We decided on a Friday night meal here after a recommendation by friends.
8:00 booking and La Rustica is very busy. We're seated quickly. The first thing we notice is the noise. It's incredibly loud in this large dining space.
I look around and can see why. Hard surfaces everywhere. Looks like wood panelling up high but suspect it's wallpaper that looks like wood. No table cloths, hard chairs, everything reflecting sound. It's so loud our waitstaff has to bend down to our level to be heard and to hear us.
A cider and a wine are ordered and we sit back and survey the surrounds. The place certainly has a nice ambience, and the views of the foreshore are nice. Drinks arrive and we order. My Pressmans cider is nice, but unfortunately has been served over ice, a bit of a crime for me. No choice was given upon ordering.
We order a mushroom bruschetta to share for starters and lamb shanks and a sirloin for mains.
Bruschetta is lovely. Well spiced mushrooms with a bitter cheese melted over it. Yum!
A lengthy wait ensues, but it's busy so we're forgiving. A main arrives - lamb's fry. Ok, not ours. Are you sure we are asked? Well, yes. We know what we ordered. Looks of consternation and back to the kitchen it goes.
More waiting. We assume now that they're restarting our mains after the mistake was discovered. Eventually the main course arrives.
My shanks are served with mash, gravy and three veg (corn, carrot and broccoli). Likewise the sirloin.
First thing we notice is that the plates are cold. Henceforth all the veg, bar the mash, are cold. Hmmm. Ok, we battle on. The shanks are delicious. Meat falling from the bone, well complemented by the mash and a rich gravy. Partner always eats veggies first, then tackles the protien. So I'm mostly done with my shanks when she slices the steak. Oh dear. Ordered medium, the steak is clearly well-done. Sliced down the middle there is the barest hint of colour. We suspect that the steak wasn't refired when the mistake with the lamb was discovered, and has sat for too long.
This combined with cold veggies, the noise and the mix up with the lamb's fry is enough. Waitstaff are called and the steak returned. Apologies are made and offers of a replacement are made, but we decline. We've already been there 90 minutes and the idea of more time there is unappealing.
And so we left. We had hoped for a lovely evening out but it was spoiled. We shan't go back. Some of the food was nice. Some of the service was good. The room itself would be fine if the place wasn't busy. There's much better in Canberra for the price. read more