Sweet Basil

Fantastic experience at Sweet Basil. The food is extremely good and the service is on point. All the meals we ordered across a group of 6 were excellent. The only slight disappointment was the pasta component of the octopus dish which was cold and undercooked so very chewy but the octopus itself was amazing. Dessert was a piece of art, a Mushroom shaped delicacy.

Coming from “Texas” Ryan has treated us totally differently being colored on the bar vs white couple sitting next to us.. he has not even acknowledge us once about how we doing vs asking neighbor how is even their “Caesar salad “ He constantly checked on the Caucasian couple sitting next to us, how’s their food, if they needed to order anymore drinks and even desert. This is very rare situation but very sad to see this experience. Situations like these are sad. Over All food was amazing!

Exceptional restaurant in downtown Vail, easily the best place we ate at during our stay! The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was nice and the unique presentation of some of the dishes added to the enjoyment. I’d definitely recommend the Octopus, Whipped Feta, Wagyu Tartare, and the Iberian Pork. Of all the starters we tried, the Peruvian Potato Bombs was the only dish that was just ok. Everything else was great. There was an extensive wine list with plenty of really great options at around $90-$110. If you can get a reservation, this place is worth it; I’d definitely recommend Sweet Basil.

My mother and I came here for dinner during our stay in Vail and we were delighted with our choice! We had the best server who was attentive, engaging and recommended fabulous dishes. The food was superb, as well. Both the octopus appetizer and the lobster ravioli impressed us. I also had a fabulous glass of wine and their selection was enormous, so everyone could find something to their taste. The ambiance felt sophisticated without being stuffy, which was refreshing. We will absolutely come back our next time up in the mountains!

We booked Sweet Basil for my husband’s birthday, buoyed by its glowing recommendations. However, the experience didn’t entirely live up to our high expectations. To our surprise, the restaurant was quite empty upon arrival, contradicting its popular reputation and lacking the lively atmosphere we were looking forward to. Seated in a booth near the bar, we found our spot less intimate compared to other areas in the restaurant. Service was slow to start; it took about 15 minutes to get our drink order in, followed by a 20-minute wait for our wine. It seemed the restaurant was understaffed, with only one server, Esteban, managing the floor. I must emphasize, Esteban was fantastic, doing his utmost in a challenging situation. The service delays were clearly not his fault but rather a result of insufficient staffing. Our culinary experience began with Peruvian Potato Bombs and Spanish Octopus. While the Potato Bombs were enjoyable, the Octopus was inconsistent - half were cold and chewy, and the other half only slightly warm, leading to disappointment. For mains, my husband chose the duck, and I opted for the Snake River Wagyu. Regrettably, my steak was barely warm. We decided to skip dessert as the options didn’t appeal to us. Another letdown was the menu’s lack of local farm-fresh ingredients. The emphasis on farm-raised fish from New Zealand and meat from other states was unexpected and somewhat disappointing, considering the restaurant’s reputed standing. The total bill, over $200, would have been justifiable had the food and experience matched our expectations. Unfortunately, it felt like Sweet Basil, in its attempt to be overly creative, missed the essence of what could have been a special dining experience. While Esteban’s service was a saving grace, the overall experience did not meet the standards we anticipated for such a celebrated establishment.

Thoroughly impressed with our food here. Pork chop might be the best I have ever had. We came for my wife’s birthday, at the last minute, without reservations and they still accommodated us. Our appetizers and meal were outstanding. Oysters were great. Beef tartare. Scallop crudo. All wonderful. Our waitress was super friendly and helpful. She made our margaritas sweeter and was very patient with our one year old. Overall I would recommend this place to family and friends.

A wonderful place that is a must if you come to Vail! You must look to book a reservation early for dinner (we booked it 2 months in advance - a very hot ticket). We have had issues finding a reservation for dinner before because we waited to late but we were able to join them for lunch at the bar easily. We walked in hungry and with an idea of what we were going to order but that changed since the menu is seasonal and items changed. We ordered the Colorado heirloom tomato to start and it was light, very fresh and delicious. Our amazing waiter Dylan walked us through the menu and sold us into ordering the Iberian Duroc Pork Chop (it cut like a steak!) & the Ora King Salmon (one of the nicest cuts of salmon you can find with wild picked mushrooms). He was not wrong when he talked about how nice the cut of the salmon or how wonderful the pork chop was. For desert we had the lemon and fennel (very good, light and refreshing after a hearty pork chop - a must order!) and the apricot nest (unique and with a fun presentation). The service was amazing and seamless. We can not wait to come again and really appreciate everyone who had a hand in our dinner last night!