First of all the setting for Cafe Rustica is perfect. It is like a small French, country bistro with about half the tables being outside. The wait staff is always attentive and very nice and knows their trade well, with great knowledge of the food and ingredients. Second, the food is a fresh as one can get. The salads are always made with extremely fresh lettuces, tomatoes, etc.. Butter lettuce particularly good. The menu has great variety, which is unusual for most French chefs. The ambience is always perfect, and most of the people seem to be local, which speaks to the desire of returning often. The owner/chef, Julien and his wife, Julia always are attentive and kind. This place is a constant for ourselves and often guests. What a constant treat!

The food was beautifully prepared. Had the cream of mushroom soup - the best I've ever eaten! Husband ordered the goulash, and it also was fantastic. Top it off with excellent service, and you have a winner! We will be coming back .......

Always good food. Usually crowded but good service. Chef/owner usually comes out to check on each table. A nice touch. Best restaurant in Carmel Valley Village.

Stopped by after wine tasting and live music. This place actually seems to be the most happening and packed spot in the area. No reservations but got here when they opened so we chose to sit outside. Greeted fast and nicely and seated to our choice. Great host. Immediately got a waiter to check in. He was pretty nice and awesome. We started with bread and butter which was great and a Cesar salad. The salad was almost perfect. House made croutons would have made it flawless. Got the dynamite with extra cheese and the pork medallions. The pizza was decent. Fresh ingredients and cheesy. Now if you follow me you know I rate a lot of pizza spots. So my nitpicks are the pizza had almost no sauce. So it was more like pizza bread. Considering how fast it came out. They could have done a little extra cook so that it came out gooey. But it was a lil cooler and hard. Other than that it's a good pie. Thin crispy. Good ingredients. Best in Carmel valley. Just not the best. Or near or. Pork medallions were delicious. The size portion flavor was good and the pile high of spinach was great as I love spin. Only issue. They advertised it with potatoes. But it was not mash potatoes. It was yams. To sweet for me. Either way. It's a great spot with good service and food. I wish I could give them a five if they adjusted some things

Amazing service! Extraordinary Team ExcelleNt food .. fresh and tasty Do not miss the thin crust pizza .. far away the best in this area The Sole and the lamb were so delicious The wine list is superb and the price very raisonnable Do not miss this place A GEM

Came here for dinner and I got the butternut squash ravioli and it was super delicious and flavorful. I really like the brown butter sage sauce that went with it and the portion was the perfect amount for me since it was a bit on the rich side. I also ordered the fresh steamed clams and the sauce that came with it was really good. This is a really cute spot for lunch or dinner if you're in the area.

Adorable restaurant! The service was excellent and the food was so tasty. I got the cheese tortellini and it was the best pasta I've ever tasted. If you like artichoke, you will love this dish. Lovely dessert. Great complimentary bread and fun drinks!! 100% recommend.

Great service , food and dining area. Greeted with a smile and seating pretty quick. Inside or outside dining. Casual and comfortable Must try

I still love Cafe Rustica. We stop in almost every time we visit Carmel Valley Village. Service is always top notch and everyone is so friendly. This last visit we finally tried the steamed clams in a lemon beurre blanc. So delicious! The clams were fresh and had that slightly briny taste of the sea. The sauce was so good I sopped up as much as I could with the complimentary French bread. Delicious! We've had the pizzas more than once and really enjoyed the Dynamite. Fennel sausage, pepperoni and Black Forest ham all atop a thin, crispy crust with just the right amount of sauce and cheese. The crust had the perfect char. Again delicious! Although we did not have reservations on a Sunday afternoon, there was a table available outside. Plenty of heaters to keep you comfortable and a lovely patio where you can enjoy lunch. Highly suggest making reservations if you come on a weekend. If you are in and they offer their mushroom soup, just order. It's the best! I'll be back.