming here (a loooong time) and they are definitely in need of replacement!

Delicious food and great ambience! Service was excellent. I will definitely go back when in Arlington.