Cafe Rustica

Review: I visit Richmond frequently on business. Having a pleasant meal while on the road is a real treat, and everything about this restaurant is delightful: inventive menu, very good choice of wines, and (contra other reviews) I've had good service from knowledgable servers.

Review: Sometimes we have to relax and let things happen as they will. This is not an in and out establishment. Be patient and prepare to have some of the best food you have ever tasted.

Review: i would love to say that this was the best drink ive ever had. keep the softdrinks coming please :D

Review: The food was spectacular! Service was mediocre to poor. Our waiter took way too long to bring us our coffee's and silverware just to mention a few examples. We waited about 30 minutes for our food, which I don't complain about as it shows that it was prepared when ordered and done properly. Both our plates were unbelievably good and at a great price. Again, the service was lacking but that won't stop me from going back to try out the other interesting menu items. The food and value make up for it. Just make sure you are not in a hurry when you go or you might miss your appointment.

Review: The food was amazing, but the service was terrible. I understand that the place is new and things can be hectic in the beginning, but there are only 7 tables in the whole place and there were 3 people working on the floor, that equals about 2.5 tables each. It took us a good 10 min to get a wine menu, then another 10 to actually get the wine. we sat at our table for about 20 before anyone even came over, I had to ask someone to take our order. They were pleasant when they got there, but the whole meal was like that, we had to ask for the bread that came with our meal. We had to ask for the check and then had to wait another 15 min before she came back to get our card. we spoke with the manager and she had a less than apologetic attitude. Not sure if i would go back.

Review: The menu is great. Fantastic food! Possibly the worst service I have had in Richmond. The restaurant is small, so it's pretty obvious when new people arrive and are standing at the bar area. Despite that fact, my friends had to flag someone for a wine list, flag someone to place our drink order, once seated, flag someone to take our order, flag someone for the check, etc. There seemed to be no system between the staff.....everyone was running in circles. When our party commented to the staff on the delay in service, the co-owner blamed it on the new hostess! Very unprofessional!

Review: This place is fantastic! The food is great, but the atmosphere is charming. The staff are so nice and seem to enjoy their jobs and serving their delicious food. I love it!

Review: Went on a Friday night for dinner with a friend. We sat in one of the beautiful booths crafted out of old wooden doors. The restaurant filled very quickly. The waitress was very friendly and helped us pick out our meals: she was very knowlegable about the wines, the food ingredients and portion sizes.

We dined for about two hours, but after we had finished our coffees and were chatting, another woman came over and asked us to give up our seats so that other people could sit down. She said it in a polite way: "Would you like to finish your conversation at the bar?" but I was annoyed that I'd just paid the bill and been asked to scoot. When we looked around we did realize that many people were sitting at the bar, presumably to get a booth seat. Still, it left me a little cold.

Overall, the food was really well-crafted and presented. The romaine salad was served with anchovies and the lettuce was quartered, not chopped. My friend's pasta was very nice. There was fresh bread, butter and olive oil served before the food was brought out.

Would definitely return, hopefully on a quieter night.

Review: My friend and I came to the cafe after a long morning of tromping around from legislator to legislator on Pro-Choice Lobby Day. We are both students, so the place seemed a little upscale, but we decided to go for it as the cafe was right around the corner from a rendezvous point where we were expected to meet. We ordered, and waited... and waited... and waited... until half an hour had passed and everyone, including people who came in after us, had been served. Eventually our waitress came and told us that our ticket had been stuck to another one, and our meals hadn't even been prepared yet. We asked to have the lunch as carry-out, and the waitress disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a complimentary house salad and bowl of steaming borscht. Both were delicious, and we appreciated their courtesy; when the panini and quiche came, they were not only aesthetically appealing in their presentation and of wonderful consistency and taste, but our waitress brought us complimentary chocolate pate. The pate, we can report, was absolutely delicious - not too sweet, chilled, and melting in the mouth. Our waitress refused to take a tip; the staff in general was extremely friendly. Next Pro-Choice Lobby Day, we're bringing all our friends.

Review: This little gem just opened about a week ago and is definitely worth a visit! I stopped in, uninvited, a week before the opening and was greeted cordially and upon asking for a copy of the menu was pleased to be given one right out of a menu folder. The offerings were different than anything offered currently in our little bit of downtown so we in the office were pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't just "another little sandwich place". The fact that they are open for breakfast was another high point. The bread is baked fresh on premises and both of the diners were more than pleased with the flavor and texture of our breads. The schnitzel had a very good flavor and was not heavily crusted and fried which is common and as a result was quite juicy and flavorful. The only thing I would change is the thickness of the cutlet; I would like it just a little thicker. The slaw had a nice sweet and sour tang and was a nice change from regular old creamy slaw. The crab omelet was light and fluffy; the crab was flavorful and light and the cheese did not overpower it. A great combo. Both diners had iced tea and while it was good, we thought the $2 price was about 50 cents too high for a standard glass of refillable tea. The decor is rustic country but with some nice city chic accents in the lighting and bar. The wait staff, which as far as we could tell consisted of Julie, and one of the co-owners, was attentive and friendly. As busy as she was that day, Julie stopped by frequently and was very pleasant. All in all, a great lunch at a very reasonable price and a welcome addition to our neighborhood. We would recommend it to anyone and have already told many of our co-workers.