Great fine dining restaurant though I wished they had more vegetarian options for the main course, though I understand with a smaller menu veggie options aren't the top priority. Wonderful food and service otherwise. read more

There are several really good restaurants in Kalamazoo. However, there are only a few that are as good to Rustica. Four of us ate at Rustica Thursday evening. We all had different entrees and they were all excellent. The lamb shank was wonderful, one of the best I have ever had as was the salmon and pasta with chicken dish. I highly recommend this quaint European style restaurant. read more

My wife and I ate there for my birthday. Absolutely wonderful! Our meals were prepared perfectly and the flavors were to die for. We are impatiently waiting for our next visit. read more

Dined here on 10/13/16 with my husband. It was pretty busy but we were able to get a table right away. The menu is very interesting with lots of unique apps and entree's to choose from. We ordered the pork belly for an appetizer. It was so rich, literally melted right in my mouth. For dinner my husband had the lamb and I had the pork loin. Both were absolutely phenomenal. The lamb was extremely impressive-it did not taste "gamey" whatsoever. Ambiance of this restaurant is very nice, it was very pleasant to set the mood for our date. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt the service was a bit slow. Our server was very pleasant but clearly busy and overwhelmed. There didn't seem to be any support staff other than the host/owner. We would definitely recommend this restaurant and would come back again. read more

I read most of the reviews before my sister and I agreed this would be where I celebrated my birthday. I cannot understand anything less than 5 stars. I'd give it more if I could. We initially couldn't get in at the desired time thinking we'd be choosing another restaurant. But we got a call back 10 minutes later saying we, could, indeed come in at 6:30. There were 4 of us in our party. We were seated right when we walked in. Everything was as I read. Small space, but smartly arranged. We sat right in front of the door on the main isle but we're absolutely comfortable. Our server was outstanding. The owners were present and attentive. The food was off the charts amazing from the charcuterie board to the bone marrow to the cucumber salad to the fusilli, gnocchi, salmon, and risotto to the unbelievable deserts. We ordered 2 bottles of wine-both we're excellent. The bill was less than I thought it'd be and well worth the memories the experience holds. We are foodies. We seek out unique menus. We understand others do as well. We understand restaurants of the highest caliber have a framework. We don't try to change or manipulate it. I am SO grateful we got the call back (from Bill the owner) that we could get in. And I cannot wait to go back. read more

First visit last night. Some of the most wonderful food we've ever had the pleasure eating. The chef had a Chestnut soup that was extraordinary. One diner in our group, a former food critic, said the Heirloom Tomato salad was the best he'd ever tasted. The Lamb Shank was outstanding, the Pan Roasted Pork Chop was moist and tender, even the Trout which I usually find to be somewhat tasteless was excellent. Can't wait to go back. This is the best food I have had in Kalamazoo since Oakley's closed years ago. I hope this restaurant has a long run and it should. read more

Fabulous dinner. Grilled romaine lettuce salad was an amazing version of something like a Caesar--but somewhat lighter and absolutely delicious. I had the lamb shank which was the best dinner I have had in a long time. The polenta complemented it extremely well. It was rich and novel. My wife had the duck which was equally good. Wonderful food. I highly recommend it. read more

I love an excellent meal, and Rustica is The Best in Kalamazoo. I've been to a lot of amazing restaurants around the country, and Rustica is an amazing secret tucked away in Kzoo MI. We like to get a table next to the chefs so we can watch their technique. They offer very balanced, well executed dishes. The menu always stays true to the seasons and offers a great variety. This place remains our "date night" destination. read more

We went here for dinner. The food and service was very good. We both had the Grilled Romaine Salad. My wife had the marrow bone appetizer as her main course and raved about. I had Faro with mushrooms which was great. read more

Best choice in Kalamazoo for fine dining. Had the special with local produce and the lamb shank - both excellent.

We have been here several times and have always had a great meal. Rustica does not have an extensive menu but prepares every item well and uses high quality ingredients. The wait staff provides good advice on meals and wines. read more

Would definitely recommend going here. The food, while a bit expensive, was above my expectations in regards to serving size and taste. The restaurant had an at home feel. The waiter had a little problem with remembering the menu, but it was a small problem and he overall was pretty good. read more

The food is some of the best I've had in Michigan, yes, equal to Detroit, Traverse City, and Ann Arbor restaurants. The bone marrow appetizer is an original, a must have. If lamb is your thing, then the lamb shank is a treat. Subtle but amazing spicing, unlike any shank I've ever had. My partner had the flank steak, and again, beautifully prepared and perfectly spiced. read more

My wife and I think this is the best restaurant in Kzoo. We have never been disappointed and generally take out of town guests to Rustica. Yes, it is a bit pricey, but well worth it! read more

I'm a bit spoiled with European cuisine, so I was eager to try Rustica. Right away, I noticed they were very expensive. The bone marrow and duck was overcooked. I couldn't get our server to refill our drinks. Maybe I went on a bad night, but even with fantastic service it would be a stretch to call it good for the price. read more

When I heard about the Rustica I was excited to come and try it out. The first chance I got I invited a small party for dinner and our experience was far from amazing. The ambiance of the restaurant was comfortable. After being sat at our table I reviewed the menu my first thoughts were that it looked nice and concise albeit a little bit boring. For a first course I ordered the charcuterie platter, when the server brought it to the table I asked the server what was on the plate and she had no idea and did not seem to care that she was uninformed. The grilled bread and condiments for the charcuterie were far better than the charcuterie itself. After the first course we had decided what wine we were pairing with our entree and put in an order for s bottle of the Volver Tempranillo. When the server brought the bottle of wine to the table I was surprised to see her come with a decanter. She started by sitting the bottle on the table and struggling to take the foil from the top without removing the entire foil apparently not realizing that for decanting the entire foil should be removed. There was also the curious absence of a candle used traditionally to watch for sediment that may be in the bottle. When she started to pour the wine she tipped the bottle completely upside down to empty the content of the wine into the decanter with out actually watching for sediment. Being a relatively young wine in the first place I felt that decanting was unnecessary. Her wine presentation skills were novice at best and ruined the wine service. Moving on from the wine service eventually our meals came to our delight the meals were enjoyable. I ordered the duck breast and it was prepared well cooked to medium rare as I had ordered. The only problem was that the duck fat from the skin was improperly rendered leaving the skin a little chewy. The accompaniment for the duck entree was simple but extremely thoughtful I personally loved the combination of lentils with parsnips. Everyone in our party unfortunately was not as pleased with their entree's as I was with the duck. The Cassoulet was prepared well. The beans were quality and cooked perfectly and paired nicely with sausage and lamb. My wife ordered the pork shank which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. Despite the massive bone the portion was not enough to eat even for her small appetite. When it came time to order desserts we just wanted to leave. The man who was apparently the manager stood next to the pass working as an expeditor which for a small restaurant might not be a bad idea. The manager was very busy working as an expeditor but it was unfortunate that he was unable to properly managing his waitstaff. I saw the manager pour a bottle of wine for a table and he did an amazing job I had just wished that he had the time to give us that great of wine service. Overall Rustica has potential down the road once the kinks are ironed out. Rustica has become the best fine dining option in kalamazoo which doesn't say much. I plan to return again in a few months to see if they have improved. read more

We phoned ahead for table even though it was a Tuesday. Seated on arrival at a small table between two tables with six or more each. Had to ask server repeatedly to talk louder as I couldn't hear her over the LOUD conversations from the tables next to us. We nearly had to shout to carry on our own conversation. All though we didn't ask to be reseated there were small tables available away from what they should have already known were noisy patrons that two people could have been seated at. Food was good but ambiance and experience was lousy for the price. Server should have known better. Might try again but experiance in Kalamazoo Resturants has been that going back even after commenting to the staff or managers has rarely improved anything. It's no wonder so many go under each year! We have stopped frequenting eleven resturants in the past few years due to declining service and food quality. More than half of them downtown Kalamazoo. read more

REALLY BAD business you have going here, guys..... I have ALWAYS raved about your restaurant and praised it on every level.... even when you have had a misfire. I messaged you OVER TWO WEEKS AGO specifically inquiring about having dinner for our FIRST year anniversary there on Sunday, September 11, and could not even get the professional COURTESY of a response back. Being that I had my first date with my spouse there AND had you serve our WEDDING dinner there. This was always a special place for us and even through having unsatisfactory meals/service.... we have always been faithful. HAVE meaning PAST TENSE. If you have a Facebook page, you need to be RESPONSIBLE and MATURE enough to maintain it. You have a MESSAGE function for a REASON. Don't have it if you can't control it. You ONLY respond when someone posts something unfavorable and then you attempt to smooth it over. I am DISGUSTED that I have been waiting TWO WEEKS to get a response from you which SPECIFICALLY asked if there was an option besides this over priced wine dinner you are forcing on people on that day, and asked if we could order off of the menu being it was a special day. We don't want that for the group I wanted to bring. The food has been RIDICULOUSLY horrible the past two times we have visited, and now with this unprofessional nonsense, we are DONE. The casual way I was just blown off on the phone shows me that EVERYTHING that I just told you didn't matter. GOOD LUCK catering to your small crowd. I hope they can keep your doors open. We won't be walking though them ever again. read more