"If you are in the Carmel Valley and want a delightful meal, Cafe Rustica is an amazing choice. We ate there for lunch before a local area wine tasting. The setting is quaint and lovely. The menu seems to be thoughfully crafted with delicious options like an egg salad sandwich and tomato basil soup. We sat outside in at a comfortable table with citrus trees around us. Our group of 5 throroughly loved our meal, the service and the experience."

"What a lovely dining experience in Carmel Valley! Café Rustica has attentive staff, inspired, simple food, and generous portions. We sat outside in a group of 9 and enjoyed starters, drinks, wood fired pizza, and entrees followed by desserts and coffee. The terrace was so pleasant, and everything was delicious."

"During our first visit to Carmel Valley, we dined at Café Rustica and immediately understood why this charming, cozy spot is a local favorite. From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel incredibly welcome. One of the unique highlights is the open kitchen—watching the chefs at work adds a memorable, personal touch to the experience. The food is exceptional. Portions are generous, and every dish we’ve tried has been rich in flavor and beautifully presented. My personal favorites are the lamb and duck—some of the best I’ve ever had. But what truly stands out is the service. We once introduced close family friends to Café Rustica, and they loved it so much they planned to celebrate their anniversary there. Wanting to surprise them, I called ahead to reserve a table and arrange a bottle of champagne. Despite the distance and short notice, the staff made it happen seamlessly, even processing the payment over the phone. That thoughtful gesture made their evening unforgettable—and cemented our loyalty to this gem. Now, every time we’re in the area, a dinner at Café Rustica is a must. It’s not just the food—it’s the care and hospitality that keep bringing us back."

"Wanted to love it. Bread looked and tasted like mass production bread…white and crust less…and such an easy thing to get right. Pasta was overcooked and bland, pizza wasn’t flavorful. Staff was slow but nice and the crème brûlée was solid, but not enough overall to try again"

"We left the restaurant tonight feeling underwhelmed and sort of annoyed. The escargot was nice, my wife enjoyed her lamb filet main, my rib eye was surprisingly tough-which I would have mentioned to the server had she come to the table to ask how everything was. In fairness, it's a small restaurant and they had some large groups in-those groups seemed to be their focus. It happens, it's not the end of the world, but for the price, I think it's reasonable to expect more. Also mildly annoying when other servers told their guests about specials, offered bread, etc., but none of that for us. All in all, seems to be a hot spot in town-and we enjoyed the ambiance-maybe it just wasn't our day."