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    Cafe Rustica

    3.4 (109 reviews)
    ModeratePizza, Italian
    Closed 4:30 pm - 9:30 PM

    Cafe Rustica Pizza Restaurant Photos

    CAFE RUSTICA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Rustica

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    Joanne H.

    Very quiet during week day lunch. Portions are big. Service was okay as its was a younger kid who helped us.

    Burrata
    Abhijit R.

    Bumped into this in my recent trip. A cozy and quite restaurant. The ambiance and the hostess were great !!! Loved the food and the service. Huge portions as well. I was full just with the appetizer. The staff suggested a half portion and I could not even finish that. A must visit when you are in the Basking Ridge Area

    Empty bar, but was nice and warm inside. Bartender was very sweet.
    Valerie G.

    This seems like the kind of place that has some good dishes but the chefs in the kitchen need to pay attention to their fish and how fresh it is. I forgot the name of the dish but I had high hopes. The service was excellent. The young bartender was kind, timely and good at making drinks. She gave me bread, salad and food all in a timely manner. The place was super cute. I would give it another try if I lived closer.

    Eggplant Antipasto
    W W.

    Another impromptu visit to Cafe Rustica. Persuaded by recent comments about the Stuffed Oysters, we had to taste for ourselves; they were wonderful! Followed up with a classic Italian dish of Linguini and Clams, both Red and White; fabulous! Finished with Amaretto Ice Cream; delicious! Well done Cafe Rustica, you nailed it!

    Dessert
    Lena L.

    The first time I ate here I was underwhelmed but my parents rave about this place. My daughter also loved the lasagna. So when my mom was sick I treated my dad to pick him up! We both got dinner specials and I must have just ordered wrong the first time. This was a Marsala pasta sauce with sun dried tomatoes, chicken, mushrooms and spinach. It was sooo good. Portions were insanely huge. Despite the size we always get dessert when I'm with my dad. My daughter had yummy ice cream, my dad had some form of crumble and I had a delicious warm chocolate cake. Pair it with a great bottle of wine and it was exactly the distraction we needed that night. We had an absolutely delicious dinner and I can't wait to return.

    Pasta chicken was soo good
    slick w.

    Very good food huge portion sizes . Service is average first time there but will come back . It's a 3.5 star not sure how to do half star . Place is legit glad we went will be back again .

    Having dinner my the ladies
    Donna R.

    Cafe Rustica doesn't look like much from the outside, but once inside you get that homey feeling, which is apropos to the name Cafe Rustica. It used to be an old Carriage Inn, and the front portion dates back to the 19th century. This place is quaint, yet casual. They offer a full bar with a nice selection of wines and cocktails. Cafe Rustica is kid friendly, there's no kid menu per se,, but you can get the basics like pasta with butter or sauce, pizza, chicken cutlet etc. Chef Giovanni is very accommodating. There were couples, families with children and my group of girlfriends that were dining. The chef/owner Giovanni Giornalista, and his wife Theresa who runs the front of the house, did a great job with my group. Theresa helped me with deciding on what to order and allowed substitutions. They offer daily specials, and have a really nice menu. I started with a Tito's, club with lemon, and then went on to a glass of Cabernet. Fresh hot bread and focaccia were placed on the table along with olive oil for dipping. For my entree I ordered their Pan Seared Salmon and instead of risotto that came with it, I asked to sub mashed potatoes which they were happy to do for several of us who ordered the pan seared salmon. My salmon came with two delicious sauces and was cooked perfectly. The mashed potatoes were creamy. My entree also came with a house salad which was very good. My friends ordered the following dishes, Cajun Chicken Breast Salad- Tossed with fresh mushrooms, tomatoes, cranberries, mandarin oranges & sliced almonds, with homemade mandarin orange vinaigrette. A Swordfish Special that was throughly enjoyed. Another friend ordered Shrimp and Scallops Malafemina- Jumbo shrimp & scallops sautéed in a white wine tomato basil cream sauce served over basil fettuccine. Another friend chose Fettuccine alla Formiana- Mussels, clams, shrimp & calamari sauteed with grape tomatoes & baby spinach in an oil & garlic white wine sauce. We all loved everything that was served. It was delicious and presented beautifully. My friends and I were full, so we passed on dessert. Cafe Rustica does have parking and they do catering. You can make reservations, and they have takeout. This is definitely a place I will be frequenting again and again.

    farfalle Theresa
    Amanda D.

    Really lovely Italian restaurant. The ambiance lends itself to range from a date night to a family night. There is a full bar upon walking. They have curbside pickup and indoor dining. I felt very comfortable eating inside during covid. The Buffalo calamari isn't on the menu, but when we asked if we could order it they said yes. Definitely the best part about our meal! So good.

    Adrienne M.

    Oh do I love Cafe Rustica! One of my favorite lunch spots when I'm at work, I always order for pick up. I've tried the fried mozzarella (YUM) & the Penne vodka (YUM YUM) the first time I ordered. Today, I ordered the grilled vegetable panini which came with a spring mix salad with vinaigrette and tortilla chips for $9.99. Great meal for a great price! My co-worker, my boss & I all get the same thing every time. Cafe Rustica is a cute & intimate little Italian restaurant in Basking Ridge; the staff is also nice.i never actually sat down in the restaurant but for the take out aspect it's only a 20 minute wait for the food, there's a bar inside where you can hang out while waiting, and the portions are great.

    Fried calamari

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    Theresa G.

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    2 years ago

    Order pizza from Rustico and always yummy. Outdoor patio has nice ambiance. Staff always very pleasant

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Huge portions and excellent service. Great chocolate martini. I brought my mother-in-law here when she was visiting

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    Theresa G.

    Sumiyah thank you!! We appreciate this more than you know. :)

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    How hard is it to get a phone order correct...order 1 thing got another ..at least my dinner was correct

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    Ask the Community - Cafe Rustica

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    Cafe Rustica - pizza - Updated May 2026

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