Sweet Basil

I have been going to Sweet Basil for years and it never fails to please me. The lunches are lighter and more simple but still fantastic. The dinners are creative, unique and delicious. It is a bit pricey, but you are in Vail so you don't find many places that are cheap. If you are in Vail even for one night, this is the place to go. Pros: Food, service, atmosphere Cons: Parking more

If you are looking for a special restaurant in Vail - look no further. Sweet Basil is incredible. The prices are a little high - but there are some restaurants in Vail with higher prices. Get the Short Ribs - they melt right in your mouth. Pros: the food the food the food Cons: a little pricey more

We've been going to Sweet Basil for 20 plus years and it just keeps exceeding our expectations. I don't know how they do it, but they seem to update themselves (service, menu, decor) every year! Here's a hint for those who can't get dinner reservation (they book 2 months in advance!)...try lunch or brunch. We had spectacular brunch last month. Creative brunch/lunch items and the same great wine list. Service top notch as always. Pros: consistantly above average food and service Cons: a little pricey - but in line with other restaurants in Vail (and cheaper than Spago in BC!) more

Great place, kind of pricy, but worth it. The atmosphere is lovely. Went there with my boyfriend, and it was romantic and classy. MUST DO IN VAIL. Pros: Great food Cons: Pricy, but you get what you pay for. more

I' m giving only 4 stars because is very expensive. Pros: Service, food and ambiance Cons: Pricy more

We stumbled upon Sweet Basil whilst taking a day off from skiing. It was one of the most pleasant dining surprises I have had for a long time. Pros: Fantastic food Cons: Not cheap more

I enjoyed lunch at Sweet Basil yesterday and the meal was the best meal I've had in Colorado since moving to Denver about 2 years ago. An unassuming entrance reveals a clean and uncluttered modern decor and we were seated at a lovely table by the window overlooking the creek. My beet crostini appetizer was simply wonderful. Three colors of beets, each with a slightly different flavor, tossed in a light vinagrette and placed over small toast points with a thin layer of goat cheese. I'm not a huge goat cheese fan, but the combination was so appropriate that the flavor of the goat cheese never overpowered the delicate beets. The truffle oil french fries were mind-blowingly wonderful--in fact, I'd come to Sweet Basil just to eat them and drink the peach bellinis! For entree, I enjoyed the blue crab chile relleno which was perfectly cooked. Often, chile relleno dishes become oily messes of cheese and deep fried crust--but this was nothing of the sort. The filling was rich enough to stand up to the deep fried chile, but refined enough to show off the delicate flavor and texture of the crab. My companions ordered a perfectly-cooked pork schnitzel and the sumptuous mussels over linguine. The mussel dish was especially impressive because it was full flavored and garlicky, but the chef didn't lazily rely on a pound of garlic and butter to create the flavor. Rather, the flavor was delicate and fresh, with a hint of fennel. Portion sizes on all dishes was also excellent. My only complaint was that the sticky toffee pudding cake had a bit of the ""freezer taste"" which means that it was previously-prepared and then frozen. Otherwise, the food shows attention to detail and creativity on the part of the chef. Pros: excellent food Cons: you have to go all the way to Vail to get it more

We made reservations on Monday for Friday and could only get in at 9:15. Be careful to call ahead if you want to get in earlier. My husband had the steak and I had the salmon, both were excellent. The do some nice things with risotto, also the creme brulee was VERY good. The consistency was right plus they put this toffee cookie on the bottom. A couple of cautions, although they do have a wonderful wine list I felt the wine steward pushed an expensive bottle on us that didn't go with my salmon. He left quickly after he poured my glass and never came back to ask us how we liked the wine....otherwise service was excellent. A note about atmosphere, even at 9:15 the place was packed and vibrant. Pros: food, service, wine Cons: pushy wine steward more

When I lived in Vail in '88 and '89 Sweet basil was my very favorite restaurant. I was a bit disappointed upon my '05 return. A lovely, albeit slight Caesar Salad, but the Shrimp App that sounded Asian was overly breaded and a bit gloppy. The lamb which featured dried fruit was topped with a bright red glaceed cherry a la fruit cake which was just plain weird, although the overall flavor was good. The tuna was also flavorful but SWIMMING in sauce. They're turning tables in there so don't think you'll have time to linger, although all servers/hostesses were delightful. Pros: Friendly, Great Wine List Cons: Overpriced, Oversauced, Noisy more