Cafe Rustica

The food is very fresh and delicious!
I ordered the Cotellete and my boyfriend ordered the Short Stack. The Cotelette came out and my jaw dropped — two huge juicy bone-​in pork chops with polenta and string beans. Everything fresh and made to order, nothing canned or frozen. Amazing! A breath of fresh air comparing to some other restaurants. Worth a visit!

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

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.

Oh. My. Goodness.
This place was so freaking amazing. This has to have been one of the best restaurants I have been to in RVA yet. It’s a cute little «hole in the wall» type restaurant and the quality of the food was incredible.
When we first got there we were greeted by a very friendly waitress. There was lovely music playing in the background and we arrived kind of late so there were only a couple of other groups of people there. We were seated and given a menu with about 10 different entrees to choose from, which I really like because I’m pretty indecisive. I ordered the mediterranean short stacks, which was an entrée that came with 2 perfectly pan seared crab cake shaped piles of heavenly goodness that had scallops, shrimp, and crab in them. They were perfect and made with very fresh ingredients and drizzled with the most perfect lemon-​dill aioli and they were served with potatoes and green beans. SO much AMAZING food. My boyfriend got the meatloaf entrée which was also heavenly. I especially enjoyed this cabbage side dish that came with his entrée that tasted like it was cooked in red wine.
The only things that I was disappointed about were:
1. My phone died so I didn’t get to take a picture of the beautifully presented food.
2. That I didn’t come here sooner!
All in all, this place was downright amazing. It’s a little pricey but you definitely get your money’s worth, the chefs really know what they are doing and they use high quality ingredients. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for an absolutely delicious sit down meal with entrees to choose from that are European-​esque and kind of upscale. Perfect for a romantic and somewhat fancy date!

After mulling it over a few months, I give this place a 3 based on memories of what once was, and potential to be again. I have had some fantastic meals here in the past, and thought of this place as a truly hidden gem that I would love to show people.
I came in for Valentine’s Day, expecting more of the same. Instead, I was surprised by a very pricy and limited prix-​fixe menu. I was not told about this when I made reservations, and was disappointed to hear as we were seated that their normal (fantastic and reasonable) menu was not available. While it does make sense for the special day, I don’t think it is on the customer to assume that (A) there would be a new prix-​fixe menu and (B) it would be the only thing available.
The food felt like a reach and the owner was at the bar the whole time having loud and awkward conversations with other customers, we think possibly drunk.
On a positive note, the staff seemed excellent, and I know the normal menu has been great in the past. Not sure if I can convince my girlfriend to go back and see…

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 décor.

Quiet little spot. Mediterranean Shortstack and Schweineschnitzel are our favs. Decent beers, good wine list. Friday and Saturday nights aren’t too busy unless there is a show nearby.

Can’t stand to see the owner berate her staff while I try to eat. Once the owner knew we were from the ivy league, (she asked), she berated us. I asked her to stop telling us how much the ivy league sucked until after we paid but she didn’t care. She mostly bothered her employee to the point the girl looked like she wanted to die. Basically, don’t go. It just isn’t worth trying to eat while the owner tells everyone she knows more than you do.

Been coming here since they opened maybe 8 years ago. The food used to seem special, but now it seems kind of average compared to all the other options out there. The service has gotten cranky. Overall, not a fun place to come to anymore. You might want to go somewhere else if you can.

This little European bistro is a curious place tucked into the edge of downtown. The space is small — 6 booths, two tables, and the bar — and fills out quickly on Friday /​Saturday nights. The menu appears to be a combination of French/​Italian coastal (fish, cheese, shellfish) and German comfort food (Wiener schnitzel, sauerbraten, pork). Sounds strange, I know, but it seems to work. Both my wife and I had the blackened salmon over polenta and were quite pleased. The appetizer of white bean hummus, olive tapenade, and puréed roasted tomatoes we very tasty.
The waitstaff was attentive without being pushy, and the wine list had some full bodied Italian reds offered. Overall, a nice experience.

Love this place, and they never disappoint! Even though they were a little short staffed on the morning that we went for valentines brunch, the food itself was great. Three of us got the frittata (it had lamb instead of pork), and the portions were huge, hearty, and delicious with lots of meat, potatoes, and gooey cheese. The other person in our party got the skillet dish, which she also loved. Great flavors, nice big portions, super cozy atmosphere, and very competitive pricing, despite the slow service to start — we will keep coming back to this place!

We have been here a couple of times and it always leaves us wanting to come back for more. You have to try the med short stacks are worth the trip alone. Lots of great choices.

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.

I came in because it got good reviews on Unilocal 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 Unilocal,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.

Mattza ball soup —
So this week, we decided to get our European cuisine on, at Café 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 ²⁄₃^rd 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, Café 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», Café 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 Café Rustica, but no one makes better braukraut than Oma :) Regardless, I’ll be back as the service and food were excellent. Favorite Unilocal 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 9^th grade.

Honestly I’m not really sure what to think about this place. On the positive side the setting is small and quaint. But the décor 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.

Note to Unilocalers: don’t come here if you are absolutely hangry. You will be waiting awhile (and the hangriness will continue to fester).
We had a
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.

This quaint little restaurant was located two or so blocks away from the hotel where we were staying — I was a little bit apprehensive because there weren’t many choices within walking distances, but the food here is decent.
We had the trio of spreads (hummus, olive tapenade, spicy pepper relish), the Mediterranean short stack and the special pork shank. The tapenade and relish were very flavorful and the hummus subtle. I think I ate too much of it because when the short stack came, I wasn’t very hungry anymore. The short stack had a good amount of shrimp, scallops, and crab. It was light and creamy, but it must have been a non-​seafood night for me because the dish seemed only ‘a-​ok.’ The server told me that the short stack is one of their more popular dishes, so it’s still worth a try, regardless of my underwhelming experience. The shank was juicy, falling off the bone and very good. My husband cleaned his plate pretty fast, but that’s a norm for him!
If I were staying in the area again, I would definitely try Café Rustica again. Their server/​hostess is very nice and super helpful. The menu here is small, but I can tell the chefs are inventive and have a decent rotation of special offerings.

Needed to grab a late dinner after seeing Brian Regan, so I Unilocaled places within walking distance of the CenterStage Carpenter Theatre. I’m so glad I ended up at Café Rustica!
Since it was 9PM, there was only one other table of diners upon entering. My friend and I were told by the bartender/​waitress to sit anywhere, and we picked a booth. The booths have very perpendicular seatbacks!
The restaurant itself is very quaint with fun decorations such as a cuckoo clock. It feels very European. The restroom area upstairs is also very pleasant, despite the low-​ish ceiling, and is worth checking out when you visit.
Our server was very friendly throughout the meal and checked on us frequently. I even saw her help out a lost stranger who walked in inquiring about the location of the Megabus stop. She spent a good ten minutes helping the passerby, even trying to look up info on the Megabus website. Eventually, we were recruited for help and fortunately, we knew that the Megabus stop is down in Shockoe Bottom right by the Amtrak station. That’s some real kindness on the waitress’s part!
The food itself was excellent. There was an eclectic offering that differed from your typical American offerings. I was starving since I hadn’t even eaten lunch that day, so I ordered a soup plus two appetizers as my meal. I almost ordered more food, but the waitress stopped me, saying that I had already ordered a considerable amount of food, lol.
I enjoyed the soup of the day (tomato and salmon), as well as the sliced beets appetizer and Mediterranean short stack appetizer. The Mediterranean short stack had lots of quality seafood, and had a nice crispy outer surface. Plus, the appetizer portion was pretty generous with two large cakes.
My dining companion ordered the meatloaf, which he thoroughly enjoyed. I tried a bite of the spatzle that came with his meal, and it had a nice chewy texture which I liked a lot.
We also enjoyed two different kinds of complimentary bread with our meals. One of them had a distinct sweetness to it and was unlike any bread I’ve had before.
I loved my dining experience at Café Rustica and would definitely return! =)

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 …