Food and service are good but be aware: the menu is not vegetarian-friendly and they will absolutely not modify dishes for you. Zero pasta options for vegetarians. read more

Food was ok, nothing special. I had the short ribs, and the portion size was enormous, which is rarely a good sign. My wife had one of the flat breads, which was just eh. We brought the kids and they each had spaghetti, again, nothing to write home about. I'm trying to figure out how this bill came to $100. read more

Although this place does not have a view, we thought the quality of food and service was great! I loved our dishes - filet of halibut and a seafood stew. The service was polite and I appreciated that water was always refilled. Open kitchen is a nice idea, you can see the wood burning oven and the pizzas in the making. Would return! read more

Off the beaten path, but a great restaurant. Food was really good, service was great. Would definitely go here again

Phenomenal meal...literally the best food I've had in recent memory. It's a small establishment (I'd guess no more than 50 or so served total). The daily specials were hard to choose from because they all sounded good. My husband and I decided on the Sea Bass special over risotto with haricots vert and lobster beurre blanc. OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!! The other dishes chose from the menu was the oricchiette with homemade sausage, olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Before all of that deliciousness they brought out the most amazing crusty French bread with olive oil and/or butter. AMAZING FOODIE experience. read more

Great food. Despite being short handed with staff rallied and made it it a very enjoyable experience. Very impressed!

I have frequented this restaurant many times over the years and the quality is just inconsistent. I have decided no more! Also, I had ordered a salad and clearly the lettuce was not washed thoroughly and bit into dirt/sand. That, along with a poor attitude from the owners, I will take my business elsewhere. : ( read more

Great place! I had a fantastic eggplant pasta, and they were happy to take out the meat and make it veggie. Fresh, warm bread as a starter while we waited for our food was a great plus. Our waitress was very polite and engaging. Fantastic food, great service, and overall a great experience. read more

We were looking for a lite dinner, and honestly picked them because of a picture of their wood fired pizza oven. Great atmosphere. Great pizza! Wonderful waitress. It was a bit pricier than I expected for a $$ rating, but maybe that's just me. We were asked if we had reservations when we walked in, which told me two things. First someone expected them to be busy on a Monday night, and had made a reservation. So, the food must be good. Second, the hostess didn't want to seat them without marking the reservation off the book. So, the staff is on their toes. read more

What a find, this small homey restaurant was OUTSTANDING! The food was perfectly presented each time and it was delicious! We went 2 nights in a row it was so great. From appetizers of insalata special, spicy meatballs, sausage stuffed mushrooms, spedeni wrapped with prosciutto, beet salad with pan seared goat cheese and great onion soup THEN dinners of swordfish, cioppoiino loaded with fresh seafood, chicken saltimboca, bolignese pizza and shrimp scampi risotto-all 10's-THEN desserts-carrot cake, tiramusu, chocolate torte. Overall expensive, but excellent. Drinks pricey and stingy but didn't dampen the excitement of this great place. Owner a great guy!!! Chefs all A+++ read more

The arugula salad and beet salads were delicious. The salmon was one of the best I have EVER had. I enjoyed every bite. It was cooked to perfection, creamy and buttery! The ambiance was perfect for a calm dinner! read more

A hidden gem of Lake Placid. Tasty food, wonderful service and simply a great environment. The cheese plate is an amazing starter, following that you can't go wrong with any of the amazing pasta dishes. Love eating local with this restaurant. read more

I stumbled on this place by accident when I was looking on my maps app to see if there was a grocery store near our hotel in Lake Placid. I'm so glad I clicked on the name. After checking out the menu and the reviews, I made a reservation for two that same night. You must make one - the place is quite small and you might not get seated otherwise. Anyway, I have nothing but glowing things to say about this place - every morsel of food was DELICIOUS, my dirty martini was great (and I always love a stemless martini glass!), the staff were super friendly and appropriately attentive, and the ambiance was really warm and charming (right down to the acorn light fixtures over the bar). We ordered the cauliflower appetizer along with the insalata to share. I ordered the roasted eggplant and goat cheese pizza, and my husband ordered the seafood stew. For dessert, we had the flourless chocolate cake. Everything was perfect. Highly recommend this place! read more

Don't let the location fool you. It's in the Price Chopper plaza. A bit odd as you enter the restaurant main door. Don't be surprised what behind the curtain. We split the stuffed mushrooms for an app, very good. Both had the Caesar salad, very good. My wife had a flat bread (pizza), very good. I had the veal Osso Bucco (one of my favorite dishes) and it was excellent. Why not a five star? I actually ordered the Veal Scallopini, but was given and charged for the Osso Bucco. That's okay...loved it. read more

Good Italian - very pricey for what it was. We ordered a few of the pizzas, salads and lasagna and it was all good but not worth the prices. The lasagna for $25 was nothing special and the pizzas were good but not $17 good. I don't mind paying for good food but this just seemed relatively basic for what it was. Service was a little slow but she was very nice. Don't know that I would go back but decent! read more

WOW! A top class restaraunt off the beaten path in Lake Placid. I have eaten in 5 star restaraunts around the world and this one rates right up there with them. I was in Lake Placid for my daughters college graduation and wanted to treat her to a special lunch. I turned to my friend YELP. Scrolling through I saw Caffe Rustica was highly rated. I called them to see if they were open for lunch. The person answering the phone was most pleasant and professional. He answered my questions and already made me feel welcome. It is located in a strip mall near Price Chopper. I figured the place couldn't be all that great due to its location. Boy was I wrong!! I was immediately impressed as was my upper teen children. We were welcomed by Ben. Talk about service he was right there throughout the meal without being intrusive. As soon as we needed anything, bammo, he was there ready to serve. The menu was chock full of so many tempting choices it was hard to make a decision. My daughter and I both finally settled on the filet mignon on ciabbata bread with cheese. My son choose the Barcelona sandwich and my youngest daughter choose the Italiano. Talk about amazing sandwiches. All of my children proclaimed they were the best they ever had. I can't say enough good things about this place. I can't wait to go back time and time again to try their other offerings. Oh, and their prices are very reasonable. I'd give them 20 stars. read more

I took my husband here for his birthday last night and the food was amazing. I read about the pizza on thrilllist.com and many people recommended we go there. I am so happy we did. We shared the stuffed mushrooms for starters. The sausage was homemade and very fresh and yummy tasting. Then we shared a salad and pizza for dinner. Both were specials. The pizza was a white pizza and had caramelized onions, mushrooms, spinach roast beef which was amazing and cheese of course. The crust was thin and crispy from the wood fire oven. It was so good. The salad had fresh lettuce, Brussel sprouts, bacon and tomatoes which a nice dressing. We were very pleased. Also great drink selection. read more

Afer a weekend of mediocre fare, Caffe Rustica provided a strong finish to a wonderful weekend. A few minutes beyond the main strip of Lake Placid, located in a dark corner of a strip mall, Caffe Rustica was quite literally a hidden gem. The service was prompt & curteous, the ambiance just right and the food downright amazing. According the the website, the chef is CIA trained and it shows. By far one of the best meals my wife & I have enjoyed in a long time. Without saying anymore, go see for yourself. In my opinion, Caffe Rustica is a can't miss. read more

Enjoyed a salad and pizza for carry out! We were staying up the street on a cold & rainy night. Decided to order in and had their Caesar salad (delicious!) and fungi pizza. Yum! The rest of the menu looks amazing and I hope we can return. This was our Air Bnb host's favorite! read more

Looked like a great place to eat, but kids where sleepy so tried to get a to go cheese pizza and was told that they where too busy to accommodate, had less than 1/3 of the restaurant seated. Disappointed and would not recommend after this experience read more

Wonderful meal here tonight. Our first time here. This was recommended to us by a family member who eats here whenever they visit Lake Placid. Cozy bar and lovely owners. Food was delicious and Large portions. Paired wine to our meals nicely. We will be back! read more

Great little place, food is excellent and fantastic pizzas, I have been here multiple times and everyone in our party had a delicious meal. Friendly staff and very good service, Cafe Rustica is always on my list when I visit Lake Placid read more

Everyone in our party raved about it! We ordered the 'party pick-up' (fillet and salmon options) for our small wedding. We were apprehensive about ordering steak to-go, but they really pulled it off. Food was packaged to stay warm for a while. The salmon had an amazing crust, and drizzle for the top. A real crowd pleaser. Staff was polite and accommodating, even to our late menu change. We would do it again if we get the chance. read more

Recommended by a local bartender. Never would have found this hidden gem otherwise. Right across the street from the lovely whiteface mountain inn. Next to price chopper in the plaza. Arrived at 5:30 on a Saturday and pretty much booked( which I totally understand given the quality of food and service) but they fit us in. The four of us enjoyed speciality cocktails, the beet salad, crab cake app, vitello(veal), ravioli carbonara, ciopponoa all were so delicious. The service was outstanding. Sorry I don't remember her name but she was knowledgeable, professional and obviously loves her job and the food she is serving. Usually eat downtown but by far the best food we have had in lake placid. Can't wait to go back. read more

Hesitant to try because of location, but heard food was delish and it did not disappoint. Ribeye special and mushroom ravioli were very good (truffled mashed potatoes-- yummmm!!)- drink special (something with bourbon, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, ginger beer) sounded funky, but was really good. Only give it a 4 because ambiance could be a little better, and even though we arrived and finished before closing time, we felt a little rushed (by bartender; server was excellent). read more

Girls weekend in Lake Placid topped off with a wonderful evening at Caffe Rustica. Tucked away in the Pricechoppers plaza, this hidden treasure served up four fabulous entrees. Server was helpful but not overly pesty. Definitely recommend seeking this charming, ambient place for a special evening. read more

Delicious salads! The pizza was great with all fresh ingredients. The wait staff was very friendly, and they were able to seat us even though we didn't have a reservation on a busy night. We'll definitely go back! read more

Food and service were both amazing! I brought a group of 8 people here for dinner and everyone really enjoyed it. I had the meatballs as an appetizer and the scallop dish for my meal. Both were excellent! The staff was extremely friendly and attentive and our food and drinks came out quickly. Whenever I hear of someone visiting Lake Placid/Saranac lake I always recommend Caffe Rustica. Definitely worth visiting! read more

Amazing! Fresh and delicious. We will always return when we visit lake placid and send our friends too!

My husband and I vacation in upstate NY every summer and sometimes during the fall season. Since we visited Caffe Rustica for first time we have make it a point to go back at least one time during our stay. I am considered a good cook by anyone who comes to my house and I love good food. Both the service and the food at Caffe Rustica has been excellent every single time. read more

Excellent food. Friendly service. This is where the locals go regularly. Best Italian food in the area.

There were seven of us and we all had a great meal. The bread was incredibly crusty. My salmon was tasty and served beautifully on lentils and topped with juliene carrots and cucumber. Other hits were the chicken dishes, seafood and pizza. We were too full for dessert. The service was very attentive. read more