Wonderful Hidden Gem! We had a wonderful birthday dinner here. The atmosphere was cozy and comfortable, the staff was warm and welcoming, and the food was DELICIOUS!! Excellent prices and super generous portions. You will not go home hungry! We ordered schnitzel, red cabbage, and spaetzle, and all of them were scrumptious. But our absolute favorites were the carrot dill soup, cucumber salad, and sauerbraten! Already planning our next trip! read more

FINALLY made it in here, after driving by for eons, each time saying to myself "one of these days ... " - well, that day finally came last week, when I had a brown-bag lunch event across the street. Synchronicity! Tiny place, and even though it wasn't yet noon, it filled up in the 10 minutes I sat at the bar waiting for my takeout order. Lovely setting, I particularly like the cloth wraps they have on the power cables feeding their light fixtures. Nice touch. The menu is a choice-challenger - I ordered a cup of soup (carrot-dill that day) and an insalata di bistecca, and totally won lunch at my meeting. The soup was delightful, with a touch of creaminess in the carroty broth. Lovely balance of flavors. The salad was pretty perfect, too: fresh greens, a bit of red onion, some carrot chunks, and a toss of gorgonzola crumbles under some very tasty sliced sirloin. I'll be hitting this little gem again. That Mediterranean Short Stack is calling my name ... read more

I have never been to a restaurant where the tab has been paid before the food has even been plated. It was THAT SLOW. Tried something new today. Well, by new I mean establishment. Arrived at Café Rustica at noon. Two person party, no biggie. Spot was not busy at all and seemed to be well staffed. Waitress was a bit clueless and couldn't tell us what the specials were without having to check. I decided on the Oyster Stew for my meal. "Oh, I don't know why they still have that on there... we don't have that. It's seasonal." I ordered the burger in place and asked for a different dressing. Not a huge request... one would think. The burger came out temperature perfect. That's the only thing that was really good part about the whole meal. Meat was unseasoned, bacon was rock hard and the brie covered about two bites of the sandwich. The salad dressing request was completely ignored and when asked the waitress didn't have an answer... she only offered to see if I could get a new salad. By that point we barely had time to scarf down what we did receive and get back to work on time. All this, after a 40 minute lunchtime wait and watching two tables be served (that came in after us) led me to believe that this most definitely would not be a place I would be returning. If you don't mind being ignored, paying good money for less than mediocre food and having to eat in a rush this may be the spot for you... if either of those things bother you... find another spot. Richmond is full of places that work wonders around lunchtime schedules. Café Rustica just left a lot to be desired. read more

My oldest son found this gem while looking for a German restaurant and told me about it. Wow what a great find. The schnitzel dishes are awesome but the red cabbage is to die for! The owners and wait staff are really friendly. Made me feel really welcomed. I want to go back and try more menu items. The priced are on point too unlike other German restaurants in town. read more

I came in because it got good reviews on Yelp and I am traveling for work. I got the red meat, which I was told was New York strip with roasted potatoes and green beans for $27. It took a while to come out, but that was ok. I am not a steak expert, but I am pretty sure it was not a New York strip. Since I wasn't sure, I didn't say anything. The roasted potatoes were actually mashed potatoes, but that was fine too. The steak and the sides would be best described as pedestrian. Not too bad, not good, just meh. I got the bill and it was $33.39. There was no itemized receipt and I didn't think too much about how much tax was, so I paid it. I asked for the itemized receipt after and it was hand written and $30. I didn't want to argue over $3, so I left. When something is highly rated on yelp, I usually agree with the ratings. Maybe some of the other food is better than what I got, but this experience was disappointing at best. Needless to say, I won't be going back if I am in town for work again. read more

This is one of the few places in Richmond - or perhaps the only - where you can get German cuisine. The menu is "European comfort food" and has some influences from France and northern Italy as well. There's some great stuff here that is hard to find elsewhere. The restaurant itself is very small with only about a half dozen tables and some seats at the bar. They do not take reservations, so come here on off-peak times or be prepared for a lengthy wait. The atmosphere is relaxed and if you grab a seat facing toward the back of the restaurant you can see right into the kitchen and see the chef prepare your meal. There's a good beer selection here including some local micro's and some hard-to-find imports as well. The Mediterranean Shortstack is a great appetizer. The Hackbraten - that's German meatloaf - is simply amazing. The spaetzle side dish is served with a few entrees and is great as well. For dessert the mocha cheesecake is also phenomenal. The food sometimes takes a little while to come out - not slow, but not blistering fast either - but otherwise the service is quite good. Attentive, friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Definitely a great spot if you're looking for a nice change of pace in terms of cuisine. read more

Went on a Friday night for dinner. It was busy and reservations would be my suggestion. Since it was just me, though, I took one of the two open bar seats. I had the "German Mac-n-Cheese" with the added bratwurst. It came with a surprisingly good side salad. The main dish was very good and the bratwurst was made wonderfully. Although I really enjoyed this, it was too much and too rich for me to say I'd repeat it. I hope to come back and keep trying more of their menu. read more

This place is awesome! I'm a VCU student and I WISH this place was open for lunch. It would be busy all the time. The city needs to give this restaurant space for OUTDOOR DINING. Come on Richmond! Give these restaurants nice sidewalks with trees. read more

Wish I could write a fabulous review on their food but, sadly, I didn't get a chance to sample any. Enjoyed a great day of bike racing for UCI races and made a point to stop in here with my daughter since it was away from the main crowd and I had heard business was tough for downtown restaurants. Was happy to find the place had business but not slammed. Nobody greeted us at the door so after waiting a couple of minutes of not being greeted by the woman behind the bar we sat down. Waited some more even after I greeted the woman behind the bar and I found menus. The food sounded good but took so long for the women to come take our order. She seemed more interested in talking to the two people at the bar. She was the only one serving but it is small and manageable. After several minutes she took our drink order and was pretty dismissive with us. Saw our drinks (two waters and a tea) sitting on the bar while she chatted some more. We were tempted to just leave but waited since drinks were coming. She brought drinks and didn't stay long enough to take our order. I took one sip of my iced tea and it tasted like coffee. Put two bucks on the table and left. I write this so they see service can be improved. Ended up at Padows and had a great time watching the Race and Padows seemed happy to have us. read more

Came in here for dinner had the pork cordon bleu schnitzel was amazing. Came with two sides salad was light and refreshing. I was slightly disappointed in the potato salad as it was a little bland. All in all the place is great! Friendly service nice atmosphere if your in the area give it try! read more

This place was amazing! We will be visiting again! The staff is incredibly nice and we loved the atmosphere.

I was a fan of Rustica in the year after it first opened, but I've come to notice some slippage in both food and service. That's a real disappointment, because this place has the potential to be something special. I don't know if it is a case of laurel-resting, or what. Maybe I just keep ending up here on really off nights. Tonight I went by for dinner with my husband, and we were told the wait would be 20 minutes. Not a problem, as it is a small space and usually crowded. We expected the wait and took that in stride (One thing I should point out though, is that there isn't a lot of room to wait in here - if the bar is full it is best to do the waiting outside on the sidewalk. There is nowhere to stand). So we finally score two seats at the bar, thinking we'd enjoy a glass of wine while waiting. We looked over the list and talked about our options, excited as ever about Rustica's great wine selection and prices. But no one took notice of us for the full 10 minutes we sat at the bar. Now this is always something that baffles me. Alcohol sales are where a restaurant can really bring in the cash - to let thirsty patrons sit, beverage-less, for any amount of time is lost revenue. Maybe they just didn't need the money tonight. Service was unengaged for the remainder of the evening. After being seated at a table, we still waited 20 more minutes before anyone stopped to ask if we'd like something to drink. The waitress finally came and read the specials off to us, then apologized and ran off to the next table still without checking to see if we might like something to drink. We eventually ordered drinks and food when she came back 10 minutes later. The problem with Rustica is that it is tiny, the kitchen is tiny and cannot keep up with the orders, and the staff never seems able to manage the crowd. From what I can tell there is just the one server, with two expediters to help her run food, bus tables and greet incoming customers. I feel like a little more organization is needed here. We waited another full hour for food, and if our meals were as awesome as I've had in the past I could forgive the other flaws, but my sauerbraten was cold, the spatzle and red cabbage sides were clearly scraped out of the bottom of a steam tray. Everything on the plate was uninspired and sad. Hub's pasta was blazing, mouth-burning hot, and needed to sit for a few minutes in order to not be hazardous. At least there was consistency between the front of the house and the back - they were both having an off night. Oh Cafe Rustica, please get it together and go back to being the awesome place I know you are capable of being. read more

Loved the schnitzel here! I ordered the cordon belt schnitzel and it was definitely the best I've had- will be back again soon! read more

Cafe Rustika - Loved the schnitzel! I ordered the cordon bleu schnitzel and it was exceptional. We will definitely be back again soon! - German Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This place is Great! you won't find more authentic German food anywhere within at least three states. The food is excellent and straight forward. The spazel is better than any I ever had in Germany! Great beer...you only need 5 great choices and that's what they have. Great atmosphere and totally like being in a pub somewhere in Germany. Absolutely incredible!! read more

Hidden on a nondescript block of Main Street is one of this year's best "finds" for those who take food seriously. The "eat local" idea is embraced and fresh and local ingredients are used whenever possible. The place is small, and as the name says, pretty rustic inside. There is a small bar and always seems to be a wait, which bodes well for any restaurant, no matter how small. The night I went was a few months back. On this visit the menu was heavily German, which is not my usual fair. However on item stuck out, the popular "sauerbraten" with ginger sauce which I was told by a chef friend is a traditional German recipe. It starts with beef butt sirloin that's marinated for three days, then seared and braised for about four hours. Once cooled, it's topped with a special sauce made from a reduction of the marinade with ginger.....yummy, even for someone not into German food. The other favorite is the the Pollo Asado , which is half of a whole roasted chicken served sizzling on a cast iron skillet with crispy oven-roasted potatoes and properly cooked al dente asparagus spears. . Seasoned with rosemary, amazingly simple, perfectly cooked. Of interest also is Sunday Suppah which many rave about. Not only is it affordable prix fixe ($15 per) they also make sure to put out some great "cheap wine" for you to enjoy. The entrees this night rotate between five options: chicken, pot roast, cioppino, salmon and chef's choice. Sunday is now "Funday" with this new amazing menu to look forward to. read more

Hostes refused to seat us in a booth as we were a party of two. We are (where) regular customers and other booths had only 2 seated. Well I guess the economy is better that I thought when you are willing to loose regulars over that? read more

Four of us came like moths to a flame due to Cafe Rustica's Sunday evening $15 prix fixe. It's this tiny, tiny hole-in-the-wall joint downtown, so make reservations or there'll be no room for you and yours. My meal was this: watermelon salad (darn good), fish soup (I'll get back to that), and panna cotta with Choco mousse (fine but tiny). My entree was quite good, but I had to spend about 15 minutes prying out my cooked-in-shell shrimp. That was a little irritating, but once I won that battle, the food was great. Like I said, dessert was barely a spoonful of bland jello covered in chocolate mousse, but it was a light way to polish off a heavy meal. All in all, I'd recommend the place because it's so cozy, quiet, the food was good and I felt like I got my money's worth. I would come back. read more

Almost an hour wait today for a brunch that failed to impress. You could try to chock it up to Mother's Day rush... except I only saw 1 mother and a half empty restaurant. The Mediterranean Short Stack (Crab, Shrimp, and Scallop Cake) was OK but the eggs were overcooked and the bread was burnt on the top. The Rustic Skillet was also just OK. The potatoes were undercooked, the eggs were overcooked, and overall the 2 entrées I tried just lacked attention to detail. I'm not likely to return here. read more

Maybe because I went there on Sunday and got stuck with their ONE mandatory "choice," or maybe because our waitress sucked. Then again, she didn't create the restaurant policies, so can't really blame her. Anyway, I wanted to order off the menu. Nope can't... must eat the three-course meal even if you're not that hungry. Ok, can I order the same salad the guy at the bar is eating? Nope, he works here so he gets it special. Um, ok. I don't want much dairy though.... not a fan of heavy cream (or at least it's not a fan of me). So of course she fails to tell me that the entire roasted chicken is smothered in a cream sauce. Can I at least have a glass of the well advertised wine special? The menu says the special bottles are on the bar, and I'll take a glass of the one that's half full. Nope, you have to buy the entire bottle (begging the question about the one that's partially drunk). Fail. (The chicken was roasted well, although I had to scrape off the gross sauce) read more

This place is very interesting. Small, cozy, local art, downtown setting. The service for us was good, although it's pretty clear there was one food runner, one server, and one bartender. The menu isn't vast, it's precise and to the point. I like when a place does a few things really well, as opposed to to many things in a mediocre fashion. Before our meal they bring out what seems to be house made bread. It is absolutely delicious! The apple salad was also very tasty but came as a smaller portion on an over-sized entree plate...interesting choice that made the salad look very small. We then enjoyed the Meatball App which was very flavorful and aromatic. We really liked the preparation. My fellow dinners got the seafood cake and the prosciutto wrapped salmon. Both of their dishes were very good. I got the chicken paillard in a soffrito sauce. The chicken itself was delicious, it's really the sauce that I found to be overwhelming. This was sad considering I had loved my meal thus far and so had my co-dinners. It was all I could do to keep that chicken from drowning in the soffrito that was so smokey and overpowering it may have contained liquid smoke. It was WAY too much. I have made soffrito sauce many times and I have consumed it many times. This was was just too much...the smokeyness and annatto flavor was knocking me out. My fellow dinners said I was brave to eat it...I wouldn't go that far but I hope it doesn't always taste like that. I will say though that both of their entrees were excellent. I will be back for sure. I really enjoyed the menu and my experience. I think the sauce was a one time fluke thing and the bread alone is enough to bring me back! PS the wine list is very interesting, definitely not typical. read more

Amazing food and exceptional service in an authentic German restaurant. Very small on the inside so you may have to wait to get a seat...well worth it though. read more

Outstanding little place right out of Germany. The food is superior and the staff are exceedingly excellent. I enjoyed everything about my dining experience and look forward to trying their dinner menu when I'm in town again. read more

My boyfriend and I tried this location out as we were on our way to a concert at the Richmond Coliseum. We chose this location as the other two choices were booming and we were short on time. We walked in without a reservation and were sat pretty quickly. Unfortunately, my chair was in an awkward location and was knocked into numerous times by the staff. We had a Mediterranean Short Stack, sort of a seafood cake over a salad with a dill dressing. I thoroughly enjoyed the portion size and flavor, although the dill overpowered the taste of the seafood. I was so happy to have German food. I tried one of the specials (forgive me, but the name of the dish escapes me)- Beef slow cooked in red wine with various spices with a side of spaetzle, blaukraut and a small salad with pickled onions. I ate almost the entire plate except the excessive portion of spaetzle. Did I enjoy myself? Yes I did. Would I go out of my way to go back? Eh... I will definitely recommend to someone craving a good German dish. read more

I ordered takeout for 6 people for a meeting in the area. The food was excellent and was a treat for some of our group that had never tried German food before. The schnitzels and sauces were all delicious. The sides we tried--sauerkraut, blaukraut, spatzle, potato salad, fried potatoes, and cucumber salad--were fantastic. I want to eat dinner in the restaurant now, where I can also enjoy their German beers on tap. read more

Mattza ball soup - So this week, we decided to get our European cuisine on, at Cafe Rustica! This is a quaint little restaurant on East Main that I found very enjoyable. Upon arriving, I was pretty hot so I decided to roll my sleeves up, the one server took notice of this, and lowered the thermostat a bit; neat! For my meal, I got the Hackbraten, which is a german style meatloaf smothered in mushroom gravy. On the side, it came with spaetzle and blaukraut. This meatloaf is probably one of the best meatloafs I've ever had. It was nice and soft, but not spongey or dry. It was interesting trying the spaetzle and blaukraut, as it was my first time having them. The spaetzle was a great addition to my meal, and had a lot of great flavors. I was indifferent about the blaukraut. I gave it a fair chance, and while it wasn't bad - it didn't have me coming back for more, especially when the other 2/3rd of my meal was so amazing. All in all, this was a great experience. The server was also very knowledgeable and also helpful in giving me recommendations for dinner. If you're craving european food and looking for a restaurant closer to downtown that won't break the bank, Cafe Rustica is a great pick. Greg- I'd agree with Matt on the ambiance. If you can't read the dictionary and also want to know the definition of "quaint", Cafe Rustica can help you out. Having had a German grandmother that was a phenomenal cook, this was a fun and special meal for me. Matt and I split the olive tapenade/goat cheese appetizer special with a thinly sliced and toasted bread. If you like salty olives and smooth, creamy goat cheese, this is for you...delicious. I order the Schweineschnitzel for dinner which came with the spaetzle and blaukraut. The schnitzel was fried to crispy perfection and covered with capers and lemon slices. It was easily the best I've had..savory, tender, crispy, big portion. The spaetzle and red cabbage were the ideal side dishes for this meal or anything German. Matt wasn't crazy about the blaukraut but having eaten it since the crib, I can tell you, it's done the right way. Sorry Cafe Rustica, but no one makes better braukraut than Oma :) Regardless, I'll be back as the service and food were excellent. Favorite yelp spot thus far. RIP Carolyn Brockington (b. 10/4/47, d. 6/4/13)- Matt and I met each other in Mrs. Brockington's English class in 9th grade. read more

Cafe Rustika - Schweineschnitzel topped with capers. Spaetzle and Blaukraut on the side. Best yelp meal yet - German Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I keep raving about restaurants but what can I say, I get lucky! I went here for lunch and the service here was wonderful, the food delectable, and I can't wait to go back!!!! Thanks so much for creating a great atmosphere and an awesome dining experience read more

Cafe Rustika - Delicious lunch! $8 massive portion and incredible friendly service - German Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This place was good. Very crowded for brunch, though. Had to wait a little bit for a table, and as we were waiting, people were being told of the wait/being turned away. When we were there, only one girl was there working the floor. She was bartending, taking orders, bringing out food, clearing tables, making sure drinks were refilled. And, all things considered, she was doing a great job. Felt kind of bad for her though, as the place was crowded before we got there, and when we left as well. As for the food, the name here describes it perfectly. Everything here has a rustic taste and feel to it: from the meats to the eggs to the bread. Nice, hearty, and filling. My frittata with the braised pork and potatoes was very good and definitely kept me happy and full until dinner time came around. If you can manage to grab a table here, enjoy! read more

Cafe Rustica is one of my favorite lunch spots. Unfortunately, I haven't made it for dinner yet. However, great food, great prices, cute interior with a friendly staff. Everytime we go, it's pretty crowded, but we've always been seated right away. Last time I went, my boyfriend got the signature shortstack. It was delicious, unfortunately, we made the mistake of ordering a house salad as the appetizer; which would normally be great, because it's a large portion salad that's delicious, however, the shortstack was served over a large amount of the same salad... Whoops! Luckily, it was delicious either way, just a lot of salad! The shortstack itself was so yummy, so much seafood and the lemon/dill dressing was perfect; so light and fresh! I couldn't decide between the Rustic Skillet, and the Prince Edward Island Mussels; I ended up picking the Rustic Skillet, which was delish. (However, after reading other reviews, I need to get back for those mussels!) The skillet was a giant hearty portion of sausage, potatoes, and eggs. Great brunch meal! Many of the dishes are served with fresh, crusty, crunchy, grilled bread, which is a great plus. I'll definitely be back again, maybe next time for dinner! read more

Note to Yelpers: don't come here if you are absolutely hangry. You will be waiting awhile (and the hangriness will continue to fester). We had a Restaurant.com coupon to use, and after attending an event downtown, decided to finally use it. This was a Monday evening, the restaurant was dead, and I was starving, so I figured it would be a quick meal. Oh, was I ever wrong. I ordered the risotto cakes, and the husband ordered their fish special for the night (a blackened white fish). It took about 30 minutes to get our food, and when it did arrive, it was good, but not good enough to warrant a 30 minute wait. Paired with the kind of odd location (at least for us to get to), I'm not sure we will be going back. read more

Saw this German restaurant on yelp. Delicious from the crusty hot bread, crabcake short stack, cucumber salad for me and schnitzel with lemon sauce and red cabbage for my husband. Staff was very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend. read more

I ventured downtown to Cafe Rustica with my lovely parents to celebrate my mother's (and my) birthdays and this is what transpired after I took my first bite-- My eyes glazed over, everything from the bar to the clump of people waiting for a table to the charming Alpine decor, and I was lost, utterly lost. I snapped back to reality when I heard my mother-- "Claire? Claire? Are you alright?" Was I all right? Oh yes. Yes I was alright. The food was all right! (Hah, puns.) I ordered the strip steak with roast potatoes and shallot/horseradish butter, because I am not only a carnivore, I'm also a poor college student who can't afford beef on her own, so this was a rare treat. It was cooked perfectly, not too much fat, soft and seasoned butter melting over the meat... Mmm! My parents ordered the Spanish braised pork (good in restaurant, even better as leftovers), and whatever was the duck special that night. (I don't like duck, but if you do, I'm sure it would be delicious!!) We also ordered the creme brulee du jour, which was a salted caramel latte with fresh berries on top. It tasted great, but it was oddly soupy under the crust. So, if I could, I'd give Cafe Rustica 4.5 stars, since the space is TINY (we ended up eating at the bar after waiting about 20ish minutes), understaffed (3 frazzled but pleasant women working about 10 tables and the bar), and the whole creme brulee soup thing. read more

This is the first review I have ever left, because the service was so horrendously bad. I was with my mother, and between the two of us we have about 25 years of restaurant experience. This place looked like a great menu. The food we did are looked amazing. Unfortunately, the service was so bad we didn't get a chance to try it. We walked in and sat at the bar because all the tables were full. When given water, we asked to try a beer. The bartender/manager just walked away. We were fairly certain she was high on some sort of drug. We finally got beer and placed our order. We got bread about 15 minutes later. After about 45 minutes of sitting in the small restaurant, we realized that only one table had been served their food. There were at least two tables ahead of us who had been in and seated with drinks before we got there. After about an hour in the restaurant having seen only two plates being brought out from the kitchen, we asked what the wait was looking like. The waitress told us that there were two tables ahead of us. We decided that it was not worth waiting. It was a shame we left, as the food really did look and sound excellent. But waiting over an hour for three entrees is absurd. read more

Honestly I'm not really sure what to think about this place. On the positive side the setting is small and quaint. But the decor was so sparse that it made it feel empty. My coworker and I came in for lunch and were one of the only people there. I asked the guy at the bar what he would recommend and he just looked at me, said "everything", and walked away. I had to ask for more detail and it's not like he was super busy with the other folks in the restaurant. With some encouragement he walked me through the menu and the most popular items, of which I chose the Mediterranean stack. My coworker went with the risotto cakes special. Now that everything was lined up I assumed we would be good to go. Unfortunately it took half an hour for us to get our food. Others that walked in behind us seemed to be frustrated as well. With all of that said, my meal was quite tasty. The stacks are described as lightly breaded and I would not necessarily agree with that. However being that it was served over salad the extra carbs were welcome. And the creamy sauce was a solid compliment. My coworkers risotto cakes however were very one dimensional. Essentially fried Gorgonzola with a tomato sauce. Fine to eat but not much more. With all the negative comments, it's strange that I want to come back, but I do. I think the place has potential. All the dishes looked worth trying. I think I may have just caught them on an off day. read more

Love the food and wine at this restaurant and in the 5+ years I have eaten here, I have never had a bad meal or glass of wine. I highly recommend the mussel appetizer and the Mediterranean short stack. The desserts are always delicious and I usually go with the creme brûlée du jour. Whenever I visit Richmond this is always one of my go to restaurants to visit. read more

Enjoyed a late nite dinner before venturing to the Chihuly exhibit. Apparently we were enjoying a new menu but since this was my first time i have no comparison. I wish i remember what spanish wine i was drinking but it was so good i don't rmemeber. Mussels and the cheese plate to start, delicious. Then decided more food was required so ordered the salmon on potatoes and that was scrumpcious. Salmon well cooked. Finally managed to get some dessert in... chocolate ganache :) Casual ambiance with friendly staff. Great experience. read more

This place is the real deal. I lived in Germany for four years and played soccer in the German league for four years. This restaurant is the best German food I've had in the US. I cannot recommend it more strongly. Friendly service outstanding food quaint and just overall awesome! If you have not come here for dinner you are missing out on one of the best restaurants in Richmond. read more

I am staying in Richmond for an overnight for my company, and I searched for decent restaurants within walking distance of my hotel. The concierge gave me two options, and I am glad I picked this one. The restaurant is small and has a warm feel. The town was deserted today, and this restaurant was no exception, at first. It began to fill up while I was there. The waitress was super friendly, and kept my water glass filled. The bread is to die for. I ordered a house salad to start, with the special of salmon with polenta with a balsamic reduction on top. One of the greater salmon meals I have had. For a beverage, I had a Peak Organic on tap, which hit the spot. I can guarantee I am going to make this place my destination the next time I overnight here read more

Love the Mediterranean short stack and the whole fish. Great food, cool ambiance. Tucked away on main downtown. Blink when you are passing and you will miss this little hidden gem. read more

Cafe Rustika - The bar - German Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Unpretentious and delicious! Get ready for some buttery spatzle that you can't put down. According to my dining companion, the chicken schnitzel was 10/10 and if we hadn't ordered takeout he would've gotten two. read more

Cafe Rustika recently received press for changing its menu to German food and boasting of a "Schnitzel Bar." When we arrived at 5pm few tables/booths were taken. Since we didn't have a reservation we had to sit at the bar. The bar chairs were possibly the most uncomfortable I've ever sat in. They were all very hard with little padding and the covering material was split with cushion innards showing. The bartender, a dishwasher, and the cook seemed to be the only ones working at the time. The bartender did a good job servicing tables as a few people came in while we were there. Several booths and tables sat empty throughout our meal. I guess people didn't keep their reservations... The bar offered three beer choices only: pilsner, wheatbeer, ipa. No lagers or ales which usually pair well with German food. My partner ordered the regular schnitzel with red cabbage and spaetzle. I had the schnitzel cordon bleu with grandma's potatoes and sauerkraut. The regular schnitzel had no flavor -- just a piece of chicken pounded thin and heavily breaded. No lemon flavor found. The cordon bleu was a disaster. When I cut into it, a fountain of fat spewed. At first I thought the chicken was not fully cooked because it was so chewy and cool. It was the ham filling, though. I asked and was assured the ham was fully cooked. It tasted to me like processed, thinly sliced sandwich meat put on the chicken before the chicken was breaded and fried. No good flavors to write about. There was a hint of cheese that had no flavor. The saving grace to the meal was the sides. All except grandma's potatoes that is, which were overcooked, gummy, and not flavorful. Sauerkraut lacked punch but was acceptable. I can make better red cabbage but it was ok. I usually put apples and apple cider in mine. Even the green salad appetizer left me wanting. It was a big leaf of red lettuce rolled up with a few carrot pieces beside it. The lettuce was dripping in dressing, which was just oily, no flavor. I cannot recommend this place. Save your time and money. There are so many other great choices in RVA. If you are craving a real schnitzel with flavor, enjoy European Taste. read more