Delicious German comfort food. Schnitzel is great, the seafood short-stack presentation and flavor was off the chain. Love the spaetzle and any side that has cabbage (green or purple) and the Black Forest Cake closed out this portion of date night nicely. Make a reservation!
Whitney Harrison Böhme
+5
Cafe Rustika is one of our absolute favorite places for the atmosphere, service and food. My husband won't stop talking about the cordon bleu, and my Rahmschnitzel is always to die for. The owner is an awesome cook, and John (server/owner) takes great care of us every time. He even gave us a huge slice of their Schwarzwaelder cake as a congrats on our recent nuptials. My husband is German, and this food makes him feel like he's home (actually it's even better than the schnitzel, cordon bleu and cake we get in Germany).
The service was incredible. The people are so nice. The restaurant is very small and expect to wait for a table. They take your number and they call you when the table is ready they had a wife variety of schnitzel prepared and you could have a Lotta different kinds of proteins, I think maybe I ordered the wrong proteins because I found it a little chewy. I have the veal the sauce wasn’t really really good and the sides were incredible. I do think maybe our waitress was a little experience and wasn’t very much help. I would definitely go again, and if you have a schnitzel craving, this is definitely the place to go. Incredible beers selection from Germany from dark to light I think the sides and the dessert were my highlights.
Hidden Gem! Cafe Rustika is a small restaurant that would easily not be found, but so glad we found it. They have seating at the bar, 3 two tops, and maybe 6 four tops. Luckily we got the last 4 top because there was a wait the rest of the time we were there. People were constantly coming in and were happy to wait because it’s worth the wait! Authentic German food, prepared and served fresh, we aren’t in town often but this is definitely a favorite spot!
Amazing and delicious food. Though they get overwhelmed with customers at times, they maintain professionalism. They operate the best they can with the space they have. They’re pretty consistent in with their customer service, “first come first serve” policy. Especially when there’s an in person wait list. Be prepared to wait if they’re a full house. The food is definitely worth the wait. Having lived in Germany for over 12 yrs of my life, the food and the flavors takes me back to nostalgic moments living above a schnitzel bar as a kid. I want to mark the atmosphere to 4 stars because they’re always crowded. But I wouldn’t change the location and the space even if I could. I believe that gives it even more German vibes with quality and serving sizes of food. Their desserts are amazingly tasteful with authentic German experience as well. Love this place.
Some of the best Schnitzel and Spätzle I have had! I have also never found anyone that has made cucumber salad like we do until now.
Family stopped in for dinner very quaint little place absolutely great service and awesome food. I'm not a big beer drinker but they had quite the selection and I had two really fine beers.
2nd visit:
I had been wanting to return here at some point but living in Omaha, Nebraska makes it a bit inconvenient. I finally got the chance to return while visiting family for Thanksgiving 🦃. I ordered way more food than I could possibly eat. Everything was outstanding though, the mains, the sides, the service. It was also notably busier than my first visit and I'm glad this place is doing well.
1st visit:
I have been to the top of Mt.Schnitzel and it is Cafe Rustika in RVA. You think you've had schnitzel before? Ha I laugh at you. This place will blow your puny conceptions of schnitzel out of the water. Not only the schnitzel but the sides are a perfect execution of their substance as well. And then there's the beer. They have maybe 4 beers on tap, each excellently sourced and served. The staff are passionate about what they serve here. This is one of the very few perfect restaurants I've ever been to.
I came here on the recommendation of a family member and I really have nothing to say except the food is really delicious. The restaurant is not large so you'll want to get there early to put your name in. It's well worth any wait you may face to get in as the food is exceptional.
This is one of our favorite spots in Richmond for a date night! It has the best vibes. It transports you to Germany. It’s warm and cozy. The food is fabulous! Just order the schnitzel you won’t regret it! The beers are great too! Sit at the bar or in the booths. If there is a wait just put your name down and go around the corner to Penny lane for a drink and they will text you when you’re table is ready! Enjoy!
Hole in the wall, and a small restaurant and bar inside, but if you like schnitzel (meat pounded flat, breaded and fried) you have to give them a try. The schnitzel is incredible, the sides are amazing and they have authentic German and Belgian beer. I got one that was one of the first beers dating back to before the 1200s, so how bad could it be?! Amazing place. Will be back again.
The schnitzels and all the side dishes are really delicious. I’m partial to the one with lemon cream sauce. The purple cabbage dish is definitely recommended. I prefer the fried potatoes.
It’s crowded and busy because the food is good. The waitress is juggling a lot, but she did it well. There aren’t many tables~ get there early!
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