I ordered Marco Polo on angel hair pasta. It was beyond amazing. The kids each got pizzas. The service was prompt, friendly and knowledgeable. Extra points... they have two car charging stations! read more

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The food here was decent and prices were pretty reasonable. We were hoping for a bit more added spices on the cheesy garlic bread, but melted cheese on bread is never bad! My favorite things were the homemade rolls (fantastic!) and the meatballs. Service was very fast and friendly and the atmosphere was nice on a Saturday early-evening. read more

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This was such a delightful surprise to find in Estes Park. This is a family owned restaurant. It's a quiet, pretty little café on the inside. You can see the chef working on your meal. I ordered the sautéed mushroom marinara sauce on Angel hair pasta. It was absolutely exquisite! This is a definite must check out spot while you're visiting Estes Park! read more

Sweet Basilico - Outside - Italian Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Our last dinner of our Colorado trip, glad we picked this one :) Caprese salad - I would rate it at 3.5, this one is highly rated online but I would say it wasn't something I haven't had before. The tomatoes were juicy and the mozzarella was good. Nothing mind-blowing but still worth ordering. Chicken parmigiana - 4 for sure. What we loved about this one was the bow tie pasta was less than the huge chunks of chicken. More protein less carbs!! Subtle sauce, nothing over powered the delicious chicken. Pizza! 5!!!!!! Oh boy! We customized small pizza with few veggies and no cheese ( yes I'm not a fan of cheese, ok stop rolling your eyes now !!!) the dough was Soooo soft, again the sauce did not over power the perfectly toasted veggies. Somehow pizza felt healthy hehe And the winner of the night TIRAMISU!!! 10 /10!!! It was just heavenly. Did not drink water for the next hour in order to keep the taste alive in my mouth haha. Wish I wasn't watching my calories, would have definitely ordered a second serving for sure! read more

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This is my experience here... as we walked in the front door. The hostess immediately greeted us and said welcome and was just the sweetest thing there could ever be. The waitress came over and when I say she knew the menu, she absolutely knew the menu, I ordered the carbonara and my husband ordered the chicken Pomodoro. (I think I spelled that right.) both pastas were out of this world and absolutely tasted amazing. The inside of the restaurant and outdoor of the restaurant are decorated beautifully and had a great charm about it. Absolutely the best Italian restaurant in Estes Park. So, service 5 out of 5, food, 5 out of 5 and overall 5 out of 5. read more

Sweet Basilico - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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I normally am not on this side of town, but we stopped in here to have a wonderful girls night out in Estes Park The ambience was wonderful, and the place was super crowded, which is the hallmark of a very good restaurant there was also awaiting line which also tells you this is very popular. The food was divine and there were a lot of options for different types of eating needs. I enjoyed an Alfredo and it was positively delicious. A friend of mine enjoyed the pizza and it was really good. We will definitely be back read more

Didn't have reservations but they squeezed us in for a large party. Food was perfect for a large party with different tastes. Pasta was al dente. Ade's service was courteous and professional. Flourless torta was a great way to finish it off. Awesome experience read more

The smell of garlic welcomes you when you enter the doors!!! The atmosphere is lively and the kitchen action is right in front to all to watch in awe. We didn't have reservations but the wait was less than 29 minutes on a Saturday night at 7:30... the place was packed! Service is so quick .. a bit too quick lol The caprese great; the cheesy garlic bread crisp & fragrant and the pasta was full of chicken & veggies!!! Honestly a perfect pick after a full day of hiking in snow & sun!! Plenty of parking as well which cannot be said for most of Estes. read more

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We went in on a weekday evening without a reservation around 7 pm and they mentioned it being a long wait. We waited since we didn't want to drive around to find another place. They did mention that due to the evening showers, guests that were seated on the outside tables had to be pulled in and hence caused a wait for others. We had to wait close to the expected amount told to us. On being seated our server came in shortly but didn't seem very friendly. She just wanted to get done with taking orders and getting us our things. We had the fried ravioli for our appetizers and it was good. We ordered the red and white sangria and both were great...hard to pick one over the other. For our dinner we had the chicken Marco Polo, lasagna bolognese and Fettuccine with mushroom marinara. The Marco Polo was a bit on the dry side, and the lasagna and fettuccine were just okay. Entrees and drinks came out in a timely manner fwiw. For dessert we ordered a Tiramisu and it was great though. Overall a decent Italian place close to the park read more

The dinner scene in Estes continued to be a puzzling one for me. It's either overpriced, underperforming steakhouses or pub fare. Sweet Basilico is an attempt at a happy middle ground, and while they do certain things well, there is room for improvement. Highlights are things like homemade baked garlic bread and rolls, and flavorful, bright sauces (Basilico pesto sauce, Alfredo and marinara were all delicious). Staff is friendly, and prices are reasonable by Estes Park standards. Not so great were the overcooked and gooey lasagna noodles (lots of positive feedback on the classic lasagna, so this was disappointing), and overdressed salad. Also, the building itself is falling into disrepair and in need of a facelift at a minimum... a nasty bathroom isn't a great first impression (pictured). read more

Sweet Basilico - Broken toilet, overflowing trash. Needs updating. - Italian Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Only had the margherita pizza, so my review only covers up to that. It was beyond cheesy, and unfortunately the flavors from the tomato and basil really fell flat. I don't think they were very fresh because if they were, they would have actually tasted like tomato and basil. Not even the chili flakes could save the pizza because even that was bland. In end, it was basically like a normal cheese pizza because all the toppings tasted like nothing. The crust was more like bread than actual pizza crust. Service was very slow as well. It took a while for the pizza to come out, and also the beer which was from a can. I was tempted to get dessert because they looked tasty, but not being happy with the pizza and not wanting to wait much longer due to the slow service made me reconsider. read more

This place was amazing! we went right around 5pm and it was perfect timing right before the rush! staff was so kind and friendly! had the loaded garlic bread, the house soup, chicken parm and the cavatappi with the basilico! and they were delicious the chicken was cooked perfectly melted in ur mouth and the pasta had perfect flavor! the place is super cute had calming music! great lighting and good selection on wine! 10/10 recommend!!! read more

Sweet Basilico - Italian Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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I have been coming here since I was a little kid, back to 1997. They have continued to have quality food ever since and I still frequent going here. Their pasta is some of the best I've had. It is a little small, with not a lot of tables, so as Estes Park has increased with tourist, there is often a wait. Still amazing place! read more

We ordered take out last year (2024) when we were up here and it was great. So this year (2025), we went in and ate with the family. They accommodated the seven of us very comfortably and everyone enjoyed the food. This is a hidden.gem for sure. It would definitely pass as a high end restaurant in the Denver area and cost much more so people up here are lucky to have it and very reasonable prices for the quality food. read more

After doing a moonlight snowshoe hike in Estes Park we went here for dinner. And to be honest the food is pretty generic and mezzo mezzo. My Cesar salad was one of my least favorite I have ever had. My spaghetti and meatballs were not as good as what I could make at home. On the other hand my wife loved her Lasagna. Maybe I chose incorrectly?? Chicken parm looked good as did some of the other entrees. Super friendly staff that did a great job. read more

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Horrible service food was cold server was rude will not be dining here again worst experience I've had in a very long time

Being a born & raised New Yorker, I've been to more than my fair share of amazing Italian eateries back east. The best ones are often NOT fancy, family-owned, sometimes rag-tagged in environment, but the food!!! Mamma-mia, now that's real Italian! This is every bit the case in point here with Sweet Basilico. Yes, the lights are too bright, the interior is tired, and it gets too crowded inside where there's no place to stand while you wait for your table. BUT the servers are friendly, the food is rustic, stick-to-your-bones in the best way possible, fare that your little Italian grandmother would crave. I love the classic Lasagna Bolognese! It's the first dish on the menu, and my one favorite examples of the dish I've ever had in my 30+ years here living in Colorado. It's legit! Great red sauce, bright, rich & sweet. Soft, yet firm noodles surround the delicious savory fillings... it's what all great lasagnes should be, and with enough sauce around the edges to enjoy with your big dinner roll. read more

After a morning hike we went for lunch. It was DELICIOUS! As a transplant from New England I can be picky about my Italian food. This place stood up well against others. Our seafood Frutti Di Mare was flavorful and had plenty of clams, shrimp, and scallops. The Antipasta had a nice mix of meats, greens, and pickled vegetables. To top it off the cannoli was fresh made us want to come back soon b read more

The foods are freshly prepared, the minestrone soup, the fresh garlic bread, the freshly prepared Italian salad dressing, each of the dinner entrées, for starters. The servers friendly, helpful, Raul, the owner has trained his chefs to his same high standards, resulting in us sending friend and families to the best Italian restaurant we known since we were traveling in Italy. read more

Upon arrival we waited about 10 minutes before the server approached, ordered garlic cheese bread..no garlic. Ordered garlic and oil and pasta again.... no garlic I could see or taste. the lasagna had a nice flavor. Out of water no refills offered, saw server again to ask about dessert. In an Italian restaurant I'd expect garlic. server had a large party so we were ignored. Hardest working person was the Bus Person with long braids. The other server had long hair hanging down I saw it get in food when she carried a plate on her chest. read more

Second time here! I've ordered the spaghetti carbonara both times because it's just that good! It's creamy, flavorful, and the prosciutto adds a nice saltiness. Some other items I've tried were the garlic bread (a bit hard but good flavor), lasagna (decent), and calamari (good flavor but heavily coated). Service is mediocre, not the best but not the worst either. It can get pretty packed here especially during tourist season or dinner times! The inside is very quaint and homey while the outside is scenic. read more

Sweet Basilico - Spaghetti carbonara - Italian Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

We were staying at a VRBO nearby and Sweet Basilico was on our list to check out. And we are so glad we did...twice! The first night we had Tortellini Alla Panna and my sister tried the create your own with marinara and mushroom. Both were amazing! It was so great we went back our second night in Estes Park and tried the pizza, also delicious. The staff are all very friendly and the chefs were working like crazy to get the dishes out quickly. The owner is the sweetest gentlemen! Highly recommend Sweet Basilico, but recommend making reservations, they appear busy all the time. read more

Called ahead to see what the wait time was and was told 30 minutes. We got there at around the 25 minute mark and only had about a 10 wait so it was pretty close to the time quoted. My daughter and I enjoyed dinner here on 8/22/2024. Service was quick, and the server answered any questions I had. She gave a recommendation of the Chicken Sorrento, and it was wonderful; however it was supposed to have breaded eggplant in the dish but didn't. I thought maybe I misunderstood and it was small pieces and they were just covered by the sauce but no. I checked the website later and the picture clearly showed 2 large pieces of eggplant on the side. Oh well. We ordered an appetizer (Burrata Caprese) that both my daughter and I thought would be on a crispy baguette but it was just tomatoes/cheese with balsamic drizzle. Exactly as written so that's on us. It was just sort of awkward on how to eat it. Food was delicious either way and would recommend to anyone. Place was a little noisy so it was hard to have a normal conversation. read more

Estes has a real gem for Italian food and pizza. The service is great and the staff are so friendly. It's moderately priced but worth it.

While attending a wedding in Estes Park, the party wanted to enjoy a dinner together with family and friends. The reservation had been made, and they were able to accommodate the party of 16. Each member of the party order. To start the dinner, warm bread was served with butter. The bread tasted like store-bought, with no favor. I ordered the eggplant parmesan, which is one of my favorite dishes. I was hoping to taste the rich marinara sauce with the delicate eggplant. Boy was I disappointed. The eggplant had no flavor and the marinara sauce tasted like it came out of a jar. My wife ordered the shrimp scampi and she shared that it had no flavor. Again, it tasted like it came out of a jar. The waitress did an outstanding job serving the large party as the food was delivered without delay. The previous night we had enjoyed an Italian dinner at a different location in Estes Park. Talk about the night and day differences between the two restaurants. If you want the true taste of Italy, go to a restaurant located on the streamfront. It was a very disappointing evening. read more

BEST GF PASTA!! seriously THE best gfp. Turns out they also have gf pizza crust! I've only had the pasta but it's wildly good. Do it. You won't regret it. read more

Sweet Basilico - Italian Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

We were so impressed that they found a table for 12 of us on that patio. The portions were large and the food was delightful! My hubby and I shared the Lasagna Florentine and throughly enjoyed it. My vegetarian daughter and her cousin liked their options too! Great service and fantastic desserts! Loved the lemon cake! Beautiful location along the River! read more

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Sat on the patio on a summers day with my family- everyone enjoyed their food! Including one vegan, and two picky children. The waiters and chefs were so kind and personable. I can't believe this is the first time we've been here! We'll definitely be back. read more

We were tired and disappointed tourists. After a long day at RMNP we decided to eat dinner here after reading glowing reviews. We went old school with pasta and meat sauce choice. There was little meat, no meat flavor and an overpowering acidic tomato blast in the sauce. Garlic bread was great! Waitress was friendly and helpful and atmosphere was good. read more

We were seated immediately and our waiter was kind. Even though it was packed with people, it still felt warmly and like home. We ate the fettuccine alfredo, cheese pizza and lasagna. Both pasta dishes were MAGNIFICENT!!! Literally amazing. The pizza on the other hand wasn't my favorite but a lot of tables around us seemed to be enjoying it. 10/10 would eat here again! read more

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Fantastic service! Ade was our server and she was perfect! Super fast around lunch time. Second time here in the last couple years. Food was also good too. Would come again for sure! read more

This was a poor choice for dinner. We expected slow service but not to be ignored. We got our wine and our dinner order was placed. 3 other tables had their salad and main before we finally asked for our salad. And that was from another waitress. Fake Smile Lori never returned until dinner finally came. We almost left twice. I left Lori a ten percent tip to make a statement. We almost asked for the owner but he was in the kitchen. I didn't need the aggravation. To be fair, Dinner was delish and we took home leftovers. read more

Sweet Basilico - Front door - Italian Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Delicious pasta and pizza!!! Good prices as well! :) If you want Italian in Estes, go here read more

The food was excellent! I'm super picky when it comes to Italian restaurants and I live in one of the biggest foodie cities in the world. This place hit the spot and I would definitely make it a stop if you're ever in town visiting RMNP. Highly recommend. P.S. Cute baby too! :) read more

One of our favorite places in Estes Park! We try to eat here each time we are in town. During our last visit we had a romantic dinner before the Postmodern Jukebox show at The Stanley Hotel. Food and service on a snowy evening was awesome as usual. Definitely worth the visit! read more

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This Italian restaurant is absolutely amazing! My husband and I always leave satisfied and wanting to come back for more. Also the staff is outstanding! read more

We've visited this place twice now. Dinner reservations are definitely a better idea than dropping by at the middle of lunch hour. You can end up waiting for an hour! But reservationists did the trick! While I was pretty bummed to hear they were currently out of toasted ravioli (apparently they've been out for quite a few days now), we were pretty pleased with our food. My father in law order the garlic bread (4 slices per order). That was pretty good. Our kids' meals came out quickly which is always much appreciated. They loved their pizzas! Our food came out shortly after. My inlaws were happy with their pasta dishes. My pizza was great - I did a size small and topped it with pepperoni, sausage and meatballs. Yum! And my husband's tortellini was fantastic! It had a cream sauce with mushrooms and pancetta - so good!! This place does have a small outdoor patio but apparently the chairs aren't quite comfortable enough for inlaws. And it can get some pretty direct sun during the lunch hours, so that worth considering. I'm sure we will return again next summer for more good food! read more

The food is really good and the pricing is fair. The wait times are unpredictable though. They may tell you 15 min and it could be 45. Make a reservation. read more

I've got to get this out of the way - 4 stars because there is no salt in the Italian vinaigrette and the cannoli does not look like the menu photo online. The angel hair pasta was cooked to perfection, and the sauce was packed with meat and big tomato flavor. The mushrooms still had some bite and were definitely salted before being added to my dish, which I adore. The chicken Marco was delicious, with tons of tender artichoke pieces and juicy chicken over nicely cooked bow tie pasta. The cannoli was crispy and the filling was light and full of chocolate chips, a definite plus! read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience here. We hadn't heard anything about it, but reviews sounded good. We got seated right away on their little outdoor patio and our server came over quickly with a carafe of ice water. We started out with lightly breaded calamari and a tomato based dipping sauce. Yum! The customer at the table next to ours raved about the eggplant parmesan, so I ordered that. It was double layered breaded eggplant with ricotta cheese and mushrooms in between the layers. It was covered with a tomato pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. It was very flavorful. I ordered a side of mixed veggies in place of the side of pasta. It had onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and zucchini in the best tasting sauce I've ever had on veggies! Usually I'm sad I can't have the carb loaded pasta, but I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything with these veggies! My husband ordered the chicken sorrento, which had pieces of chicken, mushrooms, and eggplant mixed in a delicious sauce and angel hair pasta. We each got a roll and butter with our meal. That wasn't a wow, but everything else was. I hope to come back if we're ever in Estes Park again. read more

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