
Trendy hot spot for inspired New American eats in the swanky dining room or drinks at the buzzy bar.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 193 Gore Creek Dr, Vail, CO 81657
Phone: (970) 476-0125
Website: https://sweetbasilvail.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: sweetabasilvail.comopentable.com
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
The atmosphere of the restaurant was very intimate and the bar tenders were super welcoming and with great conversation.
For drinks, the spicy margaritas are your to go drink, you will not be disappointed!
The waitress was truly amazing — friendly, attentive, and made us feel so comfortable the entire time. And the food… WOW. Every dish was delicious, full of flavor, and beautifully prepared.
The combination of great food, incredible service, and a perfect atmosphere made this one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in Vail. We will definitely be coming back, and we highly recommend Sweet Basil to anyone visiting the area.
Once we sat down, things improved. Our waiter was attentive and truly great. He explained the menu with so much detail and enthusiasm it made you want to order everything.
That said, pacing was a major knock. Obviously at a fault of the kitchen. From placing our order to appetizers hitting the table was 30+ minutes, which felt excessive. We did not get any food until one hour after our 8pm reservation. That’s not acceptable.
The appetizers, however, were the clear stars and honestly worth coming back for on their own: hamachi crudo, Caesar salad, beets, shrimp toast, and whipped feta. All 10/10. We genuinely couldn’t decide on a favorite. The Caesar salad was a must have shockingly for just being a Caesar. The whipped feta was so unique. It was topped with a caramel sauce that reminded me of that classic caramel sauce in the container around Halloween. On a return visit, I’d happily just eat my way through the appetizer list because they completely outshined the mains.
Cocktails were just okay. My dirty martini was a miss. The olive juice tasted off and a few of the drinks at our table were finished, which kind of says it all.
For entrees, we tried a lot: the special: strip steak with a tamale side (perfectly cooked and the tamale was stand out) , cod with a mushroom tempura side, duck tacos, lump crab bucatini, plus the ricotta gnocchi from the appetizer menu. The entrees were not hot. Luke warm at best. Most were solid, but one I’d tell you to skip: the crab bucatini. It was flavorless, and at $50, you shouldn’t have to learn that lesson the hard way.
Overall: amazing appetizers and a great server, but the pacing and cocktails held the experience back to start. That said it truly was a great night. Delicious food and a lively atmosphere.
If there was one area with room for improvement, it would be the service, which could have been more attuned to pairing the wine and food in a way that enhanced the meal and made the experience more pleasant.
Even so, we appreciated the quality of the cuisine and the setting, and left feeling satisfied.
The price is definitely on the higher side for the experience.
Service a bit slow, but it’s always full of people eating and waiting to be seated.
Food was incredible. The signature feta spread mega worth it. Photos don’t do it justice.
Skip the coffee.
Complimentary bread service was delicious, fluffy, and light.
Lobster Donut was small, but a good share between two people, the caviar is a nice touch but not entirely necessary taking away some of the focus of sweetness of the lobster.
Whipped Feta was our tables favorite. Perfect creaminess and texture combo with the crunchy bread. We got the seasonal special with apple butter and it was delicious.
Foie Gras was a good fresh and decadent bite, bursting with flavors. Share between 3-4 people due to the richness, unless you love that!
Filet was underwhelming. Not well salted but well cooked to temp. Without the mole sauce, the filet was disappointing. The tamale may have been the best part of it with crunchy sesame on top, and made with sweet corn.
Black miso cod was perfectly cooked, and super flaky and buttery. We assumed it was similar to miso cod being marinated, but it was only sauce on top leaving the rest of the fish slightly lacking flavor. Decent portion of Cod though! The mushroom sides were a good combo of crunchiness and savoriness.
Dungeness Crab Bucatini was bursting with flavors, huge chunks of crab, perfect al dente pasta. Crunchy onions on top gave it a good combination of textures. Great portion size.
Lamb Loin was the table favorite. The lamb was PERFECTLY cooked, insanely tender, no gaminess, and well seasoned. The additions on the plate gave it a fresh and seasonal taste, with pieces of lamb sausage, well cooked fingering potatoes. Small portion of meat, but excellent.
Sticky. Toffee. Pudding. 10/10, just get it.
Chocolate pine one was a good mouse option, and we liked the crunchy nutty flakes to eat with it. Hazelnut ice cream was okay at best.