Cafe Rustica
| Address: | 414 E Main St, Richmond, VA 23219, USA |
| Phone: | +1 804-225-8811 |
| Site: | caferusticarva.com |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Working: | 11AM–3PM 11AM–3:30PM 11AM–3:30PM 11AM–3:30PM 11AM–3:30PM 5–10PM 11AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
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A Private User
Ordered pot roast for lunch. Unlike any pot roast Ive ever seen. Texture of shoe leather. Pot roast? Inedible. Brought to the attention of the wait staff. No reaction. She returned plate the the kitchen, and returned same plate with same pot roast in a styrofoam take away container. Im not making this up. Presumably she thought I might change my mind once I got home. Ordered two desserts, one for me and one for companion. Im still hungry at this point. Same waiter returns with one desert and two spoons assuming I guess that we didnt really need two desserts. Brought this to her attention. Disappeared for fifteen minutes. Returned with second dessert. Companion already finished of course. She put second dessert in a styrofoam take away container, presumably as companion to inedible pot roast in the other styrofoam container. Im not making this up either. May have been a bad day in both the kitchen and the front, a culinary perfect storm. Certainly a bad day for the customer.
CA
Carrie Ham
DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY!! This place has fallen way below adequate standards. I ordered the grilled salmon (that I can cook at home with ease), and it was presented so opaque and dry that it was just NOT worth eating. I sent it back, and the owner (Sam George, who was cooking as confirmed by our server), made a repeat ½ sized portion salmon and had the audacity to put the SAME side dishes that I had on the original plate. This was such an affront that I couldn’t believe it. What kind of a chef sends recycled food after screwing up a dish? I have to say that I am disappointed and sad at the clear death of a restaurant that started with a chance to have integrity. This place is nothing but a sad joke- unfortunately, at $76 for 1 app, 2 entrees, and 2 glasses of the cheapest wine they had, the customer turns out to be that joke.
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A Private User
Found Cafe Rustica online while looking for a place to have dinner before a concert at the Richmond Coliseum. The food was excellent and service was very nice. Three of us had the Spanish Braised Pork with the Roasted Beet appetizer and 1 had Salmon with Cucumber tomato salsa and the Caprese Salad. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Such fresh and vibrant flavors and everything presented in gourmet style. Nice atmosphere but if I had to give 1 criticism it would be the booths. The table was not as long as the benches though we had adequate eating space and the bench seats were not very deep.. Other than that we enjoyed it immensely and plan to return and try some more of the menu selections. Oh, the beer bread was out of this world.
ER
Erik Karlsson
Excellent food, great date-night location. It is small and cozy and quiet so you can really hear each other talk without having to raise your voice. Food style is an interesting mix...I would say it is strongly European with a couple strong nods to Germany (schnitzels and sauerbraten), and Italy/Mediterranean (you get bread, but no butter - you use olive oil). Ive read in other reviews that service is slow - but thats just an American problem where folks are used-to chain-restaurant "kick em out the door as fast as possible to get more butts in seats" dining...go here to enjoy the company of your dining companions, drink some wine, nibble some bread, and have a slow, delicious dining experience in a decidedly boho environment.
MA
Madeleine Parish
Probably one of the best dinners I have ever had in my life. EVER. Appetizer: Great plate of bread, hummus, vegetables, prosciutto. Simple, fresh ingredients that went together perfectly. Dinner: Although I wanted to try everything on the menu, I settled on the Schweineschnitzel with spaetzle. I have never had schnitzel, but it tasted great, and the spaeztle was homemade and some of the best I have ever tasted (and I have lived in Switzerland where the spaetzle there is really good.) Dessert: I got a chocolate fudge-like dessert. Like anything that it chocolate, it was awesome. This place is not cheap, but it is not pricey. Whatever the price is to you, it is DEFINITELY WORTH THE MONEY!!!
KA
Kathy Phelps
A co-worker/friend invited me to lunch and suggested this place. She said that it was a great place to go and she was right. When we got there the atmosphere inside was just right. There was music playing softly in the background (needs to be jazz or classical, soft). We sat at a table by the window and enjoyed the view. The waitress was prompt and pleasant. The menu was awesome and not muddled by page after page. The French Dip I had was very good and a good deal as well. We shared a awesome chocolate desert that was like a soft fudge with a walnut crust. It was so out of this world. I would go here again and bring friends and tell everyone about this place.
CH
Charles Johnson
Very nice quaint restaurant. Ive always wanted to go but the 30% off from spotluck brought me in today. Very dark inside with an oldworld European charm. Just one other patron in there. The bartender/waiter was nice and attentive. I got the Mediterranean short stack, 2 shrimp, crab, and scallop cakes over greens and tomatoes with a lemony sauce and grilled bread. Everything tasted great and plenty of food for $10 (especially my discounted $7). The cakes were very bready but tasted delicious and for the price its almost impossible to beat. Great for lunch with lower prices than what you will pay for a burger or pizza.
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A Private User
Went to Cafe Rustica alone while in town on business after seeing a good review. Drove by and it had a decent crowd, so I went in. Sat at the bar and ordered the Mediterranean appetizer (olives, feta cheese, hearts of palm, salami, hummus and bread). It was very good. Kept found myself wanting the Portugese Fish Stew so I ordered it. Had some guests come in who kept me company (thanks Richard and Maggie). The fish stew was wonderful. Good, tomato base but not too tangy. Fresh mussels, fish and shrimp and good bread to sop. Overall, a very nice atmosphere, dinner and company. Thumbs up!
CH
Christina Smith
The food was fantastic. I loved the atmosphere; the decor was great. The servers were okay. I think we were their first customers of the day, so it took a long time to get our food. I had the tomato-basil quiche, which was fabulous and came with potatoes (good), a side salad of green and veggies (fantastic), and a slice of the most delicious bread I have ever had. We also had a bread pudding of some sort which was awesome. I bought lunch/desert for two for about $25.00 plus tip, and had a fantastic experience. Totally worth it and will go back! What a great value and a great little shop!
BU
Bubba Smith
Went last night with a party of six. We overwhelmed the place ....only two other people were there (it was a Tuesday night). The waiter was nonchalant to the point that he forgot almost that we were there. I had the schnitzel, and it was bland and tasteless, the cabbage was better. But for our party it took an hour to scrape together our order. Get this, only two of us even ordered from the bar! Skip this place, there are better. Oh and the ambiance was poor, and Im being generous.
