Good food, nice atmosphere. Only regret is that they don't take reservations for parties of two. Boo. Oyster stew is so good. read more

I have been here a few times now with my wife and we find ourselves continuing to go back so I thought it was time a shared a review. Great atmosphere, its warm and its inviting. Service is great and people are always friendly. The food is fantastic !!! Make sure you try the chocolate mouse, its amazing. If your looking for a casual warm friendly place with great food then this is it and for that it gets 5 stars from me. read more

Quiet, not busy on a Friday evening. Friendly waitress told me to sit anywhere. Ordered the Mediterranean Short Stack which took a while to come but was well worth the wait, with delicious roast potatoes and green beans. A pleasant atmosphere, low key decor. read more

Richmond's German version of Joe's Inn. The food was authentic and delicious. I can't stop thinking about the rolls they serve before the meal. They tasted exactly like my Great Grandma's zwiebach rolls. The German beers, schnitzel, sides, and desserts are all amazing. Definitely worth the time. read more

After making a reservation online stating the importance to be out of the restaurant early enough for a theater performance starting at 8:00 pm we arrived at the time of reservation at 6:30 pm. The order was placed shortly after sitting down at the table. At 7:10 pm we did not have received our food. Needless to say we ran out of time to eat in peace and transfer to the theater in time. We cancelled the order and paid for the two drinks we had. No apology offered from the personnel. Never again they will see us. read more

After failing to get into two prior restaurants, I was thrilled to find such a fantastic German food. The restaurant had great Pilsner beers and friendly staff. The staff recommendations were dead-on. Jagerschnitzel with two sides for less than $20 with tax and tip. I found it on my way to another restaurant so my only recommendation would be for the restaurant to raise its profile online. read more

We've had mixed experience with Cafe Rustica...good food sometimes and sometimes just average, and often the menu is bizarre. One consistent thing is TERRIBLE service. The general attitude is they couldn't care less if you eat there or not. Tonight took the cake - an inedible "Mediterranean" conglomeration with highly salty orzo and a vague tapenade type of sauce too hot to eat - the whole plate sent back in exchange for a house salad. My companions found their seafood cakes had more bread than seafood, and salmon came smothered in pesto rather than the advertised sauce. This all took over an hour in a nearly empty restaurant...no apologies, nothing. Our last visit to this place obviously. read more

I've wrestled with whether to complain publicly about this, but I think it's relevant when making choices about what businesses to support. The night I dined at Cafe Rustica, I left my Ray-Ban sunglasses on the table when I left. Fifteen minutes later, when I got back home, I called and asked if they had found them. The server I spoke to said she had them. I told her I would come back later in the week to retrieve the glasses and was told they would hold them for me. The following Friday, I stopped in, but the glasses were no where to be found. The manager/owner admitted she had seen them during the week, but didn't know what happened to them. The server I spoke with originally wasn't there. The manager tried to call her to no avail and told me "Well, I bet she's wearing them, so they should show up when she comes to work." WHAT???? She promised to call me when she saw the server. She didn't. A few days later, I called and inquired about the glasses again. "i don't know what happened to them, I was told. Someone here must have taken them. I"m sorry." So, basically someone at Rustica stole my glasses and I have to deal with it. I realize it was my fault that I left them in the first place, but they acknowledged they had them and promised to hold them for me. It just burns my butt to know that someone there stole my glasses and I was basically told to deal with it. Never, ever going back. read more

I had passed this location and looked curiously at the light display for a long time before going in one night last year (2017). If you've been doing the same thing, do yourself a favor and go enjoy their food for dinner! Great German treat that's tucked away in a small location. The schnitzel is what I recommend read more

One of the best restaurants downtown, mainly due to the pro chef, certainly my favorite. Try the skillet, try the Rustica Burger, try their sandwiches with soup. It's all fantastic. read more

Great Sunday dinner $15 for a theee course dinner with a different main course each week with great home made dessert highly recommend third Sunday of the month for cioppino. Also fear on Tuesday for German date night read more

Mediocre food. And if you expect a restaurant's wait staff to at least give the illusion that they intend to serve you, take a pass on Cafe Rustica. read more

Came here for an anniversary dinner with my wife, and we had a lovely evening. We each got the spaetzle special, which included a salad and a dessert all for the price of a regular entree, and it was delicious. The chicken cutlets were moist, the sauce was very good, and the spaetzle (which I had never had before) was addictive. We also got the plums wrapped in prosciutto for our appetizer, and it was great. I highly recommend Cafe Rustica. read more

The portions were fantastic and the price was just right. I had the Mediterranean Short Stack, two cakes of a perfectly pan seared combination of crab meat, shrimp, and scallops. It came with two sides; potatoes and veggies. I substituted the Veggie du Jour for kale and I'm glad I did. It was wilted just right and just a tad of salt, just right. The dessert was to die for. I love, love, love bread pudding and I can safely say this is the best preparation I've ever had. I was so full already but I still managed to get every last sweet, caramelly, custardy drop in my belly. The chocolate mousse was excellent too; perfectly airy,creamy, and nougaty. Our waitress was very personable and fun. She was also keeping the bar but still managed to be on top of everything, despite being the only one there. The selection of beer was small but great quality. I do wish they had one or two local choices since Richmond has such great craft options but that's okay. We had a lovely evening read more

This place is probably top three for lunch in Richmond for me. I've probably been here more than twenty or so times and the schweineschnitzel sandwich on house bread with house pickles and dill sauce might be my favorite lunch item in Richmond. Everything else that I've ever had there has been great. The oyster stew is a must, as well as the sandwich a poisson, aosta valley panini, portugese stew, and their take on eggs benedict for brunch is just wrong for how right is. Perfect rare beef atop house bread with poached eggs and bleu cheese cream, all cooked perfectly. Working in restaurants on most nights hasn't allowed me as many trips for dinner but it is equally as good. Another great little known thing that they do is their wine and beer dinners on select Sundays. The three beer dinners I've been to have been great as Andy is always keeping his pairings interesting and comforting at the same time. If there is one bad thing I could say about this restaurant is sometimes the food takes a really long time even if there is yourself and maybe two other tables or less in the place. Service has always been nice and appropriately speedy enough. Still the food has always been the reason I go and a couple of cons absolutely will not stop me from coming back at least once a week. read more

This place is a dud. Mediocre, cold, flavorless food. Not recommended. Head down Cary for much better options.

Sloweeeest service I have ever been to. 1.5 hour to wait for the meal to be served even when the place is empty. Also they never answer their phone at lunch when trying to place an order! I dont see them sticking around for to much longer... read more

Not much more than an ordinary European restaurant. The space is charming, albeit dated and cramped. Staff is friendly. The menu is an odd mix of classical dishes from a range of European countries, and the execution is, for the most part, unimpressive (except for the desserts, which weren't European per se, but still the highlight of the meal). Nothing offensive, though the prices are borderline high for home style cuisine, but I came away from a meal that I (or anyone with a crock pot) could have put together. read more

I love the menu here. It is very unique for Richmond. I have never had a bad meal. My only complaint is that service can be slow. I recently waited an hour for a salad during lunch. That is way too long for lunch. I don't mind waiting at dinner, but people have to get back to work. Hire another person in the back to help out and speed things up during the day. read more

This is a gem of a restaurant. Small and intimate with a talented chef putting out great food at very reasonable prices. Small but very well thought out wine list. Great care taken in the food preparation. My sauerbraten was excellent and the sauce spot on. The shrimp picatta was excellent - balanced and tasty. We had a duck salad with beets that was spot on. Give this place a try- you will not regret it. read more

Lucky to find this small storefront. Late lunch. Oyster stew with kale and a salad. Good service, and the oyster stew was perfect. I'll be back. read more

Cafe Rustica is just like the name suggests, wooden furniture and an old house smell. The food was excellent especially the short stack and the panini. The hostess very pleasant. We substituted the sausage in the skillet with salmon, but we felt the piece of salmon that came with it was too small , though they didn't charge us more for it. read more

Honestly I've never written a review before but this restaurant deserves it. The atmosphere is comforting and cozy the service is quick and acomidating and the FOOD, oh the food, and drinks are incredible. A wonderful selection of beer and wine. My meal completely turned my a frustrating day around entirely. I would pay top dollar for this experience, even though their affordable for any budget. Oh and the music was on point. I will be returning to say the least. read more

Some friends and I stopped by on a whim and tried their Fixed Menu Sunday. We were a little apprehensive, but everything was delicious! Very cozy space, but the light was shining in my face which is the only negative thing I could say. read more

My lunch today was fantastic. A hummus platter on which everything was super fresh and good. Their homemade bread was absolutely wonderful.

Our burger was one of the best I have ever had. Cozy space with friendly wait staff. Would definitely go back.

I've been to Rustica 4 or 5 times during lunch only. The food is outstanding! I've tried the Mediterranean Short Stack, a fritata, two different soups, the hummus platter and their chicken panini. I was really impressed with the flavor of all the dishes I tried. They serve large portions as well. There is room for improvement when it comes to friendliness. The owner and staff don't really take the time to be nice, they only interact long enough to take your order and collect payment and they come across slightly rude. They are also very slow. So if you're on a tight timeframe you may want to go somewhere else. Pretty small dining room so it can be hard to get a seat. Cost is mid-range. $9-16 or so dollars for lunch. If you have a chance to go, please do. The food makes it worth it. If the staff were more personable I wouldn't hesitate to give Rustica 5 + stars. read more

My favorite dinner spot in Richmond. Get the Mediterranean short stack or the mussels.

Their Sunday supper is a fantastic value! I try to go most Sundays I am in town. Just simple, well prepared, and no-frills. Pair this with reduced price bottles of wine and this is a meal I look forward to most every week. read more

My husband and I went on a Sunday evening for dinner. The atmosphere was modern with cool art for sale on the walls. We were given a set Sunday dinner menu which was reasonably priced. Food was good but service was awful. There was only one waitress who barely spoke to us or any of the other walk in off the street customers. She lit up when a regular couple came in. My opinion is food was good with cozy atmosphere but don't expect to be taken care of if you aren't a regular. read more

The food was very good. I especially love the chicken panini! However, the service was poor and I had to wait 48 minutes to get mushrooms cheese and pesto on two pieces of bread. Also, a couple people who walked I after us got their food before us and they has more complicated sandwiches with salads. I have to admit, all the tables were full but I think that it is unacceptable that I had to wait so long. I also think that they should hire more people in the kitchen because they only had one which is not good for the customer. read more

Run, don't walk to another restaurant....The wait is too long. Staff doesn't care if your there or not. Food came out cold and very bland. Not worth the wait or the money. F read more

Our tradition continues....celebrating birthdays at Cafe Rustica....last night proved to be another very enjoyable night with scrumptious food and a particularly nice wine...thanks Michelle for the recommendation! read more

My fiance and I decided to try a new restaurant for dinner last night, and I am so glad we chose this! It was a wonderful atmosphere and the food was delicious. The staff was friendly and helpful, but not overbearing. It was an overall delight and we will be back! read more

Consistently excellent meals that may take a while to prepare. Among the best restaurants downtown Richmond had to offer.