My job allows me to eat around the world pretty regularly and I must admit this is such a unique gem that I had to leave a review. Quite and relaxed atmosphere, wonderful lunch prices and everything done to perfection. I had the short stack after seeing it was a popular choice around me and it was absolutely wonderful. I will be back read more

Very unique menu. Small but interesting and comfortable decor centered around a bar seating area. I ordered something i ain't never had: salmon hash. Served on a sizzling black flat iron, it includes two well done sunny side eggs and a slice of baguette. Very well executed in a big man-sized portion. Next time i will substitute beef or pork and rye toast, just cause i like that more. My friends ordered a french dip and soup and salads, all of which looked great. Price is very reasonable. I will return! read more

Great service and the apricot chicken lunch special was amazing. Be prepared for HUGE serving with that special. The deserts are great as well. read more

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. read more

Worth the trip, would absolutely visit again!!! Quaint little spot with limited seating so unless arriving when open, definitely reserve a table. Waitress was friendly and attentive, and the food was absolutely delicious!!! read more

Oh man! Homemade spaetzle? Really? I've never seen that in a German restaurant in this country, but there they are. And they're good! So are the homemade bratwurst and homemade brotchen. We had lunch but we'll be back for dinner. Soon. read more

EXCELLENT in every way except for seating, a little too cozy, but forgot about that when the food arrived! This is the real deal when it comes to German food. Service and food was outstanding, reservations are not a bad idea since the restaurant is very small. I can't wait to go back! read more

I love this place! Amazing food for lunch and dinner. I always get the soup of the day and have not disliked a single one! Homemade bread served alongside it! So delicious! If you haven't tried this place go! It's wonderful. read more

Great Oyster stew and eclectic sandwiches with a home cooked feel. Definitely reccomwnd if you are beetween downtown and the fan or near VCU. read more

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. read more

I popped in for lunch with some co-workers. The ambiance was cozy and classy. The service (one person) was alright, but we were just about the only table present. I feel like had there been another table or two, she might have gotten overwhelmed. The menu is pan-European with German undertones. I got a tasty seafoodcake salad, and it was quite good. The lettuce was fresh and well-dressed. I suspect frozen seafood, but in a cake it was still good. My only complaint is that the kitchen was very slow to get our meals out. read more

Good service. Quaint place with good food, a bar and booths. I had the French Dip. The bread was good, but the roast beef wasn't anything to write home about. Everyone I was with enjoyed their food and I would go back for lunch or for some drinks at the bar one evening. read more

Really good pasta, but if someone in your party is extremely particular be aware the fettucine is the size of egg noodles. I have not met anyone who had a bad experience. Bathrooms are upstairs, so not a place to bring someone who can't navigate stairs. read more

Food comes in three categories: BBQ, Diner, and all other kinds. Rustica is the best of the other kind in the city. No argument. If you dislike the service go back to Chesterfield and eat at an IHOP, call me and let me know how that goes. read more

Was in Richmond for several days at the end of August for work and found Cafe Rustica on my tablet looking for restaurants near my hotel. While the walk over took me through some sketchy areas and past some "interesting" local inhabitants, the stroll over was worth it. While it's a relatively small location, I was there after the lunch hour to get something to eat before my six P.M. flight home and it had several tables occupied. As I had time to kill, I ordered the mussels first and eventually ordered the salad with the rare beef slices on it and the gouda cheese. Both were very good, and for $25.00 plus a tip I had a makeshift Surf & Turf late lunch/early dinner. They have a well-stocked wine and beer only bar, which I wasn't able to sample as I was flying later that day. The staff was friendly and somewhat sociable. All in all, a good experience. read more

1st time and not bad. Panini vegetariano is outstanding. Full of flavor. Best potato salad I ever tasted.

OMG, I felt like I was visiting relatives (who also happened to be superb chefs). Everyone here is so welcoming and accommodating and helpful, and the food and beer were so so good. Cozy atmosphere, easily-understandable menu. My guest and I had a wonderful experience. read more

Small, welcoming restaurant that puts out some really good food. I would recommend any seafood here, everything I've tried has been delicious. read more

This place looks like a hole in the wall and inside it feels that way too. The wooden booths are lined up opposite the bar and the whole place feels a bit crowded but the food is good basic hearty feel-good food. It may sound weird but our food stayed shockingly scalding hot the whole time, mine was on a skillet but still it was weird. Anyways, it's a short menu but was very good. read more

Great place for lunch. It was so crowded that my friend and I could only get seated at the bar. I had the Mediterranean short stack, which was phenomenal. The restaurant was so busy that we had to wait a while for our orders to show up, but it was well worth the wait. And the food arrived hot. read more

Great supper on Sunday nights cioppino was terrific as was the white bean Skype with chorizo. The atmosphere is very relaxed. Nicole is very attenrive read more

I've never had German food but my boyfriend who owned a German restaurant agreed with me that the food here was amazing. Good food, awesome prices, cool ambience. read more

Best mussels in town. Consistently. Cafe Rustica has become my dad's regular Sunday lunch place and I often join him there for a drink and mussels. I have tried the mussels at several very well regarded restaurants in Richmond and no other restaurant succeeds like here. Never have I had an over cooked mussel, and the broth is always a heavenly marriage of wine, butter, and garlic. Nor do they scrimp on the bread to go with it, something like a focaccia but less dense, lightly toasted and buttered, perfect for sopping up every bit of juice! Enough about the mussels, they also have other excellent dishes - I know, I've had them. The Mediterranean Short Stack and Rustic Skillet are my two favorites, both of which are delectable and hearty! I also heartily approve of their wine list. Michelle, co-owner and often bartender fixes up wonderful homemade sangrias while giving excellent service, though I usually get a glass of dry sherry or 10-year tawny port! I think the two words that best describe Cafe Rustica are cozy and sophisticated - comforting and familiar but with enough exoticism to know you are enjoying something special! read more

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... read more

The four of us each had a different schnitzel which were all very good and worth another visit. The staff was very knowledgeable and very friendly. The one complaint was that the red cabbage tasted over-cooked. This location is not handicapped friendly as the restrooms are on the second floor up steep stairs. Easy on street parking after six. read more

Very nice meal. Only suggestion I would have is that they should include local VA wines to their winelist.

Ordered the grilled salmon and enjoyed it thoroughly. Small cozy joint and nice homely feel. Would definitely try again.

The Cafe Rustica has great food. I've eaten there several times. It's a small restuarant with a nice staff. The bread is off the chain chain. Mwah. I love the Euro international selection, from rustic German / Austrian full plates to coastal Mediterranean pescatarian delights. Try lunch. It is so, so worth it. read more

A chef-driven diners' delight. Small house, intimate & comfortable. Friendly owner & staff take good care of the customers. Excellent wine list, fair prices for drinks & meals. read more

We've been here many times over the years. We've always liked the food and atmosphere, especially since they changed to the schnitzel bar concept. We made a reservation for the World Cup Brunch on Father's Day for schnitzel and soccer. We arrived 15 minutes early, only to be told that they wouldn't honor the reservation because they had already filled up with first-come-first-served customers! As Seinfeld once said, "they know how to take the reservation, they just don't know how to *hold* the reservation and that's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them." Very, very bad! read more

I went today Friday 2/2/18 to Cafe Rustika for lunch. I arrived at 12:10 pm and by 12:15 pm I had already placed my order. You are not going to believe this but, by 12:55 pm my order had not yet arrived to my table. During all that time I asked the waiter a couple of times to check on my order; he never did, he simply didn't care. Since I had a meeting at 1:00 pm, I simply left. To all of you who only have one hour for lunch on weekdays, Good Luck! Terrible experience! Café Rustika Never Again! read more

The "new" Cafe Rustika (formerly Cafe Rustica) recently migrated to an all-German menu, predominantly featuring a variety of schnitzels (pork or chicken), wursts, a few simple entrees and authentic German side dishes. My wife and visited one weekday evening to sample their fare. The ambiance was as lackluster as it ever was; same uncomfortable bench seating and small, wobbly tables. The only "new" adornment to the drab interior was a German flag handing in the window. This was a a mid-week experience and the small restaurant was about half full. Yet, there was but a single employee attending to the bar, seating customers, taking orders, serving meals and handling the register. He was clearly overwhelmed. While he was reasonably polite he didn't seem the least concerned with the inadequate service he was clearly providing. My wife's drink order came after 10 minutes, mine followed 10 minutes later when he finally was able to take our food orders. We ordered two varieties of chicken schnitzels, one plain and the other Jagerschnitzel (with mushroom and red wine sauce). Collectively we sampled their sides of sauerkraut, spatzle, warm potato salad and blaukraut (red cabbage). The wait for our food was far longer than it should have been. The schnitzels were large, well-pounded, tender and quite enjoyable. Three sides were authentic and flavorful. The mushy and bland spatzle was a disappointment. A "fix-up/clean-up" weekend would do wonders for the atmosphere, as would some paint, repairs to the slamming entry doors and flickering lights, bench cushions and some upgraded decorations. Add another staff member and perhaps this place has a future. The food is promising and it would behoove them to diversify their menu a bit. We'll check back in a few months... assuming they are still there. read more

Really good for Richmond area! Mediterranean short stack is my favourite! :)

Went for a birthday party with 5 people. Got the soup and Greek pork. AMAZING. Everyone elses food was great as well. Not too pricey for the amount and quality of food. Service was good, though not too packed on our night. Thoroughly recommend it! read more

First time in Richmond -- this place lives up to the reviews. Good food, interesting old building and decor, obviously a local favorite.

I just dined there and the Cheddar Risotto is the best I have ever had. I got my food pretty fast but the waitress was cordial at best. I usually order the short stack but tried the risotto instead. Very very good, I still missed the short stack, so I have to come back. Not enough of the dessert for carry out, just one bite. I will try it again soon. read more

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. read more

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! read more

This place is awesome! But the reason for not a full 5 stars is because I'm so sad they discontinued my favorite menu item - the skillet. Please bring it back! Hugs and kisses. read more

Great food and beer that took us back to a recent trip to Germany. We will definitely be back. Most of our group had Schnitzel but we also tried the seafood short stack which was fsntastic! read more