We heard about Caffe Rustica from two of our foodie friends (one local), so it wasn't exactly a shot in a dark when we picked it up as a gathering place for our friend's birthday. Our expectations for food were set sky high, and, boy, we were not disappointed. On top of that we got an excellent service in times of COVID when most of the restaurant staff is acting confused, scared and spaced out. We had a large group that included 9 very active kids of different ages that were not super quiet. Despite of that everyone made us feel at home and welcome. Ok, enough with writing - just tale a look at the food (photos are included with the review). read more

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Food was delicious but we sat in the room by the bar. I have a fish allergy & was bothered by the cooking of fish. Very expensive meal . Ask to sit in the dining room so no odors will ruin your dinner. read more

Cozy little place. Great Italian dishes. Wonderful service. Eden runs a tight, well disciplined staff. read more

Horrible welcome. Ignored at front desk. Given worst table in the house in front of kitchen door when the place was 1/4 full with no reservations. Server switched our table. No problem! After that: Excellent food. Encrusted tuna steaks. Veal stew. Tres leches desert awesome! $80 person: cocktail, entree, dessert, and tip. A good but not outstanding evening. read more

Not big on leaving reviews. However was just loving the experience with dinner at the bar when I learned the owner was the actual bartender. Definitely impressed. Very personable. Stress free dining experience. Wouldn't dinner anywhere else. Oh yeah the food was top tier as well! read more

Small quant restaurant. Luckily it was early on a Monday night so even though we didn't have a reservation we were able to get a table. Shared the special field mix salad with pear and goat cheese. Delicious. Shared the homemade cappenelli with Bolognese sauce. Delicious. Prices seemed high. $14 for a house Cabernet seemed steep. read more

Service was a little slow and I am assuming it was due to a shortage of staff working for the Holiday. Overall, the food was good even though the service was slow. Ambiance was comfortable and I would explore further menu options when there isn't a major holiday on the calendar. read more

Absolutely delicious food and great experience. Wonderful service and best Negroni I've had in a long time!

Caffe Rustica Read our review guidelines Choose a star rating on a scale of 1 to 5 Good Saved Food Service Ambiance Date of visit: 4.20.24 6-7pm. We live in the local area and as our go to restaurant was unexpectedly closed we decided to try Caffe Rustica. So my wife and I arrived without reservations and were told that they expected more people to arrive, but they did have a table for us. The greeter, who did not introduce herself, asked us to wait and after about 5 minutes were escorted to a table for two. The greeters appearance and demeanor needs improvement. Needs more appropriate attire and greeting verbiage. Ambience was very nice, but a little too dark for us as the menu was hard to read. A couple who arrived minutes later, and sat at the table next to us, used their cell phones light. Our server arrived in a timely manner, who did not introduce herself, and we ordered 2 Manhattans, straight up and also our menu selections. I had asked to server to take her time, no rush. The salads arrived along with warm bread, vinegar and oil. very good. - no drinks yet. Finally our drinks arrived after almost finishing our salad. The Manhattans arrived in a non-traditional glasses - not appropriate! We tasted the drinks and they absolutely terrible. Almost straight whiskey. When the server arrived I told her that they were not drinkable. We ordered red wine, which was great. Our meals, Melanzana Arrabiata & Sweet Thai Chile Shrimp were excellent. Had two expresso coffees and cheese cake. Again excellent. Our server, Heather L., was excellent. Attentive and well dressed. I observed another server, male, 40-50, who looked slovenly because of his attire just came out of the dryer! Overall, I rate this restaurant an 8 out of 10. We would try it again. read more

My 300th review! And a very special one at that. This place is an institution of the highest quality. You wouldn't think so given its unorthodox location (it's "nestled" in a somewhat barren shopping center--anyone in the mood for some Price Chopper for dessert?), but Caffe Rustica is all class and all yum. Everyone who works here goes above and beyond in the customer service arena and their product has been solid at the very least for over a decade (probably more like 15 years if my memory serves me). If you're in Lake Placid and are willing to eat somewhere that's *not* on Main Street, you need to come here. My family has been coming to Caffe Rustica since it only operated out of one storefront (it expanded maybe seven years ago to two) and ever since we discovered it, it has been our favorite by a *long* shot. So when we came here on Friday night, I was curious to see how it had held up over the years. My last time here had been in 2010, so the gap was considerable. As you can see from my rating, it's still the best. AND: they now take reservations, making them one of the only places in Lake Placid to do so. It's packed all night every night (weekends in particular), so please go the reservation route. Though Caffe Rustica markets itself as more of a Mediterranean spot, I think it fits more into the Italian category. And like any good Italian spot, they've got a fantastic wine selection here (which we took advantage of). Unlike a lot of Italian (and Mediterranean, for that matter) spots, they've got some seriously great cocktails as well. I got what they call a "New Fashioned" which is made with wild blueberries, bourbon, lemon juice, a few other things, and is topped off with pilsner. Though I was a bit wary of the pilsner addition, it's not overpowering in any way. Just adds some effervescence to the drink. My bf got the drink special of the night, which was a daiquiri made with a super fresh, super yummy strawberry puree. Part of the reason my family loves Caffe Rustica so much is the uber personal service here (more on that later), but the food makes it a must-visit year after year. I've honestly never had a bad dish here. I can praise their pizzas and their salads equally (the Caesar, Tropicale and the Insalata are all fantastic) but for this review, I'll talk about my most recent experience. We first started with bread, which was as fresh and piping hot as it gets. Two different servers actually tried to give us a loaf, which would have been a-ok with our table. Though I'm more of a small plates girl, Caffe Rustica is definitely more of an entree-style place, so we all did our own things in terms of food. Stuffed Mushrooms w/ homemade fennel sausage, red peppers, parmesan, roasted red pepper coulis (A) Oh man, I haven't had great stuffed mushrooms in a while and these really hit the spot. Homemade fennel sausage at a good Italian place is pretty hard to beat--sticking some of that goodness in a mushroom just takes it up a notch. The last few stuffed mushrooms dishes I've had were quite overwhelming so this in comparison was special. The red pepper coulis looks a bit like tomato sauce but pairs even better with the flavors of the dish than tomato sauce would--more rustic/earthy with a hint of spice. Yum. Special Swordfish dish w/ mashed potatoes and asparagus (A) I try not to eat swordfish much due to the mercury content but on special occasions, it's perfectly safe. This was a beautifully-cooked piece of fish, and one that I finished with pride. The mashed potatoes were a worthy side dish, and this is coming from someone who claims to always put mashed potatoes on the bottom of the potato totem pole. I also tried my bf's strip steak (nightly special) which was incredibly delicious. And this is coming from someone who avoids red meat. Perhaps I need to reconsider my life choices. The one "issue" with Caffe Rustica is its kitchen. I put "issue" in quotes because the kitchen is exposed in the restaurant and everyone working in it is delightful. It can become an issue, though, when there are a number of large parties at primetime. Especially if you are not a member of one of those large parties. Though our bread, appetizers and drinks came out quite quickly, we ended up waiting at least an hour for our entrees. Our waitress, who is also the head bartender at Caffe Rustica, was profusely apologetic and gave us each a complimentary glass of wine for our patience. I honestly think we came at the exact wrong time and got unlucky with all of those big tables around us. So the service was still fantastic--the kitchen just got backed up. This is definitely one of the more expensive meals you can get in Lake Placid (I'd say $$ is misleading) but from my vantage point, it's worth it. You're probably thinking: "of course she'd say that--her parents are clearly paying". And you'd be right. But I'd shell out for this experience too. read more

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This charming little restaurant is a gem. It is attractive and charming, with a low noise level - you can actually speak with your dinner companions without shouting! Our server, Hannah, was cheerful and efficient, able to answer questions about the menu. Our party of 4 tried several appetizers- crab cakes, goat cheese and beet salad, Caesar salad - and all were pronounced excellent. The swordfish special was delectable- perfectly seasoned, tender and accompanied by a lovely risotto and fresh vegetables. The veal stew and shrimp diavolo were also really good. Would I recommend this restaurant? YES! I hope to go again soon! read more

hands down the best restaurant in Lake Placid. We were visiting from the city for a couple nights and tried a good amount of restaurants during our stay. This was the only one that really stood out. The wait was horrible even with reservations but they're really trying to limit capacity so no complaints. We had the appetizer special: clams and mussels in white sauce to start and I had the monkfish special with risotto. YUM. They need to add the monkfish to their menu because I would go back just for that item. DELISH. The waitress was awesome and friendly and the tiramisu was superb. Love the open kitchen. You can see that all the kitchen staff took great care in food prep and always kept their masks fully on. love! read more

Food was outstanding, menu was complete . Service was great, performed by friendly and efficient servers. Ambiance was very nice. Typical of fine Italian restaurants. Owner was very involved in the business , functioning as hostess, bartender and overall outstanding ambassador. read more

Dinner tonight was excellent. For appetizers we had prosciutto spedini and the goat cheese beet salad. The spedini was very good with warm, melted mozzarella and slightly salty prosciutto. My wife loved the beet salad with warm goat cheese. She had the trout special entrée and loved it. I had the cavatelli Bolognese and also enjoyed it thoroughly. Service was also excellent with great conversation and background from our server Joe, we will be back! read more

Booked a reservation for about 11 people a few Fridays ago. Food was great, good service. I wish I remember our server's name because he provided good service and we didn't feel rushed at all. Wine was ok, but everything else was great! I would recommend if you're in the area. read more

The food here is absolutely delicious! Every dish is bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. The staff is friendly and attentive, making for a wonderful dining experience. read more

Great find,attentive wait staff, menu was exciting and excellent Italian food, definitely on our list when visiting Lake Placid again

Absolutely amazing service. Impeccable food and ambiance. Will be there every time when visiting Lake placid

Solid 4 stars. Had the bolognese sauce and it was solid. The homemade pasta they served with it was nice. Also had a special pasta with house made sausage and a Marsala sauce which was good. The pizza was just OK, wood fired but they needed to rotate it 1/2 way thru, burnt on one side and underdone on the other. Great wine list. The summer gin fizz cocktail was great. read more

The most delicious Italian food in Lake Placid. Everything is fresh and the desserts were creative and yummy. read more

Caffe Rustica - Salsiccia Orecchiette - Italian Near Me - Lake Placid, New York

I was a little nervous about the location by a grocery store but we loved this restaurant!! The patio is quiet and planted beautifully so it has a garden feel. The staff was very gracious, the cocktails were delicious as was our meal!! read more

Consistency is the hallmark of a great property and Cafe Rustica never fails to offer great food, great service and local flair! This is our go to in lake placid even though their are other similar level bistros we always return for their beef cheeks and papadela, house wood burning pizzas, Thai shrimp with orzo and homemade desserts!!! Staff is always accommodating friendly and attentive . Bar has daily specialty cocktails and a great wine list. Back room can get a bit noisy with their larger tables. Plenty of parking and easy access. Reservations highly recommended. Sorry no pictures phone was dead but trust me you will not be disappointed!!!! read more

Fantastic food & service. Emily gave us great recommendations. The staff work exceptionally as a cohesive team!! Veal stew with pappardelle & cavatelli bolognese were so rich with flavor without overpowering sauces!! read more

Picked up two half cooked pizzas one "meatball" one pepperoni. There were maybe 10 crumbles and I mean very little crumbles of meatball... not even slices of meatball.... And very little pepperoni on my husband's pizza. Not sure why so incredibly skimpy. Pizza dough was super doughy and undercooked so we threw most of it out. This was our second time with a terrible meal. the former owner Kevin was a skilled CIA educated chef...this doesn't come even a little close. read more

We love Caffee Rustica! Love the food, drinks, and staff! It's a must stop when in Lake Placid

Very nice family feel warm cozy it is small need reservations. Every one was very friendly and they were under staffed. It they worked there but off to please u. I was very happy. Prosciutto wrapped mozz was awesome. And we shared Caesar salad. Was very good. We got pizza mine was burnt on bottom I would def suggest. Getting something other than pizza. read more

I really loved this place from the first moment I entered its doors when the scents wafted over me. I opted to sit at the bar and was glad I did since Eden was excellent, one of the best servers I have ever had. She was smart, respectful and efficient. She helped me make my selections by offering good advice. The meal started with some excellent warm bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. The pizzas on the menu sounded great but I went elsewhere with my choices. For an appetizer I ordered the prosciutto spedini where the mozzarella was warm and served over a small bed of greens and more balsamic. Excellent. For my entrée I thought briefly about the Thai chili shrimp over linguini but opted for the house specialty, Salsiccia Orechiette. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the red sauce was fresh and the sausage tasty. Another hit. I couldn't finish all that so I declined dessert (which included a cheesecake and flourless chocolate cake). I did order a cocktail special ($15) with Grey Goose Orange which was refreshing. (They also listed a Manhattan made with Basil Hayden Dark Rye, my usual go to.) read more

Undoubably 4.5-5 stars and by far the best meal we've had in Lake Placid. If you are tiring of bar food or the somewhat touristy and similar restaurants I call the "three sisters on Main Street" -- Luna, Jimmy's 21, and The Black Bear--consider a 10 minute drive from Main Street to Caffe Rustica. Clearly run by a foody, every morsel was delicious. The melanzane arrabiata, orchiette with homemade sausage and arugula, and the seared scallops were all five star preparations. The bread, appetizers, salads and tiramsu were as good as it gets. The only disappointment was the Bellini which would have benefitted from more peach puree. Service was tops and the prices reflected the location. This is a small place so you probably want reservations. But all-in-all a near five star meal. read more

My wife and I had dinner here last night but I hesitate to leave a negative review as Caffe Rustica has somehow figured out how to get glowing 5 star reviews. Rather than go on about what a pretentious and overpriced place this is, if you're new to the area or visiting from some other part of the state, country,or world,it's better to ignore the 5 star friends and family reviews and look at the 3,2,and 1 star reviews to get a feel for what your actual dining experience will be like. read more

Busy restaurant in a shopping center whose large outdoor parking lot has at least a half dozen charging stations. Substantial number of outdoor tables and that's where we sat. Lovely flowers/bushes/lights alongside our table, so we took photos of ourselves. I skipped the appetizers in lieu of the bread and butter basket. My wife ordered a salad, which was big enough for both of us, and the sweet and thoughtful waitress (Heather) brought out an extra plate, even without being asked. Unfortunately, there was an issue with the salad, so it had to be returned and my wife ordered the Caprese "salad" instead (sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese). For entrees, she ordered the shrimp scampi over an English pea risotto and I ordered the chicken Mediterranean - both scrumptiously delicious. My wife ordered a lemonade and I ordered a chianti classico (it wasn't Ruffino, but some brand I never heard of that was just as good). I had asked whether they fill the glass to the top and the waitress replied they do a "standard pour," which I looked up and learned that, for a restaurant, is 5 oz. (which turned out to be just enough for me). We were full and skipped dessert. It's pricey, about $100 without tip, so about $120. read more

Everywhere else was so busy, with a long wait time, so we picked out Caffe Rustica because it was further away from the center area. And I was surprised that it was rather upscale. The food and service were good, although my salmon was a bit overcooked after being asked if medium rare was fine with me. Actually, I preferred it that way, but unfortunately it was more on the medium side. I gave 4 stars, more for the service than the food, which was otherwise fine but not outstanding. read more

We were highly recommended to eat here and were very excited to finally have a night out. They were very welcoming upon arrival, but we quickly learned that our waiter was overwhelmed with his section. We asked about a bottle of wine and he said we could taste it, but just brought out the bottle instead and opened it at the table. We are not people who want to send a bottle of wine back so we just kept it. Then he served a table that came after us their water and bread and eventually came to us and just quickly left it on the table. We flagged him down to order an appetizer because we were hungry. The appetizer came and the entire bottom was charcoal burnt black. For the price of food there, the fact that they hid the burnt part and still served it is ridiculous. The server was so busy he never checked on us, so it just sat at our table until our meals came. Someone else delivered our meals and we were impressed by portion size, it made the price tag a little better, but I had a pasta dish and wanted cheese, but no one came to check on us for about 15 minutes. When the waiter eventually came, he offered me cheese, but took about 10 more minutes to bring it and gave me a small sprinkle and then ran off. My husband had chicken and it was undercooked, but at this point we just wanted to leave the restaurant Overall, we were underwhelmed with service and the food. We walked away $100 less in our pocket and wish we had gone somewhere else. read more

Amazing food....excellent staff..,.a must when we come to Lake placid! Please don't miss it!

Cafe Rustica had a nice atmosphere and the waitstaff was very pleasant. Unfortunately, the food was not very good and also very overpriced. The risotto was a reheated clump in the middle of the plate. Real Risotto done right should not stay in a formed clump. Peas were not tender; definitely reheated. 5 shrimp around the outer edge. Scampi sauce was ok, not very lemony. For $36. Crab cake appetizer was $26 for 2 cakes a little bigger than half-dollars. Flavor was ok, but not made with lump crab. I make my own lump crab cakes and this was not it. My significant other was not happy with his meal either. Disappointing evening. Not sure who is leaving the rave reviews. Maybe friends and family. I'm sure they make something good. Maybe the pizza...? But for this price point, I should not be getting reheated risotto with a side of shrimp. read more

I have always loved Cafe Rustica. The food is fresh and real. Super high quality ingredients and great service. Last night we had takeout. I was hoping it didn't taste cold or stale and I was not disappointed. Just as outstanding as eat in dining. I had beet salad (my favorite) and cavatelli bolognese. My guests has crab cakes, a Mediterranean salad and sweet Thai chili shrimp. Everyone was very pleased. This would be 5 stars except for the fact that the cavatelli bolognese did not contain cavatelli. It was shells. Since cavatelli has a completely different texture and flavor, I wasn't thrilled about that. But it wouldn't stop me from going back the next chance I get. read more

Caffe Rustica - Shells. Not cavatelli. - Italian Near Me - Lake Placid, New York

My soon-to-be wife and I are regulars now to the Lake Placid area, but still looking for those great dining experiences. We saw some great reviews about Caffe Rustica so we decided to give it a shot. The place seemed nice. Great atmosphere and the staff were pleasant. It's unfortunate the food didn't live up to that same expectation. I've had enough macaroni (yes, we call it macaroni) to know the difference between fresh and boxed. I was excited to see they had fresh cavetilli. I asked the server if they were truly fresh. He said yes. I asked if they were made there and he said no but very local. That was good enough for me to give it a shot. We started with crab cakes. $26 for two sad looking pieces of garbage. No other way to describe it. The plate was garnished with gross wilted lettuce clearly in an effort to fill up the plate. The cakes tasted like wet cotton. Just gross. No hint of crab. My plate came out and I could tell almost immediately I was lied to. The pasta was clearly boxed and the bolognase was gross. I had three bites and that was about it. Never finished it and didn't get it boxed. I am not one to send things back because I fear the chef backlash. You get one shot with me. I paid the bill and then asked to speak to the manger. I was surprised to hear the manger was also our server which anyone would see as a red flag. I expressed my complete disgust with our experience. He was very polite and took the feedback but I have to wonder how that can happen when there were so many good reviews. A little over $100 for three plates of garbage. Embarrassing. read more

Hidden gem alert! I've waited a long time to review these guys out of pure greediness, and I figured it was time to show Caffe Rustica some love! A bit of the beaten path (in the Price Chopper plaza), but don't be fooled by the extra 3 minute drive! This place is worth it. Delicious drinks, amazing food, and the friendliest wait staff in town await. Whether you're looking for a laid back pizza and beer night, or a fancy italian dinner, this place has options for anyone. I usually wait to hear what the specials are before deciding on dinner, although the lasagna is my favorite! Other favorites on the menu include the meatballs, steak, and of course the pizza! read more

Caffe Rustica - Meatball appetizer, perfect start to any meal! - Italian Near Me - Lake Placid, New York

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After being highly recommended, my husband and I dined here tonight with our toddler. We attempted a walk in last night but they were booked with reservations (we figured like most places in Lake Placid they didn't take reservations). They kindly put us on the books for tonight, knowing we had our 2 year old with us. We arrived on time and realized they didn't have high chairs, no big deal, they sat us on a bench with an edge. Our daughter was active but polite (saying hi to everyone who passed). She didn't run around or cry. From the moment we sat down we could tell our server was frustrated with us. I am aware kids at restaurants can be stressful so we tried to be kind but we received nothing back. She was very cold and unwelcoming. I listened to her kindly ask a neighboring table how their food was and waited to be asked how ours was or if I'd like another glass of wine. This didn't happen. She said nothing when she dropped the check at our table. I am so disappointed. Other than the service, the experience was nice. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere is beautiful. We had the meatball appetizer, cavatelli bolognese and shrimp risotto. read more

If you are worried that a place is in a strip Mall next to Price chopper Don't worry...the food is fantastic and the service is just as good and friendly. Go to This Restaurant !! read more

Wonderful location just off the main road (Hwy.) as it leaves eastern Lake Placid. This is an intimate space inside a newer development. Inside, you'll find about 10 tables and seating for 8 at the bar. In season, there are tables outside warmed by a fire for lingering. The food was wonderful! I enjoyed the Oricchiete with greens, sausage and sundried tomato. A Napa Merlot was the perfect accompaniment. My fellow diners at the bar were tasting the special of the night (lobster cakes), as well as the delicious standards from the menu such as braised short ribs and seafood pasta. Since I dined here 'out of season', I was greeted by locals who were very friendly and had some great stories about life in Lake Placid. Definitely one of THE places to dine while visiting the area! read more