After seeing all of the voices recommending this place on here, I simply HAD to give this a try...
This Italian popped up some time ago in the Jewellery Quarter. I have walked past it possibly hundreds of times and seen many a happy diner munching on some delicious pasta or sipping on a nice glass of chilled white wine, but hadn't ever really given it much thought. When Elite Adam L. suggested a "January catch up", I figured it was high time to pop in and give it a look...
Cucina Rustica is a smart looking Italian with decking outside and a clean, well maintained exterior. As I have said in many a review, I am not a huge fan of Italian food; but that opinion is starting to change after a number of great experiences at local Italian delights in the Midlands. After reading Dave C. and Lizzi H's reviews, I felt it would be a good bet as somewhere new to try.
We were greeted straight away on entry and asked where we would like to sit (this was a lunch sitting, at around 1:30pm). There were a few diners, but it wasn't so busy that it felt bustling. We chose a table by the window and were presented with menus. There is a LOT of choice! You get the usual (pasta, pizza and salad etc), but many of the dishes came with an unexpected twist or slightly different ingredients which I found to be really interesting. I decided to go for a seafood salad and my partner in dining opted for the pasta.
The dish was Much bigger than I expected and came loaded with crab meat, salmon and pretty huge prawns served on a bed of leaves, tomatoes and some kind of crispy dish. For £11.95, I definitely felt this was worth the money. Everything was fresh and tasty and it seemed to be a great choice for a hearty (but healthy-ish) lunch.
We both had a soft drink to go with our meal and ended up being in the venue for around maybe... an hour and a half? We weren't rushed (but were checked on) and felt like we were looked after over our visit. I can't comment on the final bill (Adam very kindly paid) but I would imagine it would have been around the £30 mark.
I would certainly recommend a visit to this venue. I can only speak for my lunch experience, but we had great food, attentive service all in a lovely location. read more