Casa Rustica - El Cotillo

Started by jasmine302, February 12, 2014, 17:38:27 PM

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jasmine302

I very rarely post on here but I keep meaning to put a word in for Casa Rustica, we eat here at least once each time we visit and the steak is to die for and the curried prawns are delicious. If Natalie has made her delicious puddings..all sorts from chocolate mousse to strudel, don't miss them! but they sell out quickly.

Champlain Girl

I don't think this place is anything special, I know that folk rave about it.

Sorry!

CG

MinRich

Agree with CG , generally go there to see the dog :)

Champlain Girl

Minrich
Are you and your wifey in El Cotillo in March?

CG

isleswing

Quote from: Champlain Girl on February 12, 2014, 18:37:22 PM
I don't think this place is anything special, I know that folk rave about it.

Sorry!

CG


We used to eat there each visit, and always seemed to bump into some friend or another. It's very popular, and we always liked to sit outside and watch life.

The food's very good, but frankly we just got fed up with the rather off-hand service, and we haven't been alone in that. There's enough other restaurants with equally good food and better, friendlier, service.

SoCal

Agreed that this is not the place for a quick meal.  And if your tastes consists of a roast ever Sunday and fish and chips, this is not the place for you. 

But the steak with roquefort is heavenly with a nice claret. There are several other dishes they make that I have been unable to reproduce - especially the seafood stew. Compared to quite a number of other restaurants in El Cotillo, the prices at Casa Rustica are low.  As for service, they treat me very well and have made special requests.
Biking and beaches - total freedom

TripleH

Quote from: MinRich on February 12, 2014, 20:31:53 PM
Agree with CG , generally go there to see the dog :)

Sadly the dog is no more

MinRich


MinRich


Champlain Girl

Quote from: MinRich on February 14, 2014, 10:42:15 AM
Quote from: Champlain Girl on February 13, 2014, 13:56:24 PM
Minrich
Are you and your wifey in El Cotillo in March?

CG

5th-19th  ;D

See you there on the 12th if it is open at El Toston? 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

CG

bygcotillo

We have only been the once and were very disappointed.  The service was curt to say the least and the food very very salty.  Won't go again.

Champlain Girl

A long wait in between 1st and second course, and quite expensive for nothing special. ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

CG

duncolm

Visited Casa Rustica for the first time last month. Had no complaint about the service though if the lady is serving on her own I imagine she can get run off her feet. Didn't realise how busy it was until the rain forced the outside diners indoors.
The steak and chips was good enough to persuade me to go back for a second visit.

mark09

I cant reply as to the food in the place as we walked out before even ordering due to the attitude and customer service bordering on abject rudeness. At the end of the day one doesnt need a maitre d with such arrogant attitude

concerned cat

We had a lovely meal here a week or so ago but yes, the waitress was stressed & curt. We left without leaving a tip.
We returned this Tuesday evening (1st) because the last meal was great. It was much quieter. She was very attentive & again the food was fantastic.
Why don't they employ more waiting staff??

rob_finch

I always eat here at least once each trip, and thoroughly enjoyed my steak as usual last week. Agree that they could use extra waiting staff when they are full, but on a quieter night there are no such issues.

Charlie dont surf

Quote from: concerned cat on November 03, 2016, 20:25:02 PM
Why don't they employ more waiting staff??

I guess it's not so easy to employ good reliable waiters, especially in a place like El Cotillo. They've tried a few times but I guess had to let them go for various reasons. You have to take your hat off to Natalie and Gustavo how long they have kept the place going on their own. My first visit was 14 years ago and it hasn't changed much. I've always found his steaks spot on and if he ever has rabbit or spring lamb on as a special they're not to be missed. Natalie knows her wine too. I guess most of us would get a little stressed out every now and then if we were in her shoes.


Dave Diggler

We've tried Casa Rustica a few times over the years, mainly due to the favourable reviews on here, we've never seen what the fuss is about & have been distinctly underwhelmed.  We give it a miss now.

Banjo

#18
Time for a couple of restaurant updates:

We ate here this week. I had the steak l with mustard sauce and my wife had hake. My meat was undercooked and the wife's meal looked like a school dinner.

Another diner said that she didn't enjoy her food when (everybody's best friend) Natalie asked why she'd left so much and Natalie's reaction was near on venomous.

The menu here doesn't seem to have changed since we first visited the place some time ago. We won't go back on this trip but will visit it again on future trips if the establishment looks like it can be bothered to try a bit harder.


paully

Thanks Banjo, we`re in the area next week...I`ll make sure we give `Natalie` a miss
I HATE computer thingyss

jg

Quote from: Charlie dont surf on May 09, 2018, 18:57:44 PM
Quote from: paully on May 03, 2018, 23:13:25 PM
Thanks Banjo, we`re in the area next week...I`ll make sure we give `Natalie` a miss

And someone else scared of a strong woman. Grow a backbone.
And why order a dish that specialist steak houses always do better when they have so many things like flatfish in saffron sauce on offer?
JG

Logitechtom

Ignoring the spat that has taken over this subject, I can only speak as I find.

I've had many meals here and with one exception, they have always been excellent meals (the one exception was quickly corrected when I asked Natalie to take the meal back to the kitchen.

That being said, there are a very limited number of staff, so if the restaurant is full, don't expect to be served quickly.

There is a good selection on the menu, the prices are competitive and the atmosphere is great.

Tom.

Charlie dont surf

Thanks for the constructive review. Many of the restaurants in Cotillo have a bit of a soulless feel to them. Love or hate Natalie at least she has some character and adds to the atmosphere and the overall experience. The chef tries to be as creative as he can in what has now become a tourist resort.

Stone Free

Rustica has a new owner.  He's half Italian. Not sure what the other half is, I suspect Spanish. 

Natalie was doing the handover last week.

They are going to be open from 10:30am for breakfast and then lunch.

Charlie dont surf

Just what Cotillo needs...more Italians. Anyone for pizza?

TripleH

Walked past last night and had a quick look at the menu. Surprised to see its exactly the same as before. Why wouldnt the new owners put their own stamp on it?

Charlie dont surf

Probably waiting to see how well it goes before they invest any dinero. If it's Italian then it's already as good as doomed as there's the Sottovento and another pizza place in the village.

Logitechtom

I'm not sure the new owners are Italian. I think they are Spanish. The lady is pregnant, so will not be in the restaurant for many more weeks. The man tends to keep out of sight, just occasionally serving food or drink. The kitchen staff remain unchanged.

I think the policy of sticking to the old menu is very wise. The new owners need to get a good feel of 'who eats what's before they change the offering. However, I noticed a laser printer set up on one table so I suspect the new menu (or the old menu with new prices) is not too far away!

I suspect they don't have very much experience at running a restaurant, so they are being sensible and seeing how things are run before they put a personal stamp on the place.

I've always enjoyed Casa Rustica, even if you did have to mind your p's and q's when Natalie was rushed off her feet, so I hope the new owners do well.

Tom.

Charlie dont surf

Quote from: Logitechtom on September 21, 2018, 17:52:11 PM
I'm not sure the new owners are Italian. I think they are Spanish. The lady is pregnant, so will not be in the restaurant for many more weeks. The man tends to keep out of sight, just occasionally serving food or drink. The kitchen staff remain unchanged.

I think the policy of sticking to the old menu is very wise. The new owners need to get a good feel of 'who eats what's before they change the offering. However, I noticed a laser printer set up on one table so I suspect the new menu (or the old menu with new prices) is not too far away!

I suspect they don't have very much experience at running a restaurant, so they are being sensible and seeing how things are run before they put a personal stamp on the place.

I've always enjoyed Casa Rustica, even if you did have to mind your p's and q's when Natalie was rushed off her feet, so I hope the new owners do well.

Tom.

That's a strange set up with Gustavo still in the kitchen. Perhaps he's teaching the new owners how to cook! Nothing would surprise me in Cotillo these days.

That's right. Judging Natalie's mood was crucial but not difficult. If she wasn't smiling then tread carefully!

Logitechtom

It's not Gustavo in the kitchen, it's the female cook (sorry, name unknown) who was second chef to Gustavo for many years, but took over the kitchen for the last year or so.  Gustavo took a break from the kitchen and was doing table service. Perhaps that was all part of the plan in order to sell the place.

Tom.