Review Rustica - Cape Town Central

George Simon

Had a fantastic experience at this Italian Inspired Restaurant. Waitress were friendly. Manager present. Our food was great. Thin crust Torino Pizza was delicious and my patter has salmon which she described as sublime. If you go don't Don't forget to taste the cheese cake and teramisu - delicious.

Lee-Ann Sade Modley

Amazing food.....a few has heaters would make the place abit more cosy

Sean Clancy

Best breaky deal in town: R40 for coffee and eggs-bacon-mushrooms-tomato-toast. Very tasty too. Warm service with a smile too. I will definitely be back!

Tyrone Gregory Ontong (Greg)

Brilliant location, options of inside or outside. Outside better, service pace a little slow, cannelloni the best I've tasted. Fish good, bottom a little bitter. Otherwise a pleasant experience.

Hope M. Pelufo

A good Italian, not in the most crowded section of town. I enjoyed a very quiet and delicious lunch.

Tailored Itinerary

Our waiter was great and the food was. Very cosy and intimate atmosphere

Eugene Dryding

Good food, lovely setting. Will definitely go back

Rhys Stevenson

Very quaint place, great food.perfect on a summer's evening

Ryan Solomon

Really enjoyed both food and atmosphere

neelenthree naidoo

Great value for your money and delicious food

Sunil Gopal

Great food, pleasant experience!

Russell Smith

Lovely pizza and good service

Monique Brune

Lovely menu and great food

Lauren Bates

I would love to write a review, but we cannot even get hold of Rustica to make a reservation in the first place. None of the landline numbers work, the cell phone is off, and no one responds to emails.

Nikita Cloete

The ambiance was nice but the food was disappointing. Was truly hoping for a quaint little restaurant as it is a stone throw away from home, sadly it was not.

Vasilis Bousbourelis

Went there with the Entertainer. Even though it's not required, I informed the waitress we have the Entertainer and told her what we wanted to order. First waitress confirmed 2 meat main courses OK. Then the second waitress said you have to get one meat and one pasta dish. I told her it doesn't say that anywhere in the terms of their offer on the app. She went to the manager and he didn't know either. Was trying to call someone to ask. Too much hassle to eat a meal so we left. Went to another restaurant that honors their offers and appreciates the business. Saw in another review that they keep doing this with the Entertainer. If you don't want to give a "buy one get one free" offer, don't list your restaurant in the Entertainer. If you do want to honor this deal, make sure your staff knows about it. For anyone wanting to eat out with the Entertainer, stay away.

Calvin Guntz Gillmer

We ordered a meal from Rustica via Uber eats and the food that we received was of very poor quality. The pastry in the canelloni was undercooked and the lasagne was mostly cheese. I would not order from here again.

Jomari Steyn

Date night!!* Perfect place to enjoy your partner's company... The food came so quickly and was exquisite!! The wine was extra special as it was the same wine we had at our wedding!! Yvonne was a very good waitress!*

Nabeelah Shaboodien

Decided to visit Rustica for a pizza and pasta date. I was slightly apprehensive initially after seeing less than great reviews on Zomato, but I gave them a shot anyway and I'm glad I did. What a beautiful setting, with low lighting and soft music playing in the background. The waitrons as well as the owner are friendly and make you feel at home. There's also ample parking opposite in P12. We ordered the arrabbiata pasta with spaghetti - crushed cherry tomatoes, chilli, garlic, basil and rocket. I feel there could've been a bit more sauce, but it was delicious. We also ordered the Milan pizza - spinach, feta, butternut and garlic. I added a little Tabasco sauce and it was perfect! Perfectly crisp, thin base and the portion was just right. Food was served within 15 minutes, and both meals were really tasty. I'll definitely be back.

George Simon

We had a great meal here. Menu has something for everyone including pizza and pasta and a choice of Meat, chicken fish & vegetarian. Good wine too and attentive staff. Will be back again soon!!

Andrew Van Aswegen

A real local gem that we have been back to regularly. The staff are friendly and food is very tasty and well priced. The atmosphere is casual without being too relaxed. It's our go to for an easy night out!

Justice Levi

Highly recommended . Had a great special on Monday , Pizza/pasta and bottle wine for 2 for 220ZAR, bargain considering the location. The pizza and pasta would please a Neapolitan and the South African wine was fantastic. First class service was the cherry on the top. Highly recommended.

Mduduzi Ntombela

What a disappointment! The food was blend and couldn't finish most of our 3 course tasteless meal (starters to dessert). It gets worse, my wife had a runny stomach a couple of hours after our dinner.

Anzisca Van Rooyen

We went to Rustica in Greenpoint. The owners refused to accept our entertainer voucher as we did not present it on entering the building. We only presented it prior to requesting the bill as stated in the entertainer rules. The owner also told us that the main meal voucher will in any case only be valid for meals on the main menu that are below R@100. This is news and not the rules we signed up for. Very frustrating! The food ISS below average. The waiter was very friendly . I will not recommend this place.

Keera Steyn

Rustica is by far one of the best restaurant environments I have ever experienced, from the stunning decor to the lovely attentive staff! The restaurant is situated in a great location with a beautiful outside area. Definitely recommend trying the Torieno pizza as it will knock your socks off, big points guys!

Greg Bash

Visitors to Cape Town we had a really good meal here with friends. We would recommend it to anyone looking for good food and attentive waitrons. Tasty, good portions and an array of choices. Great pizza ... eaten many in my time and this was one of the best. My friends all enjoyed this choices too including lamb shank. Going again that's for sure.

Sheryll

Lovely food in a comfortable setting. Today I had the salmon with pistachio crust, the salmon was cooked just how I like it and the crust added an extra dimension- a richer taste and a little crunch without over powering the salmon. They managed to do what most restaurants struggle to do... cook risotto right! So big points there. Very nice lunch

Lindie White

Looking for a place to have a quick pasta fill-it-up? This one will do. They seem to try hard, the waiting staff are attentive enough, the food is not terrible although not awesomely tasty either, the decor is fine. That's it.

Food Lover

Very disappointed. Paid far too much for a very small portion which was supposed to be a main. Ordered a ravioli with a sage butter sauce. Tasted as if the butter had been melted in the microwave and poured straight over the ravioli. For R95 I only got 5 small pieces of pasta thats filling was just cubes of tasteless butternut. I phoned the restaurant and enquired about the portion size and was told it's "fine dining". I understand that but then it should at least taste nice and have an appropriate portion size considering it's a main meal. I now have to spend more money on buying something else to eat as I'm still hungry and completely unsatisfied.

Letitia Berry

What a lovely evening spent in this Italian Inspired restaurant. Lovely decor, conveniently situated, friendly staff, and delicious food. My salmon was melt in the mouth and my friend's Osso Bucco Tortilini was just as good. We finished off with the cheese cake. (in pure Capetonian Style - Jirre dit was leka)

Tor Benson

The worst "Italian" restaurant that I have ever been to. I love Italy and travel there frequently, but for these folks to say that they serve "Italian Food" is a joke at least.

Tracy Poulter

We had an absolutely horrific experience at this place and can say I do not think I will be back any time soon. The service was slow, the prices were ridiculous, the food took forever to arrive even after we had asked the waitress when ordering that we would need to leave in an hour and 15 min to make it on time for our massages booked at the upstairs hotel, apart from her coming and telling me that they don't have what I ordered 15 min after placing our order, the food arrived 10 min before our appointment, the risotto was under-cooked and sent back, we had 10min to eat, pay the bill and get out... Their prices on drinks are extremely expensive as they charge R 25.00 for a 200ml can of cold drink, to put it in perspective I paid R 125.00 for ONE litre of coke. The location is perfect and the decor was stunning! It was service and product that made it an unpleasant experience, the menu looked great and the food dishes sounded amazing but I was left so disappointed after spending what we spent and in fact left feeling a little robbed...

Sheri-ann Keller

This was not out first choice for lunch, but as our first option was closed, we decided to Rustica would do...We weren't disappointed by the food, but the lack of liquor licence. We were able to buy wine nearby and they never charged us corkage. The food was delicious and the service was great. The only thing we waited for was ice for our wine, but with the chill in the air that day, it wasn't really necessary after all.

Pree

Good place to eat good food. The only problem I had with this restaurant was that when we were waiting for our food, the man behind the bar was eating niknaks right in front of us, while I understand that he might have been hungry and it's only his right to eat his chips, it was extremely loud and distracting, and dimmed the overall experience of the place as I did not find it professional at all. The restaurant did not have a liquor licence when we went there (maybe this has changed) but they were gracious enough to allow us to bring our own wine without needing to pay a corkage fee, which was a great plus! This could be a great restaurant as the food was divine, but the atmosphere was less than desirable.

Sumendra Chetty

We had no idea about this restaurant but decided to give it a shot. They don't have a liquor license, but invite you to bring your own wine. We enjoyed the evening immensely. Great staff, sweet decor and a convenient location at the Hotel on main road. The seafood pasta was fresh and delicious!

Vuyo Renene

We initially came for the sky Bar but ended up ending upstairs. I had the Spinach and avo salad with chicken instead of bacon. The salad was really light and yummy. I tasted my friends Tempura prawn pasta which I found decent, wasn't too amazing. The service was decent and the waitresses were VERY friendly. Again, lovely place to eat and have sundowners with friends

Megan Bellinger

From the mixed reviews, i wasn't sure what to expect. But i had such a lovely experience! They are on the Entertainer which was the reason we decided to dine here. Super inviting and i liked the decor inside. The outside looks nice too for a warm afternoon or evening. They don't have a liquor licence at the moment, so its BYOB with no corkage, win! The host temptedly informed us woolies next door is still open if we wanted to bring some wine :) A complimentary plate of white bread with the most delicious dipping chilli tomato sauce was glady welcomed. Our waitress was was friendly, but maybe sometimes too much with the constant calling us, including my father, "sweetie." Two of us chose pizzas which were delicious. Other orders were bolgnese and the seafood pasta, all well received and generous. The menu has a so much avqriety, and really reasonably priced. I'd go back for sure :)

Agatha Thorpe

Lovely friendly staff and pizza that made me happy to cheat on my diet. The base just how I like it with fresh toppings. I had the torino which is now one of the best I've tasted. My date had a kingship tagliata that he kindly let me taste. Delicious! We finished off with cheese cake and teramisu. ... to die for. Been before and will go again and take friends.

Lauren Cannone

Returned only to be very disappointed. While what felt like we waited for ever for food to arrive, we listened to three nearby tables complaining separately about bad service and poor quality food. Eventually our food arrived, Tortellini was a bit too rich but still delicious. Chicken was so rare, blood was dripping out. Sent it back only to return mostly burnt and completely dry, lacking flavour as basting must've been an afterthought. Such a pity, this place had so much potential.

Jake Oliver

It requests me to write 140 characters, on how miserably disappointing my experience was... the venue being very attractive and inviting was tainted by cold food, a tough ribeye steak, and a side salad that had replaced the usual sides that came with the meal. We were presented with the menu, ordered wine, to be told that they were unable to sell liquor due to a licensing issue... but if we purchased the special we would get a bottle of wine. That seems like a breach in the license already. Overall the 1 I have provided was because the venue was pretty and the toilets were nice, which is just sad. Not going back

Coral Le Roux

I was nervous to eat here, I cannot tell a lie. I read the reviews on the way to the restaurant and my husband and I thought about doing a duck. We decided that we would walk past it casually to see how full it was before committing ourselves. There were a few tables occupied so we chanced it. First impressions, a warm welcome, but the coffee machine was on the fritz, so I had mixed feelings. They made special arrangements to accommodate our table preference though, so 1 point. The remaining 3 points are for the very passionate service and surprisingly tasty food. I had the Melanzane Alla Parmigiano and Saltimbocca. Aside from the veg with the main course being a bit bitter, I actually had a better meal than I had had at one of the (so they say) 'top' Italian restaurants around the corner.

Bev Moss-Reilly

Situated on the busy Main Rd of Green Point, Rustica offers the tourist to Cape Town a real taste of life. Hooting of taxis, loud communication across the street of our indigenous local folk and most likely a fairly regular occurrence of pick pocketing. As a local myself l felt a tad insecure but the reason for going there was pure convenience. My spouse and l had been for a massage at the Royal Cape Hotel upstairs. We were warmly welcomed and seated promptly. A board of homemade bread with dipping salsa was brought for us to snack on while deciding what to choose off a fairly extensive menu. Being an Italian restaurant l ordered a pizza. I am a pizza lover of note so have a pretty good framework from which to compare. The tomato base was different. I can't say that it grabbed me. My spouse had the burger which looked great upon arrival but was dry and tasteless. The initial level of service was not maintained as we did not see our waitron again until the bill came. The food did come out quickly and the French Fries were good too but other than that it isnt on my list of favourites. With the wide stretch of restaurants on offer there are limitless choices so l would really say that they should up their game and be on their toes.

Lee

What a wonderfull place! loved the food and the staff are so friendly and welcoming. The whole experience i would do again and again! Will be back!

Pen Trevena

Don't waste your time - as we were walking in, a guy turned to us and said DON'T EAT THE FOOD. We should have listened. The food took over an hour to arrive - when it did it was freezing and very very average. Not sure how they stay open with such amazing competition very close by. Walk a bit further and try something else.

Andre Hamman

We decided to eat here as we were riding the Argus the following day. I booked beforehand for 8pm. When we arrived on time there was no table for us so we were put on barstools outside. The service was a joke, the only pasta option for my seafood main was spaghetti. The gnocci starter was raw (see pic). Tourist busses parked directly outside the restaurant with engines running, guests smoking next to our table... bad!

Elaine Lahoud

Italian food at it's best! The restaurant is situated in the hustle and bustle of Green Point main road. The menu has quite a variety to chose from between pizza, pasta, burgers, and meat dishes. I enjoyed the Saltimbocca and everyone at our table of 7 enjoyed there meals.

Kobus Moolman

After a nice walk through Main Street, Rustica didn't really pop out. It was relatively popular based on patronage though. Osso tortellini was pretty good, pasta a little thick but the sauce was brilliant. Unfortunately the tiramisu was horrid...

Lori Cohen

Quaint Italian restaurant next to the Cape Royale. Run by the owner who keeps it hands on and is willing to make subtle changes to the already good food. Have been a few times and even had take always and never fails to impress me!

Jordan Cohen

Absolutely amazing restaurant - the food was served timelessly and efficiently, the staff were all friendly and knowledgeable on the restaurant's food items, and most importantly - the food tasted great! I would definitely recommend this restaurant to any person looking for a delicious Italian-orientated meal.

Little Pasta

Wonderful discovery, very excited to have found this hidden gem! Real authentic Italian cuisine, can't wait to go back and try the other options on the menu, they all look delicious. Osso Buco Tortellini was superb!! The restaurant was very well managed. Our waiter had such a lovely, cheerful disposotion and the owner went out of his way to make sure things ran smoothly. Looking forward to going back again!

Chad Binder

Very disappointed with Rustica. We had a large table of 10 and they could only serve us 3 menus, we ordered drinks that never came, my main meal (Kingklip Tagliata) got left off the list and I had to find the waitress to see where it is. When the table had finished and there plates cleared my food arrived with no apology by the manager. The Kingklip was cooked well and tasteful but very small for the price. A few people at my table had the Entertainer app and they would not accommodate the use of the app as they never knew their code.

Fouche Babst

The food was so disappointing, the steaks were way overdone and tasted terrible even if you do prefer a medium to well done steak. Do not try to rescue your experience by ordering desert. The cheese cake tastes like an overheated scone and the pecan pie is a tasteless mess. Our waitress was great and did everything she could to make up for the kitchens quality of food.

Viron Papadopulo

Very nice environment!! Food was pleasant!! Service is just a little too slow, seems like the waiters and mangers always looks lost. They also need a few lessons in arithmatic when adding items to the bill. Overall an average OK

MishayaC

We unfortunately had a terrible experience. We walked in at 21:20 and asked for a table - our table was not cleaned the entire time we were there, we got our food at 22:31. The coffee was awful as they burnt the beans, the garlic has weird pieces of brown stuff in it and the food was beyond average. Given the location we were hoping for better.

Tyron Van Rensburg

Don't bother. KFC stays open 24 hours for 1/10 of the price. Food is not up to standard at all and definitely not nearly worth the prices...

Shaun_Ryan

Terrible food, don't bother. Seafood pasta was like porrige, fish of the day was oily and mediocre. They were out of ingredients for one of the dishes and never bothered to inform us, just brought the dish minus whatever they never had (and still wanted to charge R190.00).

Marlon Alcock

Service is absolutely rubbish. I recommended the place to a supplier and I'm seriously disappointed. Place isn't even full but we need to basically grab hold of a waitron's arm to get attention, & all we actually require is basic requirements(cutlery & glasses) I'm embarrassed.

Skye Da Silva

Great spot, average food and drink. Had the Oso Bucco pasta and the portion was very small. Nice, safe choice for a Italian dinner, but nothing to write home about.

Rick

Good value breakfast special! Friendly waiting staff too! Elisha will make sure your experience is good and that you are taken care of......

Tiffany Lara Elliott

Came for lunch on a Friday afternoon. Service was great, but they weren't very busy. We ordered the special (2 pizzas and bottle of wine). Pizza was great. However, I do find that their non-special prices are quite high (R100 a pizza). Great atmosphere.

Toomuchloveliness

For our starters we tried a mini trio of the favourite starters. We had the minestrone soup with basil pesto and toasted bruchetta, gnocchi pesto and Insalata Verde. I make an incredible minestrone – so there’s was good but not as good as mine! However their gnocchi pesto was unbelievable and I would definitely order it again. Their pesto is made from scratch at Rustica and really makes a difference! The Insalata Verde was fresh and delicious with cucumber ribbons and more delicious pesto! My favourite of the mains was the veggie burger. It was ground baby marrow and aubergine topped with a wild mushroom ragout, red onion marmalade and cucumber ribbons. The freshness from the ribbons added a whole new element to a mostly rich and creamy burger. This was a superb veggie burger and would be my recommendation for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians a like! For dessert we tried their homemade Sicilian cheesecake with coulis and salted caramel & pecan nut tart with vanilla ice cream. Dessert was really nothing to write home about and I wouldn’t order any of these three again. Instead I would want to try the chocolate mousse stack with alternating layers of white chocolate, lavender and dark chocolate mouse served between biscuits.

Michael Lewis

Ehh not great. Came in right at closing time and had a ravioli dish with entirely too much cream sauce. Wine pairing was great. We also had an avacado and and spinach salad with sesame vinaigrette dressing which was great. Overall mediocre.

Dominique Andrea Vieira

Rustica is a lovely little spot that I hadn't thought of visiting until the other day. We enjoyed a trio of starters - the minestrone soup, gnocchi and insalata verde. The soup was really tasty, and I would definitely go back for it on a grey day. For mains I ordered the kingklip tagliata and it was probably one of the best fish dishes I have had in a very long time. The citrus sauce was just amazing. The desserts were sweet, and yum - there was some sort of deliciously chocolate mousse on my plate that definitely hit the spot. Overall it was a lovely evening, and I would definitely go back for their kingklip or to try one of their lunch specials. Anja Van Der Spuy Jenny Sarah Coulson Gabrielle Meyers Lexi Ryman Leila Osato BoringCapeTownChick MelbourneLops Elan Marx Toomuchloveliness Cassan Ferguson

Jenny Sarah Coulson

Rustica is an awesome little Italian restaurant that I totally didn't know about before last week. We enjoyed a trio of starters (my favourite was the minestrone) before tucking into mains - I chose the kingklip tagliata and it was perfection. It came with soy, chilli and an amaaaaaazing citrusy sauce that took the whole thing to the next level. I will totally be back for this dish. We finished off with a pecan tart and cheesecake, which were both very good. Overall it was a fantastic night in a really cosy restaurant, and I'm pretty happy that it's within walking distance from my office...

MelbourneLops

Last week’s #zomatomeetup was at Rustica – the new Italian Restaurant in Greenpoint and it was a lovely evening out. We were treated to a trio of starters: Minestrone soup with basil pesto and toasted bruchetta (very tasty and definitely a dish I would order again), gnocchi pesto and Insalata Verde – all 3 were small tasters off the menu and centered around the delicious basil pesto that they make from scratch. For mains, Toomuchloveliness and I ordered the Pollo e Funghi Pasta and the Vegetarian Burger to share (best way to taste as much of the menu as possible). Both portions were generous and whilst I wouldn’t normally order a chicken pasta or a veggie burger from an Italian restaurant, they were enjoyable. I would, however, go for something else if I return (I’m big on ordering dishes that aren’t easy to recreate at home… it just makes it more special for me). Dessert was a little plate of tasters and included homemade Sicilian cheesecake with coulis and salted caramel & pecan nut tart with vanilla ice cream which I really enjoyed. All in all, a great night out. Friendly service, nice atmosphere, lots of laughs and tasty food and wine. I would really like to get my hands on some of their basil pesto – yum!

Anja Van Der Spuy

On Wednesday we were treated to a Zomato meet-up at Rustica. I am a sucker for Italian food, so I was really excited to get my pasta on. We had a small portion of minestrone soup with bruschetta, gnocchi pesto pasta and insalata verde for starters. Though the portions were small they complemented the main perfectly, as it was quite sizeable. I had the Pollo e Funghi Pasta - the herb chicken and mushroom combo was delicious! And the parmesan cream was equally delectable. What I liked about the main was that it had that homemade-feel to it. I felt like I was sitting in my lounge with a group of friends, eating delicious food while sipping on a glass of red. For dessert we had homemade Sicilian Cheesecake and Salted Caramel & Pecan Nut Tart with vanilla bean ice-cream. The Pecan Nut Tart was a big winner in my eyes! Rustica is the perfect restaurant to bring the family together after a long week. Be sure to check out their kiddies menu too!

Christine Du Toit

What a disappointment! We had the Risotto Croquette starter, still looking for the olive and coriander pesto...and Melanzane alle Parmigiano, aubergine was half cooked as well as the sauce and to top this off, the plate was dirty. We still gave it a chance on the mains. I had the Osso buco Tortellini, too much salt and the pasta was not properly cooked. My husband had the Braised Beef Bolo. The waiter still asked how the beef should be prepared. Don't know why as this dish was precooked, frozen and warmed, not even throughout. It was also too salty and no signs of baby vegs but baby potatoes with gnocchi. The dish was so bad that he did not finish it. Needless to say but we skipped desert and left. The only thing Italian about this restaurant is the water they import from Italy.

Cassan Ferguson

Wednesday for a Zomato Meet Up we were invited to try Rustica's delicious menu! It has that authentic Italian taste that is beautifully presented ! The starters which included: Minestrone,Gnocci Pesto,Insalata Verde. It was amazing ! Unique flavors and textures ! Feast for both the eyes and the stomach! Then for the mains I had the Kingklip Tagliata which was infused with ginger,garlic,chilli, and soy sauce topped with wild rocket !!! It was life changing !!! Still thinking about it today! We ended off the evening with a mini home made cheesecake served with a trio of could and we had salted caramel and pecan nut tart. Trust me , you need to visit Rustica - it will change your life !

Leila Osato

I enjoyed the #ZomatoMeetUp at Rustica last night. We started off at Sky Bar on the top of the Cape Royale for sundowners, which was really beautiful and then headed down to Rustica. The staters were delicious, we got a tasting portion of minestrone soup, green salad and pesto gnocchi. For mains I had the Kingclip, which I also really enjoyed. The dessert consisted of tasting portions of baked cheesecake, caramel walnut tart and ice cream, which was also very tasty! I really enjoyed the night... Great company, good food and good wine (Merlot Pinotage) !!

Lexi Ryman

There is such a difference between 3,5 and 4. I wish I could give this experience a 3,8. I was here last night for the #ZomatoMeetUp and it was a lovely experience. The food was tasty and I was excited to try everything. The starters were great; a green salad, a tiny minestrone and some pesto gnocchi. My favourite was the pesto gnocchi - any kind of pasta is my kryptonite. I chose the kingklip tagliatta as my main which was the firm favourite among the guests. It was delicious and flavourful. The dessert was a baked cheesecake and a caramel walnut tartlet with little dollops of fruity compotes. A great touch was ensuring the gluten-free dessert option for our gluten intolerant guests arrived automatically without request. It showed that the staff and chef were paying attention when they ordered their mains. All in all it was a lovely evening - good food and good company. The only criticism I have of the place is the ambience. I don't know if it was the lighting or Michael Bublé crooning relentlessly in the background but something about it wasn't quite pulling the place together.

Khaya Binder

Very average meal. First of all half the menu items were unavailable, no calamari, langoustines, baby chicken or artichokes. The beef carpaccio was tiny slivers of medium to well cooked meat. The lasagne was very bland, almost sweet tasting. The osso bucco tortellini was tasty but too little and some of the mushrooms were chewy. The cheese cake was extremely dense and a little too cheesy tasting, basically tasted like sweetened cream cheese. Such a pity as the venue is stunning.

Ryan Harrison

I was so lucky to be invited to Rustica's opening this past Friday, what a privilege! I have to thank Lita for welcoming me to this guest list only event. I was welcomed in by name and shown to a table inside, where I was offered a cocktail or wine. I started with a margarita which was very nice but I moved swiftly onto the house red a diemersdal. The wait staff were very pleasant and so friendly, I have to thank Gladys for her great banter throughout the night! The food was a tasting menu specially prepared by the chef to introduce their menu. The ones that really stood out for me was their butternut soup, their crab starter (I forgot the name but it was delicious!), the veal and last but my absolute favorite their gnocchi! My party scored it a solid 10/10 and I couldn't really disagree with them! It was cooked perfectly and the flavors!!! I have no words! We were entertained by fire dancers and a woman grinding a metal corset... odd but entertaining. There was a dj there who soon got guests on their feet dancing which was great fun. I suspect during normal operating it will not be this crazy but I will be back nevertheless! I can't wait to go back!!