Disclaimer: up until our experience tonight, we would've labeled this a solidly four star joint. We used to love this place. My spouse and I had been enamored with their Neopolitan-style pizza for nearly a year now, making monthly visits and bringing in out-of-town guests. And we know good pizza: we met while living in Italy. Basta had always been on the pricey side of things but they just raised their prices and quality and service have fallen--or that was our experience tonight. First, we arrived for our reservation for two, only to be offered a four-person table directly in front of the door (on a cold winter night) or seats at the bar, despite there being several open two tops. Eventually we were able to get a two-person table, but not before being told that it was specifically reserved for someone else. Not an auspicious start to the evening. We placed our order--noting recent price increases pushing a standard "daisy" (margherita) pizza up to $18--beginning with an appetizer to share which never showed up. When our server eventually delivered our main course, his, "Oh, did you not get your appetizer" response was not up to the usual standard of friendly and attentive service that we had enjoyed here in the past. All that would have been excusable if the pizzas were up to snuff. Particularly problematic was the cheese that wasn't even close to melted on the daisy. The pepperoni on the "peppers" pizza, usually thin and just a bit crispy from the wood-fired oven, were decidedly mushy. Moreover, it took a couple tries to get the server's attention to get chili oil, parmesan cheese, and other accoutrements that are usually offered up. And our server never bothered to check in on how we were doing. We had come to love Basta because of the welcoming environment as well as excellent food. We're holding out hope that this experience was a fluke, because it fell short of the mark in so many respects. read more

I know their are tons of good reviews here, but I have to say I was really under impressed. I am from NY so I know my way around Wood-Fired pizza. The pizza at Basto came out too smoky. I saw alot of black smoke coming from the oven, that kills flavor. Sauce was bland. Maybe it was just a bad night, but honestly a pizza from Dominos would have been better. I might try it again, but not likely. read more

I really like the pizza but it is pricy. $16 for a small pizza is a bit much, I would take out so much more often if it was closer to $12.

Our party of three sat down after about 20 mins on a Saturday night (not bad!). Very long winded opening greeting by our server, then ordered a bottle of wine. Salad was good, Piada bread was yummy! Decided on the short rib. After finishing our salad and piada bread we waited about 45 minutes before someone ever came back to our table. Short rib was delivered about 15 mins later (maybe they forgot about us?...) Short rib was good. Got our tab and realized they charged us for the larger sized short rib (it was busy probably an accident), but after waiting so long, and feeling a little neglected and tired we just payed the tab and left. We should have said something. If I return it will probably be for piada bread and a cocktail at the bar.... not terribly excited about the visit. read more

Ok. This place deserves all the credit we've heard. Absolutely fantastic! The perfect crust- the innovative toppings- wow! Wood fired ovens, great wines, amazing salads, homemade desserts like their maple-speck gelato! A little tough to find but well worth the search. read more

Very good Pizza. Obviously high quality ingredients, but they'd be getting 5 Stars if they had served a properly crisp Pizza. I'm not sure if their oven wasn't quite hot enough (probable) , or if they didn't quite cook it long enough (I think less likely), but the crust, while delicious, was just a little too soft. Flavor combinations, both for the Pizzas and Salads, are interesting in the best possible way. Excellent service and a nice joint. read more

Superb food, fantastic service, reasonably priced. I can't believe we lived in Boulder for four years before discovering this place! Being from the Bay Area, we have had a hard time coming to terms with the quality of restaurants in Boulder. I often have to modify my recommendations by stating that a restaurant is "good, for Boulder." Not Basta. This place is good, period. My expectations were low coming in, because the acoustics are quite bad and it was very loud. But the service was great from the start and melted my normally grumpy mood. We shared the Kampachi Crudo, the Burrata Piada, the Cart-Driver Pizza, and the Half Chicken. Let me just skip to the chicken - oh my goodness! It's so yummy! Rich, juicy, and full of flavor. I'll probably order it every time I come here. The Piada, considering how simple it is, was also fabulous. The crudo and the pizza were very good too, but not exceptional. If I'd only tried them I might have placed this restaurant on the level of, say, Pizzeria Locale. You know: very good, for Boulder. But the Piada and chicken put this restaurant on another level, and I look forward to coming back to try their other dishes. Did I mention the service was terrific? Personable and very professional. The whole experience was wonderful. read more

Basta is one of the best restaurants in Boulder and by far has the best artisan pizza in town. It's not cheap but the quality of this restaurant is unrivaled. Also, you must try one of Nick's cocktails, he's a master of his craft and there are only a handful of bartenders in Boulder with equal skill. read more

Best pizza in boulder. Just beat out protos. Soup excellent as well as espresso to finish.

This restaurant was such a disappointment after the great reviews we've heard from friends and here on Yelp. We started out with the burrata appetizer, which was delicious. Sadly, it was all downhill from there. The oysters were not fresh and had an off aftertaste. The daisy and cart-driver pizzas were good, but not $13 and $15 good, especially considering their moderate size. Our server really talked up the half chicken, but it was dry and lacked seasoning. Salt, anyone? It also took a really long time for the chicken to come out, well after everything else. It was Valentine's Day, but our family was so unimpressed that we skipped the dessert. SO many better options in Boulder! read more

Always inventing new fresh cocktails! Everything they make is delicious! Pizza, fish, appetizers, you can't go wrong! Fun atmosphere too of the beaten path. Fun to sit outside if the weather permits. Of course the pizzas are a must and the wine selection is very good. read more

Terrible, way too loud, inedible. We've eaten here other times and enjoyed it enough to return. Tonight it was the worst dining experience ever. read more

I thought the pizza was outstanding. I am a pizza geek who has been researching pizza making for a few years so I am not easily impressed. The crust was exactly what I expect in a neapolitan pie. Tender with some chew but most importantly has enough structure to hold the judiciously applied toppings. The fresh sliced pepperoni was amazing and I was pretty impressed with the Bianco tomatoes. I love that the flour and tomatoes used are fairly local and organic. No reason to get ingredients from Italy to make a good pie. The burrata was awesome as well. read more

Outstanding place: we sat at the bar and the bartender was fabulous, food was also top notch. All the staff with the exception of the hostess were very attentive and pleasant. As long as you can get past the hostess the rest of your experience will be great. read more

WOW ~ MAGNIFICENT! Pizza just like in Italy and excellent service. I've eaten there about 6 or 7 times. I highly recommend. read more

You must like smoke(taste) to completely enjoy this restaurant. This space is cozy and cool once you get there. Our service is always outstanding: fast, efficient and informative. Tonight we started with Japanese fried peppers-love! Second, we had baked oysters with a fennel foam: beautiful presentation on a bed of salt. For dinner I had the large portion of mixed grilled vegetables: smoky, seasonal assortment. I was too full for desert but I've had their tiramisu and vanilla bean ice cream. The vanilla beans are roasted in the wood fired grill and give even the ice cream a smokey flavor... sounds weird, and it is, and it works. The menu is small but interesting and ever changing. I reiterate you must love smoke and yes, the pizza is divine! read more

I'm pretty fond of Basta. There's a small menu, all fresh and pretty tasty. I'm a big fan of the peppers pizza (pepperoni), the Pate and the 3 salads. I do wish they wouldn't try so hard to make "unique" items. I'd love simpler and more ordinary vegetable choices and a few more main dish choices. The half chicken and the fish are always the same. A potato dish would be nice. I love sitting at the bar and watching the chefs manage the wood-fired brick oven. It's quite a show! Worth a visit, limited choices. read more

Had basic margarita pizza, was good, but not great. Staff might have been a little too friendly, or maybe they were just happy to have a customer on a slow night. Felt a bit overdone / busy. Desert looked amazing, was again good but not great. Loved the decor, blue beetle kill pine, lovely oven... read more

Greeted at the door ! Here for take out ushered to the community table , super fast super friendly great Ska Mexican Lager - so good ! Who doesn't love a great neighbourhood restaurant with a tight menu? Winning read more

This is the 2nd time I've tried Basta's, and I've had the same experience both times: good food, lousy service. I don't care how good the food is, if the service is bad, you don't have a good time, and that's what eating out is supposed to be about. There are at least two other pizza restaurants in Boulder with equally excellent pizzas, and both have much friendlier, much better service. read more

I actually came here back in late November, when a lot of Boulder restaurants (Basta included) were doing their fixed price, three course meals for about $30. I came for both the fixed price meal as well as wanting to try some other things; unfortunately, they failed to advertise that the fixed meal would replace about half of the menu (including all the small plates, which actually seemed the most interesting). Then they said they had ran out of one of the two fixed meals. So in the end, most of my top choices were eliminated. This could be forgiven if the food was actually decent, but it wasn't. Soggy pizza, under salted, not enough acid, overpowered by one ingredient; every dish was lacking in some way. I appreciate the trendiness and flavor combinations Basta was trying, but every dish just wasn't executed well. read more

Pizza is pretty delicious, but for $20 I'd hope to get a back-rub while eating. Went in here the other day with my boulder passport, service was poor and their drinks were half full. Far better places in Boulder for a more desirable experience. read more

Probably one of my favorite places in Boulder. The food is delicious, and I don't even care for pizza that much. The menu is small and always has special items. GF pizza crust is the best you'll ever have, and the staff makes me believe in miracles: you know how there are people who always care about their jobs and what they do? Yes, that IS the staff at Basta. Go there, definitely try their cocktails with your dinner - you're welcome. read more

I really liked the ambiance and the staff at this place. Everyone was friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, we only stayed for an appetizer but I really enjoyed the chicken liver mousse. The side of pickled veggie were presented very nicely but served a little too gourmet, meaning tiny vegetables in tiny portions. The beer and wine selection were on point, so overall, a seemingly awesome spot that we need to re-check out another time. read more

They had a Burratta appetizer (butter-cheese) when I was in last... that was awesome and then that's where the awesomeness kind of ended for me...I got a half decent pizza - which was burned... I love thin, fire baked pizza, but not burned ;( I think the burnt crust really brought down my experience, the toppings were kind of sparse, which I actually prefer... but the taste (outside of the burnt crust) was really underwhelming ( I got the white pizza) I will defintely update with my next experience here and I won't get the white pizza again. I guess I will just have to try different things on their menu. Service was good, but kinda pricey... for pizza. read more

An outstanding experience - fantastic service, world-class appetizers, and some of the best pizza I've ever eaten. The decor is modern and rustic without being too pretentious. A must-visit if you go to Boulder. read more

Ate here last night. The food was amazing the atmosphere was really nice and our server chad was spectacular as was the rest of the very attentive staff. I would say as far as Yelp standards go this establishment should be in the $$$ range not the $$ range. I had the house wine which was delightful, he had a cider, we split the cheapest salad and each got a pizza and it was $80 not including the tip. We will most certainly come back but the price means it won't be a regular place for us unfortunately because we both agreed that it was one of the best pizzas we ever had. I'm only giving it four stars instead of five because I feel like the price listing on Yelp is not in the right category. If it was appropriately listed at $$$ this would be a 5 star rating. :) read more

Piada bread is an absolute must (and then work out for 400 days afterward). Amazing doughy, garlicky, cheesy goodness. Service was excellent and wine list interesting. Try to order a single lasagne even if you didn't order in advance. read more

I have only been here a couple of times, but the food has been exceptional each time. The lunch special is great, delicious pizza and a salad, they have a limited, but well thought our beer menu, and a very well rounded wine list. The service as always been very good as well. I love the location too, but I walk there so, I have really no idea what the parking situation is like, but it looks fine. read more

Basta is a hidden gem. The restaurant is fairly small but you can usually get a table without a long wait. Service is always great. The appetizers get you off to a great start. The cheese and salumi plates are fun, the chicken liver mouse is amazing (and I don't usually like chicken liver). The wood oven pizza is very flavorful- the peppers pizza is my favorite. The salads are all great as well- I love the romaine hearts with capers and a very strong lemon dressing. Plus they got Lambrusco which pairs really well with the salads and pizza. Hip atmosphere , great prices and friendly service! read more

Folks, We went to Basta for a Pre-Xmas family dinner. I had heard from friends and rating sites that this is a top drawer restaurant that does rustic food well. The Basta staff totally confirmed these assessments! We had a variety of bread, salads and side dishes. All were excellent. We capped off dinner with clam pizza and a slab of Short rib. The pizza was almost as good as New Haven pizza. (Yeah, that's high praise.) The short rib was tender, tasty and perfectly cooked. The table service was excellent and low-key. Is there a way to give 6 stars? We are happy with Basta! Rog read more

Fantastic on every level! So glad my sister found this place. We ate on the patio, had a great server, and loved everything: our vino, pizzas, olives and salad were all top notch. We will most certainly return! read more

Back in Boulder so had to try Pizzeria Basta-I'm from LA and have loved Hatfield's for years. So the only hard part about this place is finding it! Once found I had a blast. Sat at the bar and ordered the small plate of warmed olives-perfecto. Wine List? Check. Great list with many options, I had a glass of the Montepulciano and then another later of the Stolpman Sangiovese. Both very food friendly wines. Then onto the Shisito Peppers...grilled peppers in Sea Salt. They were an adventure, some sweet, some hot. Hot pepper roulette. Shared with my bar mates, these were a hit. Then on the PIZZA. Tonight they had a cool Mkt Pizza special with Pei Mussels, Arugula Pesto and Salumi...but I was in the mood for a great tomato based za, so went with the Peppers pizza, just tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella and pepperoni. The crust was perfect, not burned but chewy and sweet. What made this a great experience was the people-Sam the bartender was great, as was everyone. And I love this place as they have farm fresh products, and it shows. The sauce on the pizza was amazing, so amazing I could just eat it as a side. Seriously, this was good, and a good value IMHO. Nicely done Kelly Whitaker. read more

Chef Kelly is doing ridiculous things here. The menu is fierce. Almost all the dishes somehow incorporate the wood oven, as there are no regular ovens in house. Locally sourced ingredients call for super fresh salads, which are constantly changing. You have to try the pizza, obviously. I feel as if the wood oven is a bit more aggressive on the dough, creating a more blistered crust compared to Pizzeria Locale, but i'm all for it. There's about 5-6 pies on the menu. I haven't had the chance to try the large dishes such as the roasted fish or chicken, but some of the small bites such as the duck rillettes and the chicken liver pate are fantastic. Kelly's burrata dish is to die for. Don't go here without trying the burrata. Seriously. Also the some of the house-made gelatos get smoked too, such as the burnt caramel gelato(my favorite). Long live the wood oven! read more

Basta - Pizza Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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We went here in October on a spur of the moment dinner out and had a delightful experience. It was packed late so we had to wait a bit. We chose to sit at the bar to get seated earlier. Since it was a cooler rainy night, it was a wise choice. Everything in the place that is cooked, is cooked inside the wood fired oven. We had some lovely cocktails and absolutely mouthwatering okra with a bit of spice. I wanted seconds. Even though my pizza was not amazing (see Locale review) as it was not red based, it was tasty, but my partners pepperoni pizza was mind blowing. They had run out of my original choice, the pizza with kale. I got the sausage pizza and it was quite nice but really more like a flatbread starter, not quite up my alley when I'm hankering for pizza. I realize traditional Italian pizza has a wider crust like theirs, but I prefer a pizza that has more toppings/sauce close to the edge. Other than that, I can't complain. The kitchen staff/staff in general were quite personable. The vibe inside was fun, relaxed and bustling. We ended up ordering dessert, tiramisu. I don't see it much out anymore, possibly because It was overdone in the 90's? They served us a little cup of their aptly named backyard mint ice cream on the house, outstanding flavor. We will be back. * We came back in January and didn't get the same quality of food. I took my rating down from a 4. The pizza seemed less flavorful and was mostly crust this round. The salad had cold potatoes on it, which would have been fine if the flavor balance was there and seasoning was up to snuff, but it tasted raw and bland. We'll try again. read more

Basta....the besta in Boulder. Great pizza, chicken is amazing. Staff is super friendly and accommodating.

Really tasty pizza that doesn't leave you feeling weighed down. We had the beet side dish, followed by the meatball side dish, the baby green salad and finished with the arugula pizza. Everything was very flavorful, nicely presented, and the service was friendly, while being efficient. We sat at the bar, in front of the oven, which provided a great peek into how everything is prepared. We were both impressed with the use of the wood fired oven for what looked like every dish (including a smore dessert that unfortunately ran out before we tried to order one) and how fresh everything was. Will definitely go back to try more of the menu. The food and overall experience were memorable. Oh! The house red wine, the Basta Red, by local winery, Bookcliff, was exceptional! read more

First time we went to Basta the pizza was AMAZING! Like game changing amazing. Like I could love pizza again amazing. The dough was perfect. fluffy and doughy and flavorful. Next time we visited - meh. Pizza dried out and burnt. Everything else was spot on though. I will be returning tonight to make the final verdict. Please don't fail me Basta ya! read more

Phenomenal. Here for a conference and this place reminds me of the pizza I had in Rome.

Everything and everyone is amazing!! First save yourself and order a bottle of red wine, your eating Italian food. Order the clams and the pickled tomatoes ....you will thank me later. Order the "pepper" pizza and add sausage....meat lovers....you'll die. The crust is what i workout for!!! I wish this place was closer to Denver, but then again I would be 140 lbs! Must try!! We will be back next time we are in boulder!!! Go buffs! read more