NOTE: Basilico is primarily BYOB, but has started to offer a very limited assortment of wines. Basilico is established, well-regarded in the realm of reasonable-yet-up-scale Italian dining in the Essex/Union county area, and rightfully so. I recently visited to celebrate my mom's birthday on an early Saturday afternoon. The food was spot-on and the service was very attentive. The atmosphere is nothing too over-the-top, but classy. A solid 'occasion' destination. We were first treated to a bread basket with an assortment of fresh breads and focaccia, with a trio of dips/spreads (a tomato/red pepper-ish dip, butter, and a bean dip). So good, we had to get a second basket! Annnnd onto the apps - we (a party of 6, 2 of which were kids), we ordered/shared the: Tartare di Tonno (Wild tuna tartare with cucumber, homemade chips - $17.95) - amazing, very fresh and believe it had some sort of dijon mustard kick that really took it over the top Calamari Fritti (Fried calamari with marinara sauce - $15.95) - crispy and served with a nice marinara sauce. Polpo alla Griglia (Tender charred Spanish octopus, chick peas, julienne carrots, string beans, radish, parsley, lemon, extra virgin olive oil - $20.95) - the octopus was perfectly cooked, and the chickpeas/carrots, etc., added some delightful brightness to the dish. For my meal , I opted for the trout stuffed with crab meat, capers, roasted potatoes and broccoli. The trout with crab meat was delicious and a nice sized portion as well. For dessert, we all shared the: Apple Cobbler (Served warm with cinnamon ice cream - $13.50) - absolutely divine! Probably the best one of the lot. Baked Alaska (ce cream, almond pound cake and baked meringue - $13.50) - fiery presentation and all, this one did not disappoint! Tartufo Trio (A trio of chocolate, vanilla and hazelnut semifreddo - $13.50). All in all, Basicilo is a neighborhood Italian institution, and rightfully so. Definitely worth keeping in the rotation and considered for occasions. read more

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Very mediocre in Millburn. As soon as they served the stale bread I knew it wasn't going to be good. I started with the Calamari, it was so crunchy, nothing tender about it. Tiny pieces, most likely it was previously frozen. The Veal Scaloppine didn't have much flavor at all, very bland. The mashed potatoes had tiny chunks inside, they were not smooth. Spinach was bland. The dining room is very dated, very 90s inside with a huge vase of dead flowers, mirrors and horrible lights. I do not recommend, I would never come back. read more

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Had a really good time here! The food was tasty and fresh, just what you want from an Italian spot. The service was great too, the server recommended us some specials... super friendly and on top of things. Plus, the iced tea is delicious, must try!!!Definitely a place I'd recommend if you're in the mood for some good Italian food!!! read more

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Basilico has always been our special date night place for my husband and I. We love everything about it and can't say enough good things about the food, and service. Being Italian and also in the food business ourselves we know and appreciate the value of true authentic quality of imported Italian ingredients. The specials are always amazing as well as seasonal to ensure the best freshness and quality. Mario is always the best and goes out of his way to make sure the meal and the experience is 5 stars. read more

Always on point. Love the short ribs. Have ordered in and dined in, Both solid. Food - Excellent Service - Excellent Ambiance - Classy read more

the food is fresh, atmosphere is very Italian, menu variety is plentiful, and the staff is friendly. Vincente, our waiter was very helpful and nice read more

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This has been one of our go to places in the area. The food is consistently good. Last night we went with another couple. Mario , the owner, always comes to your table to check on his patrons and the service is top notch. Diner is always served with a variety of bread with a trio of spreads. It's nice to still go to a place that doesn't charge for the bread. Also this place is a BYOB. For staters last night 3 started with salads and I had the Gazpacho. All good. For mains the girls both had the branzino and loved it. My buddy and me both had the frutti de mar with black squid linguini. Very good. Definitely worth a try if you're in the area. read more

Basilico's is the jewel of Millburn. The food is always delicious as well as the great service and charming atmosphere. The only problem is it's hard to save room for dessert but you must try because the desserts are delicious as well as special. read more

Hit or miss. Only in NJ, will you occasionally receive rancid smelling fish. I shouldn't have to ask to send it back. I shouldn't have to receive smelly fish. Only in NJ... When they receive fresh produce, it's a really decent restaurant. The last time I went, I got rancid smelling fish. Wh read more

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Food was delicious and service and wait staffs were excellent. It's been awhile since my family and I have dined there. Really enjoyed being back ! read more

Had an amazing meal here. The food was all very fresh and flavorful! I loved the Frutti di Mare pasta and the Ossobucco. Both dishes came with fresh pasta! Make sure to save room for dessert here because Donna the pastry chef has these desserts PERFECTED! The Napoleon was to die for and the tiramisu was also delicious! The Chocolate Soufflé was also very tasty and light! If you're in the Milburn area, Basilico is the place to be for dinner!! read more

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I had gone there tonight for Christmas Eve dinner. The was totally insensitive to our needs. He had placed this at the door with the temperature outside being in the 30s. I asked for another put us in the top I found another table And he placed us there. The service was horrible to the point that we were the last people to leave. The service was horrible. It took close to three hours for us to eat our dinner. The the dessert they had was not cooked properly and yet they still served it. Even though we were in informed by the waiter that it was being redone. My recommendation is not to go to this restaurant during holiday time. They cannot accommodate the patrons and the major D is very insensitive or negligent. read more

We just attended an 85th birthday party today. 1. wonderful food 2. great service 3. lovely tables with comfortable seating 4. amazing to have a large party with everything perfect. We are sorry that we do not live closer - this would be our go to place. read more

I went to dinner with a client and the food and service was amazing. The menu is extensive and the specials are numerous. My client never had souffle' and he had the strawberry one and I had the chocolate and it was amazing. read more

We had a great time here for dinner. Beautiful, local restaurant with street parking or small lot attached. They are BYOB, but also have so.e wines available for purchase. Great news...if you want one of their pastas, they are flexible and you can order an appetizer portion. They even split our cacio e pepe in the kitchen! Delicious. The lasagna and salmon were also very delicious. Overall, a nice evening with amazing service and reasonably priced. So glad that they survived the flood from last year. We'll be back. read more

Basilico - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

The food was average and the service was minimal. In fact the person who delivered the food almost threw the food on the table. It was very unprofessional, no proper utensils and had to flag the waiter down to get utensils and only brought a fork and no knife and appeared annoyed when asked for a knife. It was 4 of us having dinner before going to the playhouse. The food was mediocre as best. We all had different dishes and none were great. I do not recommend this place either so many places in Millburn to eat. No reason to eat here. read more

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I'm going to round up to 4 stars, because I don't quite think it's a 3 star review. We had just seen a matinee at the Papermill and I've been told that Basilico does a mean Baked Alaska, so we had an early dinner here. We had a reservation at 5:45pm but they were able to seat us at 5:15pm, which was super awesome. The inside is quite large and it's a pretty romantic spot. We opted to split 2 appetizers and an entrée, since their portions looked pretty big. We had the carpaccio and the octopus, which were both fantastic. I loved the octopus, it was so tender and the dressing they tossed it in was acidic and refreshing. We had the braised short ribs with saffron risotto as our main and it was just OK - the risotto was kind of dry and the short ribs didn't have enough sauce with it. I, of course, got the Baked Alaska, and X had their Souffle of the day, which was Banana. The Baked Alaska was also just OK, it wasn't much like other Baked Alaska's that I've had and the ice cream was super stiff and frozen. The souffle though, was absolutely amazing, and I would highly recommend getting their souffle. Service was attentive without being overbearing and we felt well taken care of. It looks like a very popular pre-theater spot, so make sure you make reservations! read more

This is a wonderfully authentic and fresh Italian restaurant with attentive and friendly staff. I find a late lunch to be a particularly good time to visit without a crowd. Try the less "Americanized dishes" as the menu is always full of the kind of food you get in Italy. BYO makes it especially good for the wine collectors among us with good cellars. The owner is particularly attentive to food recommendations that will pair well with the wine you bring! Great food at a fair price that is consistent is so hard to find, this is a must try! read more

It was horrible, from the white paper on the tables, limited menu and the food was horrible, I thought since 2021 with Covid it would be better it wasn't it was disgraceful read more

The food is top-notch here and there is a very nice atmosphere. It's the staff here who shine and every time we've come here, Wilson has been spectacular. He's very attentive and offers Great suggestions. read more

Basilico - Black bass special - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

Outstanding meal. We sat in the upper part of the restaurant which is highly recommended if, like me, you prefer a quieter dining experience. read more

Always excellent food, service and atmosphere! The menu has something for everyone. Not a big salad person but their salads (esp the beet one) are creative and delicious and large enough to split or bring the other half home for the next day's lunch. Highly recommend you try this restaurant (make a reservation) for either lunch or dinner when you are in the area. read more

Everything clicks here every time. This place pushes the envelope with really fantastic and unique daily specials. Whether it is 'nduja or truffles or seafood dishes. Lots of imagination and creativity . Enjoyed a pesto dish with trophe pasta from Liguria. Amazing ! Staff is attentive to all details. Desserts are also elite with thown dessert chef. As good as it gets anywhere !!!! read more

Totally bummed. I love Basilico so I order two pieces of tiramisu to-go. I got home and found that only one piece was in the bag.

If your judge a restaurant by their desserts....then Lord help us. This tiramisu has me begging for more. read more

Basilico - Tiramasu - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

Had takeout from here. The octopus was disappointing, not as good as the one at evoo. The fruit de mare wasn't anything special, though the fried calamari is still good ! It was quiet on a Fri night when we picked up. read more

Frequent on multiple occasions when in Millburn. Adjacent to probably the best deli in the state "Millburn Deli" Very nice restaurant friendly staff, approachable menu menu BYOB! read more

This was my favorite Italian restaurant. We recently went back there after not going for a while due to covid. The food is still excellent, but the portions have gotten smaller with prices going up. I guess that's par for the course everywhere these days. read more

Bustling even on a weeknight, and stopped in for dinner. The server always seemed to interrupt without much pause; he'd interject with he specials, dessert and check at the middle of conversations to quickly move onto the next table. The list of specials is long. I'd recommend they get a half sheet or something for people to remember. I had the bass special which was a nice big piece of filet over the bitter broccoli rabe and a tomato sauce with a few mussels and clams to the side. Slightly rubbery and fishy clams, but the mussels were better. The bread basket had a nice garlic bread in it this time. While could've used a but more sauce, it was more than filling. Will try one of the pasta dishes next time. read more

Recently had dinner here before seeing a show at Papermill Playhouse. Even though they have a liquor license, they were kind enough to open some Prosecco we had brought with us. I loved seeing a bunch of gluten free options on the menu and truffle specials! I ordered the grilled artichoke and arugula salad which was very good. For my main dish I ordered one of the truffle specials - homemade pappardelle with sausage, mushrooms, and truffles. Absolutely fantastic! I will definitely be back. read more

Basilico - Pappardelle with sausage, mushroom, and truffle *SPECIAL* - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

came here because my sister wanted her birthday dinner here. we came here before just to pick up their dessert napoleon which is absolutely delicious so we thought their dinner options would be great too. there's parking at the side of the building and the staff is really great and attentive. the ambiance does seem to be on the fancier side with it's dark mood lighting so overall a fancy feel which was nice. however when it came to the food, it honestly missed the mark and was definitely not worth the price point. i feel like for a "higher end" restaurant, i expected more out of the dishes but they just felt meh, just ok. wasn't too flavorful or particularly "delicious" and the quantity of the seafood for the pasta dish felt insufficient. overall, great service and environment; just not AMAZING food that i thought it would be (despite the dessert which is well worth it in itself). read more

Basilico - Seafood pasta, seafood dish - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

Wonderful dinner at Basilico last night. My brother and his wife both ordered pasta dishes and they were stellar. The pastas are homemade (pappardelle and squid ink linguini) and are paired with the freshest ingredients (veggies and seafood, respectively). I opted for the classic veal milanese, which was not on the menu but the kitchen kindly accommodated. The veal was nice and crispy, and was topped with a generous arugula, tomato and onion salad. Delicious!!! read more

Basilico - Veal milanese - Italian Near Me - Millburn, New Jersey

Good food in Millburn! Came here for weekday date night. They sat us all the way in the back. Fortunately there were others in the back but never like passing tons of empty tables to go all the way in the back. Having said that the food was good and so was the service. The grilled sea bass was delicious! Lots of food so some for tomorrow! read more

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So happy to have experienced Basilicos! The host on the phone was very friendly and helpful when I couldn't find the reservation time needed on OpenTable. One note to keep in mind is it is BYOB or they serve half or whole bottles of select wine. The food was so good and fresh! Service was friendly. The star of the meal were the PEI mussels. read more

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Very good experience! Went here with my family and had a wonderful time. On top of that, the food was delicious and a highlight was the special: the strawberry shortcake. Great restaurant, would definitely recommend! read more

Five, I say five! Not just because they cook pasta perfectly every time. Not just because the menu goes beyond 'normal' menu choices and offers interesting food. Not just because the owners are Tuscan and know true Italian food. Not just because they have a well trained staff. Not just because the specials are, well, special. Not just because the prices are reasonable. Nope, what pushes them over the top is how they treat my 94 year old dad so well. He's been a regular since Basilico opened. He holds restaurants to high standards, and they always deliver! read more

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Basilico has been a good go to for years. Good food and BYO make it a good spot. The food is always pretty good here, probably could update the menu a bit. But overall pretty steady read more

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Off Millburn Avenue, nestled in the charming town of Millburn, New Jersey, this quaint cafe is a rare find. Indoor and outdoor seating is offered. Street parking is necessary and difficult to find. Reservations are absolutely necessary. The five of us chose a variety of dishes after we enjoyed all the delicious breads and spreads offered. Our waiter promptly took our orders.Three of us selected various fish dishes, one person had mussels and another Soft Shell Crabs. Everyone enjoyed their well presented and prepared entree's. An extensive dessert menu was offered which we declined. We were so full after eating the generous portions we were served. Our efficient and attentive waiter checked on us often. The waters were refilled when necessary. This is a very upscale restaurant with great ambiance. We highly recommend it. read more

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Food delicious and well presented, service staff very accommodating. Highly recommend. Good luck Nick!

The ambience of the restaurant is nice especially on a warm spring day. But the food is just okay at best, nothing is really flavorful and bordering bland. This was our first time here so we didn't really know what to expect. And then on top of the food just being okay I got very ill later on in the evening from the food I had eaten here. A very poor introduction to a restaurant for me. I most likely won't be coming back read more