Whipped feta appetizer- as good as everyone claims it is!! Glass of Hall with with the venison, chock full of flavor. I stay away from bread pudding as Jameson bread pudding is my signature dessert. That said, I was talked into ordering the sticky toffee pudding and so glad I did. The whole meal soared above and beyond all expectation. read more

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I would only give less stars because they did not have their Duck on the summer menu. It's petty and I pouted because the duck is to die for! and I've been thinking of it for months! So, we had many question for the waiter. He was well versed on every item in the menu and was able to answer all our question to our to our questions expertly and to our great satisfaction. From his explanations of the meals, according to the question we had put to him, I settled on the Ora King Salmon; but I did NOT settle, I chose wonderfully with the waiter aid. The salmon was amazing! Melt in your mouth, amazing! The soft texture, the tastes, the 'opposites attracting' and the interaction of the of mushroom sauces with the salmon, made me hum while I ate!, The salmon was served with a morel and oyster mushrooms, in a yuzu butter and sweet garlic purée with a side of caramelized asparagus. I ate the entire entré. I never eat an entire entré! The taste of this dish was amazing. Then to top of this wonderful meal, i decided.to have the sticky toffee pudding for desert. I rarely have desert and I never have sticky toffee pudding in a restaurant, because it is a very difficult desert to get just right. It may seem a simple enough recipe; but, let me assure you, it's quite difficult to get this made correctly. It is often runny, or too creamy, too sweet or not sweet enough. Many times there is not enough toffee flavor and crunch or many times the toffee is overwhelming. it is overwhelming. This was "Goldilocks; Just Right!"! Sweet Basils' sticky toffee was a delight! It was one of the best, if not THE best that I have ever had. Chef cannot disappoint, even if you pout because something on the menu is not there. Try something else, you will NOT be disappointed. The ambience is always very comfortable setting, calming, and the smells from the kitchen are mouth watering. The surrounds are beautiful, no matter where you sit. The staff is not at all pretentious, they are kind, professional and helpful. If you enjoy people watching, this ia one of Vail's best restaurants to do so to your great amusement. Since we live in Minturn and my husband works in Vail, we often meet for dinner. We are admitted people watchers. If you are, too. Then Sweet Basil is a great place For it. Fill your tummy with amazing food, enjoy your desert or aperitif slowly and people watch away. It is a trip! Cougars at the bar with '20 something's' deep in 'conversation' whilst both plotting and planning. You can almost see the wheels turning. Couples pretending to be exactly what they aren't. In the winter, a lot of matching ski outfits, rather than proper business casual attire. Grown 60 something men in shorts and t-shirts wearing baseball caps backwards? Of course, people watching can be found in almost every place in Vail; but to see and hear the extreme gauche of many of it clientele, Sweet Basil will provide both a world class meal and low class no class free entertainment from folk who are, sadly, the 'other half' and the 1%s and we see the most quintessential show on how there is "no accounting for taste". Gentlemen, business casual is a button down shirt, combed hair, no baseball cap. Rather, please wear age appropriate attire like long shorts or pants and button down shirts, shoes not sneakers and loose the ball caps. We know you're balding. So be it. You aren't 20 anymore. Embarrassingly funny!!! We enjoy our meal, immensely and involved with the food and our own conversation. The satiated excellent food and my husband with excellent wine... we sit back after deserts and watch the tacky show that the these Texans and South Americans, etc. provide.Loudly conversing about how much money they have, they spend, their cars, gawfawing at differences in types of people, haves and have nots. Shame. Sadly entertaining! We leave with pure satisfaction in the amazing gastronomical endeavor and meal free entertainment from very loud, embarrassingly fun pretentious patrons. If that's not your kind of entertainment. Do Not listen, they're loud. Don't look around because their clothes are just as loud. Concentrate (no matter the ambiance), on the delicacies served to you. Take your time and eat every bite slowly. Let the flavors of each dish swim in your mouth. Chew slowly and taste every bite like it's your last, because when it's over you will be disappointed. Let the meal hit your taste buds like the smell of a wild rose fills your nostrils. All in the most wonderful, but ever fading way. Then as you leave, you are sent on you way by the wonderful staff of Sweet Basil with their proper etiquette, kindness, and friendly, gracious 'goodbyes'. Then get excited to try something new, when you return, much faster than you expected you ever would! Am amazing place, you must try. No matter what you will enjoy Sweet Basil. read more

EXTREMELY pricey- Service is fantastic! Lamb was decent, lobster ravioli was way too salty. For the price I would expect every dish to be near perfect- although that was not the case. read more

A fine dining place in Vail. Visited this place mid December on a Thursday and it was more busy than what I expected. I would recommend getting a reservation. We started out with the roasted beets and the salmon tataki for appetizers and both were good and light. Really liked the avocado that came with the salmon, gave it a bit of depth. I liked the texture of the beets cream (or the red cream) that came with the roasted beets. As for the main dishes we shared the Colorado lamb t-bone and the one and only saffron linguine. The lamb t-bone of perfectly cooked and spiced, it was our favorite choice here. The linguine was also delicious but didn't feel it was unique given I had eaten a similar sauce with a pasta somewhere, nonetheless it was good. Finally we concluded with the sticky pudding. It was good but nothing special. The flakes added to it was a nice touch. Thought the cake would be more hot. I can't point my finger to what it was lacking but it didn't give me the "wow" factor I had with some of the sticky pudding (Blackbelly in Boulder come to mind) Overall a great place to spend the night after a long day of skiing. Here are my ratings: Colorado lamb t-bone: 9/10 The one and only saffron linguine: 8.5/10 Roasted beets: 8/10 Salmon tataki: 8/10 Sticky pudding: 7.5/10 read more

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I wish I had read the reviews more carefully before choosing this restaurant for my birthday dinner. Food was good, but the service left a lot to be desired. The hostess barely looked up when asking for the name on the reservation, and she didn't smile or say anything when taking us to our table. Our waitress asked to see my ID when I ordered a drink, and my partner mentioned to look at the date because it was my birthday that day. The waitress said "oh you're the same age as me." I know it was busy, but every time she came to the table to ask if things were ok, she walked away before we could even answer. When clearing our table after our main course, she repeatedly questioned me for not eating much of the side that came with my order. When dessert came out, there was no candle. Maybe this isn't a good restaurant if you are expecting a celebration? She finally said "happy birthday" as she dropped the check off. We were a bit surprised given how warm and welcoming the ambiance was at other restaurants we went to in Vail. Our experience was disappointing, and the quality of the food wasn't enough to outweigh this. read more

This place surprised me! We were wondering through town in search of another restaurant and my GPS wasnt working, I know Vail is way too small to get lost in but...I did! So we stumbled into this restaurant and it was empty but off season in vail means that's common. The menu offered just enough tantalizing options and then the server informed me the special of the day was an Arepa! Sold. It was delicious! The perfect amount of flavor reign through. The service and atmosphere were excellent and the restaurant filled in before we finished. I would definitely go back here. read more

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places that are purposefully adorable. Every time we visit Vail, we look forward to coming here to simply sit and savour the delectable wines, the wonderful meal, and the outstanding service. It's a fantastic location. read more

Great food. Everything we ordered was delicious. We made reservations well in advance of our visit. Our view from the porch of the river provided nice ambiance. read more

Sweet Basil - Yellowtail Sashimi with edamame panna cotta - New American Near Me - Vail, Colorado

Best food I've had in my life! Everything we ate was a 10/10. Would recommend the whipped feta and yellowtail for appetizers. Spicy tuna and steak tartar. For entree we recommend the chicken, tomato and mozzarella salad and the venison loin! read more

A taste of heaven found here!! Delectable whipped goat cheese appetizer with a to die for presentation. Fresh mouth watering Palisade peach and heirloom tomato salad. Lump crab and fancy dressed pasta dish that's one of a kind. Make a reservation NOW!! read more

Highly recommend here. I been here for snowboard . This bar close from my hotel in Vail village. Very cozy, foods come fast and staff was friendly. read more

My absolute favorite American restaurant at Vail. The waiter knew what he was talking about... he described each dish extensively to make sure we knew what we were getting. The food here was mouthwatering and absolutely delicious. I had the lamb and it was probably some of the best lamb I've ever had (and I don't think it was just because I was hungry from a long day of skiing!). We walked in, which I think is worth mentioning since many people recommend a reservation for this restaurant (we went over MLK weekend). The best thing about this place is that the menu changes seasonally, so you'll never have the same meal here twice! Go here if you're looking for somewhere upscale and romantic for dinner. read more

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The restaurant is a little more upscale than the other restaurants we tried / saw during our stay in Vail. The food and service were very good. I had: - Heirloom Tomatoes - ripe and full of flavor - Duck dish - tender and delicious - Pavlova dessert - artfully plated but otherwise not memorable read more

Sweet Basil - Heirloom Tomatoes - very good - New American Near Me - Vail, Colorado

Awesome Vail restaurant. Was jam packed over the holidays, but was able to get dinner served at the bar and it didn't fail to live up to expectations! read more

Food and service were ok. Ambiance was dated. They need better bartenders. Not impressed.

Deserts are amazing. Sticky pudding was good but lemon basil and lemon basil fennel Tenderloin was pretty darn good. Seafood taggalini was meh at best. Service was friendly. read more

We were attending the Gourmet on Gore wine and food festival in Vail, Colorado and had some wonderful bites of food. Of all the restaurants we ate dinner at, Sweet Basil was a favorite. They have a nice wine list and wait staff who are knowledgeable and helped us choose the perfect bottle of wine to eat with our entrees. We started with the ricotta gnocchi and Maine lobster potstickers. Both were delicious but a standout was the sweet corn chowder. It is full of seafood and sweet yellow corn with a slight touch of heat. The salmon entree was good but a bit on the rare side. I enjoyed the saffron linguine. If you love paella, you will love the twist in this pasta dish. A quick warning though. It is rather heavy. Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert but truly enjoyed our dining experience here. read more

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Very subpar experience after hearing so many great things about Sweet Basil. From the moment we checked in, hostess says "we check in at reservation time" ( we were there 3 minutes early and were seated 10 minutes late...no you don't.) The waitstaff took forever to take our initial drink and appetizer order. Food was just blah. This was our least favorite meal during the 7 days that we visited Vail. I would not recommend this restaurant. We gave 2 stars since the snowman dessert made such a mediocre experience slightly better. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place that is living off of its one star Michelin. read more

We stopped in for early dinner on a Thursday night. We had reservations but didn't need them. It was early ski season and even with tons of new snow the restaurant was not crowded. I had a unique risotto - made from quinoa - with heirloom roasted carrots and mushrooms and more and a unique black garlic like cracker with seeds and honey. It was great and unique. Jamie had a salmon and didn't really like it - but I did - of the few bites she shared with me. She may be migrating away from fish. We shall see. Our granddaughter, age 5, had macaroni and cheese, which she enjoyed. This a fun and upscale restaurant that had always done well with us. read more

Really enjoyed our brunch here Saturday morning. Everything is slow paced in Vail - we were here for about 2-2.5 hours which felt long but enjoyable. We ordered a variety of dishes. Notable comments: wagyu beef appetizer is VERY raw (good or bad, depending on your preference), salmon tataki was FANTASTIC (best appetizer). Burger was delicious - flavorful and cooked well. Crab roll was WAY overrated. Don't get it, save $27, not worth it. Thai pork lettuce wraps was pretty good, lots of spices and true to Thai flavors. Definitely check this place out at least once! Service was decent, sometimes a bit slow. Lady at the front looked our group up-and-down because we were dressed in hiking clothes and nothing too fashionable.. read more

Tasty food but only offered a limited dinner menu. We asked if they could make a lunchtime appetizer but they said they were unable to which was disappointing. Recommend making reservations - our table was just inside the open doors to the patio so we had a great view of the river with the warmth of inside. read more

Sweet Basil - Heirloom Tomato Salad & Braised Colorado Lamb & Whiskey Maple Pork Belly Bao Buns - New American Near Me - Vail, Colorado

Wow!! Everyone was so friendly and inviting from the hostess, waitress and bartenders. You can tell that it's a professionally runner establishment. I had the one and only and my friend had the salmon. OMG, the one and only was delightful! My friend's salmon was not particularly to her liking due to the sauce. Ambience is tasteful and stunning view to take your experience to the next level. After a disappointing experience st Matsuhisa. This place made me feel better about Vail. It's pricey but top class service and delicious food makes it a must try restaurant in read more

Sweet Basil - The One and Only Saffron Linguine - New American Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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Was looking forward to this restaurant. I had dinner at their sister restaurant mountain stand of the night before. And was disappointed so this was a chance to hopefully make up. Another reviewer mentioned how disgusting the ravioli was. I could not agree we sent it back on the waiter took it off the menu. We got the mushroom salad which he said was all mushrooms. But it was just raw mushrooms sliced up on some frize lettuce and not very flavorful or interesting. He suggested the Spanish octopus to make up for the horrible ravioli. So we got that and it was good but I have to send things back at a restaurant of this caliber is very frustrating. We also had a reservation from more than a couple weeks and we receipted practically in a table that was in the bar. Not really in the restaurant and the table that you offered us in the restaurant was stuck back in the corner between lots of other people and did not look very appealing so we opted for the bar table. But never felt like we were really in the restaurant. We did have the pork chop which was quite delicious that was the only excellent dish we had. Andy was our waiter and he was very nice and accommodating. And the hostess could not have been nicer but she didn't have a better table to give us! Cuz there was none. Desert with sticky toffee pudding. It was nice. One entree two appetizers and a couple glasses of wine and a dessert. Remember one entree. And it's still cost us $110 each! I would not recommend this place either. read more

This restaurant has been open for years and it's equally long since I' eaten there. It lived up to my memory in every way. We had a lovely, leisurely dinner before the dance festival..starting at 5pm. The bartender was very helpful in choosing wine (letting us sample) and recommending reposado. Our table was on the back patio overlooking the creek..a delightful spot with great people watching. We three decided to share and started with the Palisade peach cold soup..so good that we followed it with the Olathe corn chowder...even better. The lobster potstickers were ok. Main courses were the pork tenderloin and the duck breast... Each was perfectly prepared and delicious. Service was attentive and friendly. They were so concerned that we leave in time to walk to the venue. I definitely recommend this place. read more

So glad we stopped by here for lunch. We had a reservation at 11:30am and were seated right away towards the back of the restaurant. The service was impeccable as the waiters were all very attentive to our needs. That being said, the food was the star of the show. Ordered multiple appetizers to share, our table was almost not big enough to fit it all! We had the steak tartare, salmon tartaki, corn chowder, zucchini fritters, caesar salad, and oysters. Overall everything was great -- the steak tartare was probably one of the best I've had. It was so fun to hit the crunchy pastry part to display the steak under it. The chowder was not too creamy and had yummy bits of crab inside. For entrees, we shared the Thai pork lettuce wrap, burger, and crab roll. We loved the lettuce wrap as it had the perfect mix of crunch and taste. The burger was cooked to perfection. The crab roll was not worth the $27 but still was pretty good -- the chips in the side gave it a great crunch. Will be back soon! read more

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Great spot on the river in Vail. Everything we ate was amazing. Great cocktails, appetizers, meal and of course dessert. Our server Andy was great and offered excellent suggestions. I had the seafood pasta, it was so good! Beautiful views of Vail while enjoying a nice meal. read more

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Ginge Eats - favorite dish: pork chop (rare) was hands down the BEST PORK CHOP I've ever had! The chestnut soup appetizer and chicken filled with stuff were also notable. Pros -Unique menu -Warm ambiance Cons -Previously outstanding dishes rotated off the menu (foie gras pile of fluff) Great spot for foodies and date night! read more

Sweet Basil - Chicken with cranberry stuffing - New American Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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RACIST BARTENDER. If you are anything less than white, spend your money elsewhere. I was ignored while 2 parties who sat after me were acknowledged and served after I asked for my order. All white. Others were offered a full glass and a small taste before deciding if they wanted the wine. Not me. She served me less than half what others received, threw it at me and spilled most of it. Unacceptable. Shame on you Sweet Basil. You can, and should do better. Anyone whose any shade of light brown or darker need not waste your money here. They do not deserve it. read more

Sweet Basil - Racist bartender. - New American Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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I cannot even begin to say how much we enjoyed our experience. Simply wonderful from the moment of arrival. The waitstaff, chefs and manager really made this a night to remember. Each and every dish was remarkable and every member of our party of 10 were still talking about the great food and experience when we arrived back at our condo. Stupendous! read more

Sweet Basil - Inside - New American Near Me - Vail, Colorado

They make singles sit at the bar even-though I requested a table. The staff was otherwise nice. The drinks were great. The wine selection could have been better. The food was probably the best I have had in Vail so far. read more

One of favorite places in Vail! We have been coming here for years and you can trust that this will be a wonderful experience - both in quality of food and in service. We typically ask to be seated in Craig's section, but you won't go wrong with anyone that takes care of you. Highly recommend a reservation, but you can also have a great time at the bar. We appreciate the care and service! read more

I went to celebrate my birthday with my husband for the first time and let me tell you a few things. The place is beautiful with this huge wines wall. The restaurant was full that night (Thursday) and we waited a couple of minutes at the bar enjoying delicious cocktails. Once at the table we ordered a bottle of wine and a few appetizers that came in a fair time but we didn't have sharing plates to enjoy them and our server took about 10 minutes to touch our table and realize that we didn't have the proper utensils to enjoy it. We also ordered a main course to share but sure if that was gonna be enough for both of us and ask our serve and she said it was a good amount of food. So we got our main course and right away we knew we will need something else but again our server did not came to check on us right away so when she came I asked her the menu to order something else and she apologized saying the kitchen was closed already that she could only offer us dessert, honestly it was my birthday and I was enjoying myself but I was a little annoyed that no one gave us a last call before... so overall a good experience and the food is definitely delicious and unique but I really think the service is not on the same level. read more

Sweet Basil - New American Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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Highly enjoyed the food and ambience. Service was great and the restaurant was lively. We will def return.

My fav in Vail - food and ambience are excellent, great bar with lots of bourbons :) don't miss it!

Really nice food, nice ambiance, great service, nice location. Price is probably on par with other restaurants in the area, so not cheap eats. First time visiting. Had dinner with group of 5. read more

To starts i need to say to all the yelp users that this restaurant changes its menu 6 times a year! Yes 6X So we came for the reviews and also because the picture of the place seem very delicious. Well keep in mind that the menu will be different each time since they change every 2 months. I had a cauliflower soup with black truffles that was super good. I don't like truffles simple I removed them and the soup was delicious. This restaurant has the best oysters in town. So if you like them this is the place to come. They also have a nice view. Just ask to be seated by the windows. We also tried the beef lettuce wrap which wasn't so great. read more

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We had it a while ago but when we did there was not anything bad to say all. the apps and deserts were ordered multiple times. The service was great the waiter we had was great and also nothing bad to be said. The place was beautiful and on a great spot on a river running through the town. Over all I'm happy. read more

So disappointed. Had high expectations. Sweet Basil was highly recommended. The heirloom tomato appetizer was a bit watery and the tomatoes lacked flavor. The green tomato seeds and water from the red tomato was unappealing and the pickled tomato was an unpleasant surprise. Also the poppy seeds were unnecessary. I had the chicken salad with goat cheese vinaigrette. I appreciated the spring greens but the chicken was overseasoned, salty, and the meat was chicken thigh not breast. That was a disappointment. also too many raw onions in the salad. Overall the food was lacking, but the service was fabulous! Hence the 2 stars for service read more

Sweet Basil - New American Near Me - Vail, Colorado

Salad had too much condiments, salmon was so so, lobster linguine pasta was amazing, feta chips was interesting, halibut was nice, all the plates were different. Some goood, some bad. Patio was a good place to have the meal, got to watch people walking around etc. Service was ok, on the slower part. read more

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Just had dinner here at the bar. First the Grey Goose up in a very chilled martini glass with abundant ice chips and fresh blue cheese olives got us in the tight mood. Then the salmon tartar came fresh and flavorful. Heirloom tomato salad with ricotta basil mousse. Shrimp scampi in a Thai curry sauce that was delicious. Finally a shot of amaretto with mango sorbet!! One of the best Dinning experiences of my life. read more