Rustico in Aberdeen City

I visited this restaurant during lunch (served from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM) but it also open during the evening (5:00 PM to 10:30 PM). The atmosphere inside is warm and inviting, with a strong family-oriented feel. The walls, painted white with a cave-like aesthetic, give off an old-world Italian charm, which adds to the unique ambiance. There are many photos on display, which I assume are of the owners or people involved in the restaurant’s journey—a nice personal touch. The restaurant is quite lively and bustling, making it clear that it’s a popular spot despite being slightly hidden. Given how busy it gets, I highly recommend booking a table in advance to avoid disappointment. Now, onto the food—it was outstanding! The lunch pricing is fantastic for the portion sizes, with two courses for ≈£13 and three for ≈£15. The starters were just the right size—not too filling but a perfect prelude to the main course. My carbonara was absolutely delicious, possibly the best I’ve had in Aberdeen. The tiramisu was on the smaller side, but considering how satisfying the starter and main were, it still felt like a great way to finish the meal. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, regularly checking in with guests to make sure they were happy with their food. Their warm and welcoming approach really added to the overall experience. A couple of small areas for improvement: while the restaurant is generally clean, attention to detail in hidden spots could make it even better. For instance, the radiators had noticeable dust inside, and some table covers showed slight wear and tear. However, the tables themselves were clean, and the menus were in good condition. The ladies’ restroom was modern and well-maintained, which was great to see. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit and will definitely be returning. The atmosphere, food, and service make this a fantastic dining spot!

Fantastic food! Excellent service. Book ahead because it gets busy.

Fantastic meal! Great home cooked Italian classics!

I was in for lunch as part of a large group (>10). The servers handled the large table with ease and the lunch menu is varied and good value. Throughout our meal the service was very attentive and professional. The lasagne was really nice and a good portion size for a lunch menu item.

Great food despite being part of a large group, excellent service as well

Our friends and us decided to try this well known restaurant that many people had so many good reviews about. Well - if you never tried this place, don’t bother ! We drove an hour each way to get there and back - what a waste!! Our friends who booked a table arrived before us, there has been no reservation despite the fact they had a confirmation of the booking, these errors are common so we let it away. We have ordered round of cocktails to begin with - absolutely disgusting. Mojito was flat, with barely any icy, my friend Aperol maybe looked like one, but was nothing like it. Then we were due to receive a Coke we never ordered, to then another waiter trying to give us a bottle of Peroni - again we never ordered. Starters were ok, nothing special. After starters being taken away, a young lad came to clear our side dishes, napkins, cutlery for the mains for us to tell him we only had starters. Mains were ok, nothing special again. All of our plates were still full of food when they came to clear it. At no point staff came and asked how’s the food, neither while we were consuming it or upon clearing plates. We’ve ordered decaf cappuccino, decaf americano, latte and one of us ordered Tiramisu. 20 min later I’ve asked waitress where our order is, she apologised and said she’ll go and check. Another 10 min later my friend asked another waitress where our order is. 5 min after arrived diabolical looking Tiramisu for our friend but no coffees. Eventually after another 5 min of wait ( 40 min after the initial order ) coffees arrived - cappuccino ( not decaf ), two latte ( both decaf ) and no americano… I used to work for a 5 star hospitality resorts and I know what standards are expected and what standards should a place like well known Rustico provide. Place was full of untrained students who can’t handle simple orders. Training is required. Big time. Again I do understand busy night, restaurant at its capacity, but it’s down to owners to ensure equivalent amount of staff is hired and trained for nights like last night. From start to finish things were going wrong at every step of the way, food was a mediocre, we left hungry tired and disappointed. Don’t go there, we definitely will not.

Lovely hotel with great service and very clean rooms, only a short walk to the front for other bars and restaurants. The Italian restaurant is a must - book as soon as you arrive to avoid not being able to get a table. The measures of spirits etc are very generous. We'll definitely be returning for our 3rd stay.

Didn't book beforehand but thought we might drop by and ask if there were any tables available - it was Valentine's Night so didn't hold out much hope. We were in luck though and were escorted to the 3rd floor- who knew it had so many seats. Food was just lovely and we will definitely be back but next time we'll book beforehand ☺️

Your go to Italian restaurant in the Aberdeen area. Do not accept any other. Pick the pizza, the pasta or the steak - it's all good, even the decaf coffee.

We had planned a girls day out so we decided to come along for a lunch date. We arrived at 4pm was seated and handed menus, our drinks order was taken and we ordered the lunch time set menu which was 2 or 3 courses for a certain price. It was stated online that this was on till 6.30pm, the waitress came back and told us it was only on till 4pm. I queried this and she told us it’s say on the menu but which I told her there was nothing stating the times and also online it says 6.30pm. I felt so sorry for the young waitress as it was not her fault. Not being greedy but why advertise the menu if u can’t order from it, we were told we had to be seated by 3.45 pm and our order taken before 4pm to get the lunch menu. So we just paid for drinks and left a bit disappointed.

Service was unbelievable. My waiters Evan and Lewis deserve a raise without a shadow of a doubt they went above and beyond on Friday night

My first visit here in almost fifteen years and it was still as good as I remember. This is a very popular, traditional styled restaurant in the middle of Aberdeen. Food is excellent, staff are friendly and attentative.

Have a very lovely, fantastic pasta. And pizza . as well as a few starters. Was well full, couldn't manage desert, but could have taken away if we asked. Staff lovely also and service was fast .

Very lovevly restaurant with good food und nice atmosphere! 10/10

Came in tonight at 7pm with my partner. We asked for a table at reception, the guy was looking on his site for a table, then the owner came, said no problem, but mentioned something about “20 minutes” to his colleague, and realised we only had about 20 minutes free at that table. My partner realised and asked to make sure we won’t be rushed, in which case he said no. We got to the table, which are close together. Big groups of people, drunk, making loud noise and everyone was shouting on top of each other. Radio on top of all this noise. The waiters are very young students, with no experience, very little social skills, got our order wrong. The food came out very quick (too quick). Nothing is fresh. We left really quick. The owner was very glad as before we even stepped out the door, he said “table is now free”. Clearly we were holding some people waiting. It’s all about money. Not authentic Italian food. I’ve been to plenty good restaurants, and this is not worth visiting. Save your money and go elsewhere.

Amazing food, brilliant staff with great attitude and manners.

An excellent place that's been around for a long time. The food has always been very good indeed, with a huge choice of dishes. It tastes fresh and authentic. No corners are cut with ingredients or presentation. Staff are always polite, knowledgeable and helpful. It's a really great experience dining here. There's no fuss or pretention.

Fantastic place, friendly service and great food, I recommend it

Was here for a works lunch, and it was excellent and good value for money. Will be back

Great value lunch menu. And drinks prices very reasonable

Great tasting food, would definitely recommend

Fantastic service and amazing food.

Good selection of dishes, nice staff.

We went to Rusticos for my son’s 18th Birthday celebration and we were not disappointed. The service was outstanding as was the food. If you have any celebration planned I would not hesitate to recommend Rustico’s. Thank you all so much

Wonderful Italian in the heart of Aberdeen with an excellent menu, not the usual stuff you expect. Very special!!

This was a great find in Aberdeen today. Food was good, service excellent and very good value. Will definitely return

As always great food and service 👍

A lovely meal, very helpful and friendly staff.

Bit cramped on space. Good food.

What a lovely restaurant, fantastic selection on the menu and really nice staff who were an absolute credit to the owner , great value and very good portions . Will definitely return 👍🏻

Visited with work and my Carbonara was great! No complaints from anyone on the table about their food it was lovely! Also had the cheesecake of the day (mixed berry) and it was superb! No pictures as I forgot to take 🤦‍♂️

Rusticos is always good. You won't be let down.

The only good thing about that place is their food. Food is really good. But service and atmosphere is just horrible. To be honest I am shocked with the situation that the manager and receptionist were put us in. We booked a table for us because my friend had a birthday to celebrate, we came and asked for little something for her birthday maybe desert with candle or whatever they are doing for their clients usually — the guy on the reception laugh to our face and said “what kind of surprise you are expecting?! it’s not a turkish restaurant”, so basically he refused, well we tried. But in general it’s kinda rude and racist to say that, don’t you think so? We decided still to stay and get our dinner, the waiters gave us a vibe of some new people who just started to work -trainees- who don’t understand how to properly serve and how to clean table. In the end of our dinner when we finally paid, we saw an absolutely “mind blowing” scene - three waiters came out with piece of tiramisu with candle on top, singing happy birthday song for other clients. So to us they refused to do that, but for someone else they did. Rude and very disrespectful. We came to that table to check with the ladies if it was from restaurant, if restaurants gave them that service, who knows maybe they bring it with them. But no, the ladies confirmed that it was the service from restaurant that they requested. We came to the reception and asked for the manager. When manager came and listened our complaints with all the details and quotes the only thing that he said that it was a joke and he is really sorry, not further actions were take. No any proper apology/discount anything. You could even see that he didn't give a damn, for him we are not important guests. The only thing that he said that we are the 12th table who asked for the candle and they “forgot”. It’s not true, they refused to do that for us. But realistically we are clients and we came to get the best service, the birthday atmosphere was ruined. The evening was ruined. We decided we will never get back to Rustico, not with that kind of dealing with problems. Poor customer support.

I’ve never really posted any reviews in my life, especially when it comes to bad experiences but I think that today’s situation was absolutely appalling. I always avoided going to Rustico because of my gut feeling and wish tonight I would have listened to it more. We came to Rustico to celebrate my friend’s birthday, so booked table in advance, came on time. Straight away we were greeted by a receptionist in a very cold and uninvolved manner. After that we were sat down at the table and offered menus but our great experience at this restaurant ended at this very moment. All waitresses seemed so young like they just graduated school, it was their first job experience and they knew absolutely nothing as if they started job a couple of days ago. As much as I understand that everyone deserves to learn new skills and gain work experience, the service was absolutely horrible. Was taking ages to order food, we sat for ages with dirty plates, no one was checking on us or on our food experience. Everything has to be explained or asked for. As a former waitress myself, I understand that it can be challenging working in such fast paced environment, especially on a busy Saturday night, but customer service is pretty much non-existent in this place. While two of my friends remained at the table, I decided to return to the front desk to see if I can ask for the waiting staff to make a little surprise for my friend and bring her desert with a candle (which I even offered to pay for). I was given very weird look and a sharp abrupt reply “what kind of surprise do you want? We’re not a Turkish restaurant, we don’t do dances and songs for customers birthdays”. What did my request had to do with Turkish restaurant in the first place? I felt that reply was very rude and borderline racist, and at this point I wished we would have went to a Turkish restaurant instead. I just said that sorry I’ve asked, I thought this is pretty standard to ask and not something extraordinary. I’ve traveled over 35 countries and been to countless restaurants all over the world, and never had this experience before. It’s a normal restaurant practice and good etiquette to present some dessert or drinks on the house on someone’s birthday. But I decided not make big deal of it, although it was quite upsetting and just went back to table with just saying “okay thank you, thought I’d just ask”. Thought it was just something that they don’t do at this restaurant. How surprised I was when a table next to us was also celebrating birthday and all waitresses came over to wish happy birthday and brought tiramisu with a candle. My heart just dropped in that second and a felt so bad for my friend who was refused that. After paying for our meal, I decided to speak to manager and ask to explain the situation, why my friend was refused this and another customer received it. If it wasn’t something that this restaurant was offering, it should have been equal for everyone. Response of a manager was equally rude, in a laughing manner he said “we had 12 other tables who were celebrating birthdays, sorry we forgot about you”. I’ve tried to explain that we weren’t forgotten about, we were fully refused that service by (how it turned in the end) the receptionist, who said it’s not a Turkish restaurant to get that. I was explained it’s a joke and I should not take it seriously. I never was offered any apology or any other explanation why this situation occurred in the first place. My friend was standing and listening to the whole situation and thought it was personal because she was Muslim. She was very upset and so were we. After this we all made a firm decision to never come back and would like to warn others to think twice before deciding to celebrate their important events at Rustico. Management and staff is an absolute disgrace. Food was okay but nothing special. If you want great Italian food and service, I suggest Rosa’s instead, Amarone, Da Vinci or Mi Amore.

We've been to Rustico a few times already and each of them was an amazing experience. The staff is very accommodating, food is ready fast and delicious. Last night we have been served by Anushka. She was incredible sweet and polite. We've ordered 3 courses and 2 drinks each with a little coffee at the end to top it off. What we couldn't finish we took home. Thank you once again for a great evening.

Had lunch many times . Very good value , quality and service.

Sea food dishes are great! I loved the prawns 🤤

Fantastic authentic Italian restaurant with great food and atmosphere.

Authentic pasta! Fast service and lovely staff. Highly recommend :)

Interesting place with good Italian food, good service and affordable prices

Authentic Italian food. Seafood pasta was fresh and rich. Mussels were well cooked and was a relatively large portion (recommendto share). Tiramisu was ddcent

It is a great italian restaurant with delicious food very good atmosfer and very good prices

Food was amazing, and so were all the staff, especially Konstantinos. Will be back.

Enjoyed a nice meal here with family. Very reasonably priced. I'd come here again.

Despite the size of our party, about 30 people, all food was excellent and served efficiently. Congratulations to the staff for dealing with us so well.

Great food, great service and a buzzing Friday lunchtime atmosphere. It's why we keep coming back.

Well what can I say Rusticos never fails. Amazing food, you can taste the freshness from the first bite. Amazi The service, asked the waitress what wine would compliment our choice of food . She definitely new what wine to serve with our choice. We didn't book and where exceptionally lucky to be able to get a table as the place was out the door. The most authentic Sicilian good you will ever get in Aberdeenshire. Delicious

Gluten-free (my husband is Coeliac).

Amazing atmosphere, Arancini and Pizza, my girlfriend said the gluten free carbonara was also excellent! We would definitely go back and highly recommend this cosy tucked away Sicilian restaurant!

Very good indeed. Had lunch there. Good food, nice staff and great atmosphere. Recommended

We are travelling around Scotland and are currently in Aberdeen. We chose this restaurant based on reviews. We were seated at a table in a small room where all the tables were already taken. When I went to wash my hands, I noticed that the restaurant had a second and even a third floor. I asked the waiter if they had an empty table in a quiet corner on another floor, for example. As we had been driving all day and I had an online work conference in the evening, we wanted a more relaxed atmosphere. There was no table, but we were moved to another table. When a large family who were sitting next to us at the first table walked by, they started shouting at us and using obscene language. I was so horrified that I only heard at the end that they had decided that we had moved because of their child. We are tolerant of all life forms and against all discrimination, so such an assumption is absurd. I can only assume that they did not like the fact that we spoke a foreign language and therefore used the child as an excuse to attack us. In any case, I spent the rest of the evening in a rather tense state, afraid that one of the visitors might become aggressive towards us for some unknown reason. It's hard to say anything about the food, as I didn't want to eat at all afterwards. The service is nice, but it seems to me that the waiters could stand up for us as guests, or at least explain the reason for such aggression and insults from other guests. This is the first time I've written such a comment, but I didn't feel safe in this place. I am so sorry.

Have eaten at Rustico's many times and am pleased to say it has been an excellent experience every time.

Amazing food for an incredible price. I would highly recommend and cannot wait till my next visit.

The food wasn't bad, but it didn't felt Italian. It was too spicy and too salty. We ordered the arancini, lasagna and gnochi. Otherwise the service was good and quick.

Stunning restaurant, ideal location for family, friends or romance.

I recently visited for lunch and had an outstanding dining experience. The menu was delightful, and I particularly enjoyed the ravioli, which was cooked to perfection. The soup of the day, served with sourdough bread, was hearty and flavorful. Another highlight was the Padellata Siciliana with prawns and calamari in a spicy sauce - an excellent blend of fresh seafood and robust flavors. To top off the meal, I indulged in their cheesecake, which was a simple yet delicious dessert. The restaurant was quite busy during lunchtime, so I highly recommend reserving a table in advance. Overall, I had a wonderful time with friends and look forward to returning. Excellent food and great atmosphere!

Was here last month with wife, we made a booking and when we got there we were shown to a table unfortunately we were left there for nearly 20 mins without orders or drinks being offered? So decided to leave,

We (2 guests)were there on Friday evening, didn’t book a table, but no problem for restaurant to accommodate us. It was first time visiting here, always wanted to try Rustico. Host and servers were welcoming and friendly. We’re sat upstairs, small seating area, a bit crowded and loud. At least 2 birthday parties. Water was offered and served. We ordered starters, one for each, plain garlic bread and arancini. Portions were good size and didn’t wait too long. Thought we were going to order desserts, but when mains arrived, we understood, it is going to be too much. Mains were massive for us. Pizza and salmon risotto. Both dishes were delicious and freshly made. Server offered Parmesan to add to risotto and pizza. Glass of rosé £6, Irn bru £2.75. Dinner for 2 cost £55, we were full to top. If we would take desserts, wouldn’t be able to move at all. We will return again to try other dishes.

Amazing food, gorgeous atmosphere and the staff were amazing so so so attentive and great with kids! 100% recommend we will def be back

Absolutely brilliant!!! Loved the food, loved the prices, loved the atmosphere!!! Now classed as my favourite Aberdeen restaurant!!!

me and my mum came to the restaurant for lunch today and were greeted with lovely staff! They did tell us that the kitchen was about to close and that they weren’t sure if we would get a table. An older man presumably the manager confirmed we could get a table right away and we were amazed by how good the experience was. We ordered lunch and every dish we had was superb. Couldn’t fault anything. It was our first visit and due to the experience we will certainly be back.

Had a reservation here last week, food was amazing & came out quick. The servers were lovely and all the staff were very friendly.

Great Italian restaurant. The prices are fine for a meal out, and the portions were hearty so no complaints there. Friendly service, with a good sense of humour. I had the penne arrabiata, which was tasty if not particularly spicy. Rather a labyrinth, but good rustic decor. Would definitely recommend.

Costa and the staff are Fabulous! The food is the best Italian in Aberdeen!

Four of us- one of our group found a hair in her starter and my fishcakes could have been hotter. The Lasagne was claggy and a bit tasteless. Staff were excellent though.

Fabulous food in a cosy restaurant. Totally recommend the pizza - DELICIOUS!! All the food is fab!!

The food was at big portions and reasonably priced ! Live the juicy lamb chops and the ice cream with espresso .. worth taking a dinner here !

Went there for a birthday dinner with 6 others last Saturday, the food was beyond AMAZING, I really recommend the lasagne. Good prices, massive portions. Such good service, we ordered a couple bottles of wine and the service provided was beyond amazing. Will definitely come back again.

Friendly staff really good food

Friendly greeting. Wonderful food. Lovely relaxed atmosphere. All staff were friendly & attentive. We had not booked & forgot it was Valentines but we were treated with respect & felt valued. Thank you 🙏

Take my wife here for the mussels, loves them, so it's a thumbs up for me. I usually have carbonara or canalone and it's always nice. Only thing is, you should probably book, as its always quite busy.

Great restaurant with great Italian food.

A popular place with locals and visitors.

God home made food and plenty of choice. Usual dishes but many unique combinations. The service was very good.

A party of nine people enjoyed a delicious meal. Thank you.

I have grown quite nervous to attend Rusticos recently due to having coeliac and experienced symptoms every time I have ate here. (I have eaten here 4/5 times in the last 6 months.) The food at the time is lovely- very tasty and different pasta which indicates gluten free but the staff are so rushed off their feet they never emphasise the cross contamination which in most places they do this every time without fail. - It makes you think how conscious they in the kitchen, even after I advised the waitress, added it to the booking that I have coeliac. I am not one who usually shies away about going out for food but I will be avoiding this place at all costs until they improve their allergy awareness. They need to make more of a designated place or at least have the courtesy to change gloves and utensils when cooking with allergies in mind as I have been to other places and not been unwell. I feel that people who don't have coeliac please continue to go to Rusticos and enjoy the food. However, people who have allergies please air on the side of caution.

A firm favourite Italian restaurant in Aberdeen.

When for lunch here and it was amazing, nice atmosphere and the food was out of this world.

Amazing food quality and lovely environment. I did have a fantastic time

Good food, very reasonably priced, pleasant atmosphere.

Popped in today for lunch without a booking. The restaurant was busy but they fitted us in. The food was excellent as was the service. Will be back.

Always loved this place. Their starters are very delicious. Interior is quite beautiful. Had salmon risotto last time and it was heavenly. Recommended place. Staff are also very good.

Waiting staff were absolutely lovely 😍, always a pleasure going back.

Great authentic Italian food. Great VFM

Been here before and was very happy,this time around we found the staff were initially fairly eager to take our order we felt they were rushing us through then during the meal staff were very inattentive and slow....we had to ask them to clear away our plates each course. Cannot complain about the food or the atmosphere.

The food was amazing. Service could have been more attentive, according to fellow guests I was dining with. But we put it down to the staff being fairly new and time of year. But the food was great. Our party at various meals. Chicken, veal and pasta/chicken. And everyone rated them highly. Would definitely come here again. (Staff were polite and friendly)

Ordered a table for 6 people on the phone in Italian, super nice conversation. Disappointment then with the food, starter was good bruschetta and buffala, the main course pasta con salsiccia, which was not salsiccia and the tomato sauce was far too spicy, a shame. Carbonara was okay, but not the best. Just because the car is red doesn't mean it's a Ferrari. We no longer had an appetite for dessert. If you don't use original ingredients, please don't call it that. Not recommended.

Cute restaurant, very friendly staff and excellent food! Some of the staff were very green but overall very pleasant! ☺️

Great Italian restaurant. The food was awesome! The restaurant space is a bit small so when crowded, can be hard to manoeuvre. However, I will recommend, definitely returning to try their pizza menu soon

Very disappointed. We have been before and it was great. The food was tasteless and service very slow.

Excellent food and service, great value lunch.

Booked a meal last night for a party of 5. From the moment we walked in the door we were treated fantastically. The food was superb, the staff were brilliant and the atmosphere was exactly what an Italian restaurant should be, noisy, happy and rumbunctious.

We meant to go to another restaurant, who didn't confirm our booking although I booked a day in advance. I suggested Rustico to my family. we went and we were lucky to be hosted without booking. Food is delicious and generously portioned.. Drinks and dessert were amazing. With such prices, it is certainly a good place to enjoy a relaxed dinner.

I appreciate the welcoming there

Cozy dining... super nice Service and delicious food

Friendly staff, maybe the best or atleast one of the most authentic tasting Italian cuisines. Everything tastes fresh from starters to the deserts in the menu I may have almost tried them all. Definitely worth it! Again the staff is amazing and will help if you need anything. Thank you guys!

Lovely lunch - great value and excellent food

Had a booking today, was super quiet. We were taken to an isolated room where we were the only customers, a nice lady offered us water - which did not arrive despite us being there for 15 minutes. No drink or food order was taken in this time either. I would understand if it was a busy period. However, staff continuously walked past the room that we were in without acknowledging us which led to us leaving for a different venue. By the time the staff had remembered we were there, we were too irritated to stay, which is unfortunate as the restaurant and menu looked lovely.

We were accommodated without a reservation without fuss. Service was fast and friendly and the food was awesome. The place has a lovely atmosphere.

Great food, excellent value, amazing service.