Sweet Basil
New American restaurant · Eagle-Vail ·
Refined New American eats, globally inspired, with a buzzy bar
Refined New American eats, globally inspired, with a buzzy bar
"A longtime fine-dining restaurant in Vail recommended as a destination for special holiday meals, often suggested as part of New Year’s Eve dining and seasonal celebration plans." - Katrina Brown Hunt Katrina Brown Hunt Katrina Brown Hunt is a San Diego-based freelance writer and editor, specializing in budget-friendly travel and family excursion topics. Her witty advice has appeared in CNN Travel, Travel + Leisure, Time magazine, and Southern Living. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"A Vail institution since 1977, Sweet Basil has evolved with the Village while maintaining its status as the go-to fine dining destination in town. Locally sourced ingredients shine, with starters like winter mushroom salad and a rabbit steamed bun leading into entrees like juniper-rubbed venison loin, Snake River Farms wagyu, and Iberian duroc pork chop glazed in honey bourbon. Evening reservations are booked out a month in advance, but bar seats are first-come, first-serve — worth trying your luck for a taste of this legendary restaurant." - Katie Shapiro
"Nestled in Vail’s alpine sanctuary, this cherished restaurant has warmed bellies for nearly 50 years, founded in 1977 by Kevin Clair after training in former Three MICHELIN Star restaurants in France. Current owner Matt Morgan—who started bussing tables a decade later and is now 36 years in—and longtime chef Paul Anders (17 years) center everything on hospitality and meals that guests remember as among their best. Decades-old signatures include the Crispy Shrimp & Calamari, a modern play on fritto misto with a rice-flour base, lots of vegetables, and a light, crackling crunch, and the iconic Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake that people plan Vail vacations around. An emerging favorite, the whipped feta, is drizzled with black olive fermented garlic honey and rosemary powder, paired with a thin carta di musica cracker puffed into a hollow sphere that guests crack into shards with a spoon. The kitchen leans into seasonality and local purveyors in Eagle County—passionate about Colorado lamb and short-season treasures like tomatoes and peaches—supplemented by aquaponics-grown vegetables, and the team has been a recycling pilot participant in Vail and actively composts. A tight-knit culture means dishes are pushed, tasted, and critiqued together before making the menu, alumni openings are celebrated on the website, and care for the broader community shows up in efforts like fundraising for Roundup River Ranch. The experience feels distinctly mountain-Alpine—maybe snowflakes outside the window and hearty, satisfying plates to fuel the next day of skiing—drawing second- and third-generation regulars, with a humble ethos of being only as good as the last meal served." - Michael He
"It’s rare when something continues to improve after being around for almost 50 years (we’re looking at you, Bradley Cooper), but Sweet Basil is doing just that in Vail Village. Continuous updates both to the menu and dining room since its opening in 1977 have kept the restaurant from being outdone by any Vail newcomers. And while the space and cocktails are great, the real reason it’s a Vail institution is the food. Start with the yellowtail crudo or Colorado lamb tartare, and move on to the Iberian Duroc pork. Try and make a reservation, but you might be able to slide into the walk-in bar seats if you aim for that liminal space between après-ski and the dinner rush (aka 5pm)." - kim fuller
"It’s rare when something continues to improve after being around for almost 50 years (we’re looking at you, Bradley Cooper), but Sweet Basil is doing just that in Vail Village. Continuous updates both to the menu and dining room since its opening in 1977 have kept the restaurant from being outdone by any Vail newcomers. And while the space and cocktails are great, the real reason it’s a Vail institution is the food. Start with the yellowtail crudo or Colorado lamb tartare, and move on to the Iberian Duroc pork. Try and make a reservation, but you might be able to slide into the walk-in bar seats if you aim for that liminal space between après-ski and the dinner rush (aka 5pm)." - Kim Fuller