Start with raclette and move to Beef Burgeon. The flavors a delectable and the portions just right. It's a cozy restaurant with very good servers. read more

We took a mini vacation on Balboa Island and sat down to one the best meals I've had in a long time (well, it's been over a year since we've been out because of COVID-19). Our terrific server, Alex, presented us with an outstanding crab salad--local lump crab with a mustard/mayo sauce. Excellent entrees--I had the local grilled White Sea Bass (cooked perfectly) and my companion had a vegetarian risotto (good flavor). For dessert we had a tower of fresh strawberries, meringue, chocolate ice cream and black raspberry coulee. Delicious! Great Swiss/French cuisine. Great service and great food. Charming place. Highly recommended. read more

Always enjoy this restaurant. Small and intimate, with very attentive service. I can never pass up dessert as they often have special treats. Highly recommend, especially for a romantic evening. read more

Really great!and I thought I didn't like French food!! I loved everything but the bread and the amuse bouche (primarily because of the feta I don't like). The crab salad had just the perfect amount of creaminess with every bite of lump crab meat. The special endive salad with manchego and the John Dory dish were both excellent. But what I loved the most was the scallop in the scallop/shrimp dish. The scallop was out of this world. Tarte tatin was so good without being overly sweet. My husband who doesn't like french food said he would go back many many times. Do visit!! read more

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Last night my husband ordered duck breast with cherry sauce. A duck breast is small to start with on the second bite the duck meat was so tough he could not eat it. Put it aside and tried another piece which he also could not eat. We very politely told the waiter the problem with the duck. His response was " you should have told me before you ate it. There is nothing I can do ". Promptly walked away !!!! Very rude. We are tourists. This waiter catered to the local clients. My coq a vin was very good. I gave half to my husband to replace his duck disaster. I would not go back here because of the poor customer service. I'm not mean enough not to tip the waiter but I shouldn't have. Very nice ambiance rude waiter read more

Food was really good service was really really good ! We ordered the lamb it was very tasty! I recommend

My family has gone to this restaurant for years. It is a European gem and easily one of the best restaurants In Orange County.

Enjoyed a fun and delicious evening with family. Raclette!!! We had 4 orders. Melted cheese over potatoes. Ingenious! Charcuterie has great variety. Our group enjoyed a great feast of filet, duck, bouillabaisse, and scallops.... it is a perfect evening for a Swiss French affair. read more

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Really overpriced for what it is. We did a phone reservation for a birthday diner and got a crappy and noisy seating next to the kitchen ... pretty awful. The food is ok but that's all. BTW adding some Bok Choy to the "magret de canard" is just an heresy ... The portions are quite small or even ridiculous to the point I was still hungry after the diner. All in all: "La Grenouille qui se veut faire aussi grosse que le bœuf !" ("The Ox and the Frog") Oh and I am not even talking about the toilets situation. read more

Service and ambiance was amazing. The food was a let down, so disappointing. The skirt steak not eatable so tuff. The onion soup was bland and watery as well as the beef bourguignon. Would come back for a drink but not dinner. read more

Exceptional tasting sauces accompany each entree to showcase the flavors of the chef's traditional recipes! I enjoyed his coq au vin so much, it is now my gold standard to which every other version will be measured. Wonderful service, great selection of wines by the glass and quaint setting make your dinner the perfect evening. Can't wait to return so we can try other dishes! read more

We had family dinner last night and absolutely loved it. The waiter is French so it was nice to catch up on my French and the chef is from Lausanne Switzerland. The atmosphere is very intimate and the food was delicious. We had 4 starters and 4 main courses and everything was top notch. Definitely coming back :) read more

Had dinner with my wife this week to celebrate our 30th anniversary. There is no doubt that this is a charming restaurant, perfect for a special date night. So, for atmosphere it gets high marks. Food gets three stars to split difference between very pedestrian starters, onion soup and a salad, and, two really nice main courses, Bouillabaisse and a veal dish, very similar to what Italian chefs may call a Veal Sauté. The flavors in both were very good. A nice comeback from a slow start. Clearly, this is a well established restaurant with a strong local following but I wonder about the stuffed shirt nature of the food and feel of the place . An exception is the waiter's assistant. She is exceptional and I hope the Host/Waiter and Chef/Owner realize that she is worth her weight in gold in creating a warm and welcoming ambience. read more

I have a new favorite restaurant in Orange County! I LOVED this place. As described by others, Basilic offers Swiss-French cuisine. It is located on Balboa Island; I hadn't been on the island in at least a decade and had forgotten how quaint it is. The restaurant is very small, but I loved that it didn't feel cramped. It was intimate, romantic, and very comfortable. We had a great table in the corner and so we had some privacy from other restaurant patrons. We had no problem finding parking on a weeknight, but it is supposed to be much more difficult on the weekends. We went for all-you-can-eat raclette night (http://www.basilicrestaurant.com/39326_101412.asp), which is offered on the first Tuesday of the month during winter. Raclette is a special type of melted cheese from the Canton du Valais in Switzerland. We ladies got the raclette with the "Swiss plate", which was a charcuterie plate of sorts, with prosciutto, bunderfleish, and saucisson sec. It also came with potatoes, cornichons, and pickled onions. Needless to say, everything was delicious. For the non-cheese-eaters, there was an alternative dish, which on the night we went was coq au vin. The gentlemen in our party opted for this option and were quite pleased with this dish. Before we ordered, we were presented with an amuse bouche of small carmelized onion and mushroom pastries. In addition, I ordered a salad, the birthday girl got a Swiss onion soup, and the gentlemen got the soup of the day, which on that day was a creamless asparagus and mushroom soup. My salad was so good, I finished the whole thing, which I normally never do (I'm not a big salad person). Everyone else had great things to say about their soups. I should mention that my dealings with the restaurant prior to arrival were seamless. I called about a week in advance to make reservations, and even though I called in the morning and the restaurant doesn't open until dinner, my call was returned promptly. The owner took extra care to confirm that I knew I was coming for raclette night and that the regular menu wouldn't be available. He also called the day before to confirm our reservation, and he was always easy to deal with over the phone. The evening of our reservation we were seated promptly and treated with excellent service throughout the evening. Our server made great food and wine pairing suggestions and was able to answer all of our questions in great detail. The chef/owner also came out to serve us our raclette and was extremely charming. Speaking of wine, the list is excellent. We started with a glass of Fendent du Valais, a Swiss dry white. It was crisp and had bright fruit without being too sweet, and it had just the right amount of acidity to "cut" the cheese (ha ha). After that we moved on to an excellent Chambolle Musigny, and followed that with an even better Chateauneuf de Pape. We had a fantastic strawberry dessert, complete with a candle for the birthday girl, and coffees and espressi all around. I can't wait to go back for a chef's tasting menu on another night. I can't recommend this place highly enough. Just be sure to make reservations, because it is so small. ---- Having had such an excellent meal the first time, we went back later in the month for Vincent's birthday and got the chef's tasting menu. It definitely lived up to the high bar set on our first visit. We began with an amuse of goat cheese mousse crostini paired with a Heidsieck sparkling wine. The tasting menu from there on out basically consisted of the day's specials. We had the soup of the day, a creamless mushroom and asparagus puree, followed by the salad (same as last time we were here), both paired with a Loire sauvignon blanc. Then the fun began with our fish dish, a barramundi (a white fish from Australia), served on a bed of black lentils with champagne burre blanc, and paired with a Kenneth Volk chardonnay. Before our meat, we were served an intermezzo of orange-basil sorbet on a champagne float. For our meat, Vince got a filet mignon and I got a cassoulet. This was the best cassoulet I've had to date - it contained an entire leg of duck confit, as well as lamb and sausage, together with the usual white beans. It was not salty at all, just magnificent. These were paired with a Casa Barranca syrah. Finally, we had a dessert trio of blueberry creme brulee topped with raspberries, pecan-walnut-caramel-chocolate torte, and chocolate bouchon with meringue, all paired with an excellent Sauternes. For $59 (not including the wine) I thought it was a fabulous deal. I can't wait for another excuse to go back! read more

French food and I have always had a love-hate relationship. The french love the butter, but my body definitely hates what it does to my thighs. But alas, my everlasting love for delicious cuisine gets the best of me, and my thighs (unfortunately) must suffer the consequences of an amazingly rich and decadent meal. The Basilic experience is like venturing into the quaint streets of Paris, and finding yourself sitting inside a 24- seat restaurant excited for the meal to come. This is the perfect place for a special romantic night. The service is fantastic, and the ambiance really sets the tone to a quiet romantic night. They offer a five course pre-fixe meal for $60. Everyday the menu changes depending on what the chef feels like. They also offer a great variety of french cuisine on their regular menu. I've heard amazing things about their seared foie gras (about $15 for their appetizer and toast points) We saw a person getting it, and its a pretty huge portion of foie. Definitely will get it next time. That night we got the pre-fixe meal. (if one person orders the pre-fixe, everyone else at the table must get the pre-fixe as well). That night they served a beautiful dairy free wild mushroom and asparagus soup, baby green salad tossed with toasted hazelnuts, pears in a balsamic vinagrette, seared scallops and lobster medallion in a vanilla saffron reduction, duo of beef: filet mignon and braised short ribs, and for dessert they had a trio of desserts that consisted of a fresh berry creme brulee, homemade meringue with chocolate ice cream, and a chocolate pecan pie. The soup was absolutely amazing. It was rich in flavor, and it did not have the heaviness that most other cream-base soups have. We literally had every drop of the soup, and used a piece of bread to sop of any remains. It was pretty classy. The salad course was just ok. It was like any other salad you could probably make. The ingredients were fresh, and it was tasty. HOWEVER, we found out later that you could replace the salad course for their foie gras for a $5 additional charge!!! we found out too late, but we will definitely do that next time. The scallops and lobster were really well prepared. The scallops had a great caramel sear, and the vanilla saffron sauce really paired extremely well with the seafood. The lobster was pretty tasty. It was not overcooked, but it did not have as much flavor as the scallop. This course was also served with sauteed spinach. In between the fish and meat dish, they gave us a palete cleanser which consisted of a guava sorbet in their french dessert wine, a sauternes. The wine was packed a little punch, but the sorbet was definitely refreshing! The duo of beef was well prepared. the filet was a perfect medium rare (it comes sliced, with about 4-5 pieces) the braised short rib was nothing short of amazing. they were braised in a cab for a about 4-5 hrs. the meat was super tender and indredibly tasty. it came with mashed potatoes, and roasted baby vegetables (probably sauteed in butter). The dessert was holy cow amazing. my favorite was definitely the creme brulee, but my date really liked the other two. All three were decadent, and amazingly creative and well-prepared. All the portions were perfect. they weren't gigantic portions, but they were just enough to not make you feel bloated and gross. you left full, and absolutely satisfied. I would definitely recommend this place to ANYONE, and will go back for special occasions! Restaurants like Basilic are the reason why i love food, and dining out. you wait for that gem that surpasses all your expectations of a great dining experience, and when you experience it, it just reaffirms all that passion you have for creative culinary expressions and pairings. try basilic NOW NOW NOW. read more

This is not a "typical" French restaurant and they don't even claim to be one.This is a Swiss-French food and they put "Swiss" first. Ahem. Swiss Cuisine is a mix of Italian, French, and German cuisines and smells like cheese & chocolate. Basilic is a super tiny and intimate restaurant with max 24 seats. It is closed on Sundays & Mondays, do not go without reservation and give yourself time to find a parking esp. on weekend nights. I, personally, doubt if I go there on a "date" or for having private conversations, cuz you simply share it with everyone there. Funny is I am so used to small eateries with tables next to each other (from my country), but I was kinda uncomfortable here. The folks next to our table would literally stop talking and staring at/listening to us every time our server was checking. Dewwd! The service was good. We had a reservation and our table was ready as we walked in. On to the food; they'll bring a complimentary bread & cheese when you are seated. The bread was fresh, but the cheese was a little weird and a tad warm. It was more like semi-melted garlic butter. ? Soup/Salad/Hors D'oeures: The carrot soup was warm with a nice consistency, but kinda flavorless and too sweet. I am one of those French folks that never eats soupe à l'oignon outside the country and never recommends it. Basilic was not an exemption. The Goat cheese salad was really good and refreshing, though the balsamic dressing had an interesting yet unfamiliar taste. They serve traditional Swiss Raclette Cheese (cow's milk semi-soft cheese) "dish", not just the cheese. The name is confusing and if you are French you would know how to distinct between the cheese and the cheese dish ;-) Entree: The Oven roasted duck breast was just edible at best, kinda boring and flavorless. It is served with seasonal vegies and pomegranate sauce. I saw Bindenfleisch in their menu which is basically an air dried meat common in Swiss. Should be a good choice for carnivores. Desserts: And I don't think I'd recommend their desserts. I like Ralph's sweets better.. I would have given them 2 or 3 if this was in France/Switzerland, but I thought to be more supportive of a small local restaurant. Besides, it is a cool place when you get tired of all the huge chains and glamorous luxury restaurants in OC. As most other reviewers wrote, it is a little pricey for what you get. And I will go there again if someone invites me... :-) read more

First time to this restaurant and it was very enjoyable. The restaurant is located on Balboa Island, which is quaint area to visit. The restaurant itself is small and intimate. The host/waiter/ and I believe owner is very friendly and attentive. We ordered the $67 5 course prix fixe meal and it was very good. It consisted of: 1) potato leek soup-Very good 2) tomato baby greens balsamic vinaigrette salad- Good/Average due to too much dressing 3) Cod dish-Very good, pretty mild 4) Braised beef with mashed potatoes and carrots-Excellent/Very Good 5) 3 dessert cups: Chocolate walnut bar-Average Fruit cup with cream- Average Mascarpone with cream- Excellent The restaurant is a great change of pace and is worth visiting. I would make reservations due it's size. I'll be returning here. read more

Recommended by a rental agent, this French/Swiss little bistro did not disappoint. Cuisine and service were top notch and the prices were pretty reasonable for such a class place in a busy tourist town.Or negative I thought was a $6 charge for a few ordinary slices of French bread. The bread was optional. Just annoyed me to pay for bread while paying $30+ for an entree. I highly recommend this small family run dining spot. read more

This restaurant is as good as it gets folks. Basilic is a very small, six table cubbyhole of a restaurant, located on adorable Balboa Island. My husband surprised me with reservations on the very coveted raclette night. Held on the first Tuesday of every month, from October to May, grabbing a reservation on raclette night is short of a miracle. Now, if you have not had raclette before, this description is for you. First off, it is not fondue. Raclette is a type of cheese .. it is also a French & Swiss recipe in the way it is cooked and served. The cheese round is heated, then scraped onto your plate. It is typically served alongside small potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions and a charcuterie plate. I have my own raclette machine and have been served raclette in France & Switzerland, so trying out Basilic's raclette night was going to be a fun night of critique! And, let's just say this ... it exceeded my expectations. The restaurant is small, romantic and European. The five tables around us were all speaking conversational French, a big plus in my book. The chef sat down with us, after serving our 10th plate of imported raclette cheese and its accompaniments. The wine flowed like water as did my compliments to the chef and owner. And, I left with a belly full of Swiss goodness, a smile across my face and a head tipsy with love for Basilic's raclette night. The entire experience could not have been better. read more

We are very disappointed in what looked to be just a charming restaurant we could enjoy over and over again. A superb French meal at a small establishment and then off into the chilly air of a December boat parade on Balboa island. It could become a tradition, except this restaurant was completely ordinary, yet charged exaggerated prices. The baked New Zealand Grouper filet in a light tarragon juice was bland, except for the overwhelming fennel. The fish itself was dry and not what I expect from French cooking where usually the fish just melts in your mouth. Maybe the Swiss don't cook with butter or maybe just this restaurant, but it tasted like my home cooking, which is not a compliment. It came with mashed potatoes, and some blanched vegetables. The John Dory came out so salty we wished we had a copy of the menu to see if it was served in soy sauce. Really just over the top saltiness, It came in an Xeres Sauce, which is a Sherry sauce, so I have no idea where the salt came from, but they insisted on preparing a new dish. That was great, but the second one had no flavor at all. At these prices the fish must be tender and moist, and we are paying for the sauces. It is all about the sauces, and this was just third rate. I really wanted to find a gem here, and maybe we caught them on a bad night. Maybe because we were the first customers of the evening, we were eating last nights fish that they refroze. Now that I write this, maybe that is what happened. We were eating old food. If you have to go, then make your reservation for 8:00, not 5:30. On the plus side they had a half bottle of French sparkling wine. Look, the French won't let us call sparkling wine by the 'C' word unless it comes from the 'C' region of France, so now I call even that 'sparkling wine', so there. I no longer ever use the 'C' word. Half bottles are just perfect for dinning, without risking $10,000+ in legal fees from the courts. Every vineyard needs to start making half bottles, so couples have more choices. The dessert was an incredible combination of strawberries, strawberry ice cream, meringue in a berry sauce. The menus said 'all desserts $8'. This was the special off the menu dessert, and talking menus don't have prices. It was $10.50. 1 soup, 1 salad, 2 entrees, 1/2 bottle sparkling wine, 1 dessert - $128 plus tip. read more

Came here for one of their winter Raclette nights, and loved the place. This place is TINY, so believe it when you read in reviews that it's small, cozy, or whatever euphemisms real estate agents use these days. Not many places where you can get Swiss cuisine of any type, but the food was excellent, the wines were excellent, the service was REALLY excellent, and this is one place I hope people don't know about, so that I can continue to get a table in the future! Oh wait... oops. read more

I really don't get all the raves for this place. At the recommendation of a friend, we came here for dinner this past June with great anticipation. Sadly we were highly disappointed. Here are the reasons why: Mediocre service, dark, old, unappetizing decor, average food, and not worth the price. I speak French fluently and I could see nothing French charming about this place. I have been to many places in many countries around the world - from the hole-in-the-walls, to local eateries, to ethnic restaurants, to chain restaurants, to 1 Michelin stars, 2 Michelin stars, 3 Michelin stars. I can confidently say I have tasted the differences between bad, OK, good, and exquisite cuisines. Basilic is nowhere near good. And when they stuck a wild flower with a 2-to-3-inch-high stem on each plate, I had a sunken feeling. There was no nice aroma coming from the food. The appetizers, chacuterie and foie gras, were just OK. The duck was overcooked, dry, and the skin was not even slightly crispy. I wanted to eat badly because I was hungry but I could not finish more than 2 small slices of that duck. I tried my friend's sea bass. The worst and strangest tasting fish I've ever tasted! It was like super soft rubber marinated in murky water. I wanted to split it out! Definitely not fresh! The waiter was indifferent if not unfriendly. That, was my experience with Basilic. read more

Raclette FTW ! My husband took me here for my birthday this year and it was probably one of the best dinners we've had in OC. It was pure and simple. They only have about seating for approx 30 people.. depends on how big you are and if you can squeeze .(haha). anywhoo.... their Raclette nights start in October and its i on the first TUESDAY of every month until i believe March.. its a winter thing... (reservations are super highly recommended, actually i would say its a must as there is such limited spacing) We got sat down as soon as we got there, and ordered the all you can eat Raclette and ordered of meat plate. how can meat, cheese, potatoes and bread ever go wrong. The cheese was so creamy and gooey. Watching the cheese melt under the raclette machine just sucks alll your attention, i dont think my husband and i even carried an actual conversation as we were so mesmerized by the cheese. the Raclette machine creates this nice gooeyiness but also a little crisp and to eat it with the perfectly cooked fingerling potatoes and to eat it with the pickles they give you, the acidity cut the heaviness and it was serioulsy a match made in heaven. we had 5 plates and probably would have had more if it wasn't for us starting to breathe hard. LOL If your gf/bf LOVES cheese and you want to def. impress them, i would say make a reservation and get your butt down to newport and try this place! read more

A mouth satisfying experience for anyone who sincerely has an appreciation for flavors.

We had a five course Chef's choice dinner. It cost $59 per person and $39 more to pair with wine. The courses were (sorry my memory is a bit hazy): Amuse Bush (sp?): a small piece of toasted buttery bread with a creamy cheese on top 1- Asparagus Mushroom soup 2- Pear, candied hazelnut salad 3- Seared Salmon Palette Cleanser: sorbet champagne float 4- Filet Minon 5- Dessert trio: creme brulee, fudge pie, choc ice cream. The restaurant only has 8 tables so definitely make a reservation. The night we went it was very quiet and since the place is so small it felt like the entire restaurant was listening to our conversation. The food was delicious, but I didn't feel like my French food craving was satisfied after I had eaten here. read more

First thing we had were 2 little pieces of toasted bread with tangy butter. This was the best part of the entire meal. They later then brought some more bread in a basket with butter. The bread was cold and dry. That sucked. I was turned off and had better bread from Stator Bros for 1 dollar. We had ordered the special Angus beef and the John Dory (recommended by the waiter). The Angus meat was very tender and juicy, but the sauce ruined it. It reminded me a lot of soy sauce due to its saltiness. The best part of the fish dish, was the spinach - nice, soft and flavorful. Other than that everything else was just normal. It was good, but not worth price for what you get. Service was excellent and friendly. I guess that is what you are paying for in this case. The place was freaking tiny and claustrophobic. My living room is bigger than the whole dinning area. Kitchen noise can be heard no matter where you sit. I liked the location in Balboa though. It was a nice and quiet area when we went. Parking was easy to find. I would not go back or recommend it. read more

Intimate ambiance, good food but cold service. I brought my other half here for his surprise birthday dinner. He's been a bit nostalgic of home so I thought perhaps some good European meal would suffice the feeling for now. I made a reservation a week in advance and it was not so difficult. When we arrived, I noticed how warm, somewhat rustic yet intimate the dinning area looks and feels. It was as if we just entered a chalet that cold and rainy January evening. The male host greeted and seated us promptly. Upon seated we were given the menu and from there we to indulge ourselves with the tasting menu. I believe it was 5-course for a very reasonable price. Everything was fine until we were served with our meal. The young lady that did the serving brought our food, told us what we are getting and off she went as fast as he can. The whole time she wore a stoic to almost dissatisfied face as if we were bothersome to her. She did not even bother checking in if all is well with our dining experience. Ohhh well, I hope it was just that evening that she acts that way because her job requires someone with welcoming attitude. As for food, it was good but far from impressive. We enjoyed the the salad and the fish dishes and most especially the decadent trio dessert. Overall, our dining experience was nice except for the unsatisfactory service. read more

Really charming and refreshing. If you are so over new american and all those chains, do give Basilic a try. Rarely are establishments transportive. This place is like eating in Europe. It is tiny, get a reservation. It is mom and pop and the staff is French. The wine list has an incredible selection of wine from Europe, which is rare in OC. The food was excellent. I mean I had just eaten at a Michelin 2 star the weekend before, so I was a bit jaded, but if I hadn't, this place probably would have blown me away. The curried butternut squash soup was on par with the Michelin FOR SURE. I had never had braised veal cheek, not something I'd order, but eating from a fixe prixe menu, I was game- it was really good! Salad, seabass, cheese plate, filet all on point. Bread could have been better. Everything was cooked perfectly. The au gratin potatoes best I've ever had. Service was very European, no nonsense and perfect. Location on the island also very charming. If you're looking for romantic, "off the beaten path," gourmet, special occasion, looking to impress, etc. This is your place! read more

I was never that ignorant to think that French cuisine (or at least REAL French cuisine) would appear before me like finger-foods with impeccable plating design. You know...the expensive meal you imagine you'll have while still leaving the restaurant wanting to devour a cheeseburger kind. Well, Basilic definitely blew me away with their incredible selection of high-quality fare as well as their warm and inviting atmosphere. There are only 8 tables to this precious and cozy restaurant. You would definitely want to speak in "bedroom" voices for fear that your neighboring patrons may be eavesdropping. We started our dinner with a traditional swiss raclette cheese plate (melted cheese set underneath a broiler with fingerling potatoes, pickled onions, and gherkins) and a swiss charcuterie plate (basically an assortment of deli meats). I've never had better tasting melted swiss cheese paired with a fingerling potato and some interesting naming slice of ham. What is there not to like? Meat + Cheese + Potato = Yum-O! We also had a very nice bottle of red, I believe it was called Chateauneuf de Pape, that just melded the whole meal quite nicely. For our entree, we both had the Steak au Poivre with black peppercorn sauce and baby vegetables. I love black peppercorn sauce with red meat and this definitely reminded me of how my mother used to prepare red meat for us although, Basilic does do it better but we won't tell her that. For dessert, I can never say no to Creme Brulee and my date had the assorted cheese plate. The Creme Brulee was just perfect! Semi-sweet vanilla bliss, filled with a mixture of berries on the bottom with a caramelized sugar crust on top. I had to also try a bit of cheese (gruyere maybe?) with a grape, as my date firmly stated. Talk about a cliche Ratatouille moment if there ever was one! To be fair, the cheese did taste better with the grape. The decor was a bit interesting in my opinion. I didn't think it was possible to cover the entire dining area in wood from floor-to-ceiling but they were able to manage to do it here. I was told that this is traditional Swiss design and they are known for their bad taste. The only negative input I have about this place, as mentioned before by other reviewers, is that the restroom is located outside the restaurant in some dark alley. I would have been more apprehensive using this facility if we weren't on Balboa Island. Nothing bad ever happens in the OC right? Service was also very good. I think there are only 3 people working at this restaurant. I don't know how else they would be able to fit if there were more employees. All in all, this was a great dining experience. I left the restaurant full, satisfied and giddy. The giddiness could have been attributed to the wine I drank though. read more

Oh, Oh, Oh soooo good. Basilic offers very fine swiss-french cuisine. We started off with Bunder Fleisch (cured beef ham). I had Bouillabaisse for the main course, my wife had duck. For dessert we had a Creme brulee. Add two glasses of good red wine and the bill ended up at 116 USD with tip. It might sound expensive, but you get a very nice evening with first class service for two for this amount. The restaurant itself it is very small. It only sits 24 people. Therefore, make reservations. It is very nice for a calm evening. People are dressed nicely and the crowd was ranging from 25 to 75 years. I will be back. read more

My friends have been coming here for years and always rave about how amazing it is. They finally snagged a reservation for Raclette Night and invited us along too. First of all, this place is darling. It's very small and intimate, and quite romantic with it's dimly lit ambience. Our table was reserved all the way in the back, directly across from the Raclette station. Keep in mind, the full menu is not available these nights. The Raclette is all you can eat, and at first I thought I'd need more substance, but I was so wrong. First, everyone gets an Amuse Bouche, which was a little onion tart. Realistically, I could have eaten a whole plate of these... so good! We all started off with soups; the Swiss Onion was fantastic. Ordering soup before our Raclette was a mistake, though. I should have left my stomach empty for the glorious amounts of cheese I was about to eat. We all opted for the dried meats to accompany our Raclette, along with the endless potatoes and cornichons. We watched as the cheese wheel started to burn and melt and when the chef scrapped the wheel, he turned right around and started serving it. What a cool experience. And what a flavor! They use a heavier cheese with a higher fat content, which makes it nice and gooey and oh-so-tasty. I accidentally neglected the meats because the combo of cheese, potato, and cornichon was simply divine. I hit my limit at 3 plates, which was disappointing. My goal was at least 4. I was absolutely stuffed, but we still convinced ourselves to order dessert. I had the creme brûlée and the others had the apple tarte tartin. Even though we were busting at the seams, the desserts were a perfect way to end our meal. It's worth noting how fantastic our server was. He's apparently the only one, and he handles the whole place like a boss. We can't wait to come back to explore more of the menu! read more

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I took the Mrs. here awhile ago but didn't get a chance to write a review. She likes to try new restaurants and I'm glad she didn't have the opportunity to try this one as I enjoy spoiling her with new delicious restaurants. I highly recommend reservations as this restaurant is very very small and it would be a shame if you weren't able to try the restaurant via walk in. Located just on the edge of Balboa Island and Newport Beach, street parking is available and the restaurant isn't hard to find. Their menu's change on a frequent basis. They are a Swiss French restaurant. If one person in your party wants to order the 5 course Prix Fixe menu, then the entire party must also order the same 5 course Prix Fixe. However, it is totally worth the price for the quantity and quality of food you receive. Each of the food that came after another just became better and better. Please also allow yourself around 2 hours if you intend on dining here. Note that if you bring your own wine, corkage is $25.00. They do have a good selection of wine but be prepared to also empty your wallet for some of them. I can't wait to go back to dine at Basilic again. read more

French food makes me melt, and Basilic does exactly that. It's been awhile since I've been here, but from what I remember, this place is so great for special occasion. It's small, cute, and romantic. In some odd ways, once inside you feel like you're in France, and back in the 60's. The service is immaculate, and the food is perfectly charming. Come here if you like to impress that special someone or if you like to propose, yes, propose, its just that special. read more

delish! A + in ambience, food, service and company:) seafood risotto was excellent! read more

I took my girlfriend here for a Valentine's Day dinner, and it actually wasn't what I expected, for various reasons. When I called to make reservations, the guy answered in french, to which I thought "man, this place MUST be good." I would later learn that language skills don't have a direct correlation to restaurant quality. Maybe I was just expecting too much, but Basilic wasn't AS good as I thought it would be, especially after reading all the 5-star reviews. Don't get me wrong, it was still very good. The service was great, and the atmosphere is probably most romantic and cozy of any place I've been to. There are only 24 seats, and the entire restaurant can't be much bigger than a living room. This makes everyone speak in hushed tones and enhances the quiet, romantic ambiance. We started off by getting a mixed greens salad and braised endives with prosciutto ham and gruyere cheese. The salad was very good, and the dressing wasn't too heavy. The braised endives were okay. The endives were a bit bitter, but I don't know if that's how it was supposed to be. However, cover anything with prosciutto ham and gruyere cheese and I'm sold. For the main course, my girlfriend got the seafood risotto and I got the oven roasted duck breast. The fish, shrimp, and scallops in the seafood risotto were very good. The risotto was pretty good, but we thought the dish would be like a bed of risotto with the seafood on top. Instead, it was more like the seafood on top with some risotto hiding under it. On the bright side, you didn't feel all weighed down with too much starchiness when you finished the dish. The duck breast was nicely cooked, and although there was a bit too much sauce, the combination of the two was extremely tasty. I might have been spoiled by my duck experience at Buchon in Santa Barbara, in which had the absolute best duck in my life. The dessert was the "omg" moment of the dinner. It was a meringue topped with a scoop of ice cream topped with more meringue topped with whipped cream and covered with strawberry slices. I had never had meringue like that before, with its delicate crunch contrasting with the cold chocolate ice cream. I almost wish I had ordered two so I could have one for myself. I'd really like to come back and try some other dishes, because I feel like the other dishes will be better. In retrospect, I think I unfairly set my bar too high for some reason, but in the end, it was still a memorable dining experience and I would highly recommend it as a surefire romantic spot. read more

My bf brought me here for my 29th bday, and it was great.. It was my first attempt at french food. Its in Balboa Island which is very pretty! We had a reservation. The restaurant is small and intimate; they only had 7 tables. Our meal was superb and filling. Our waiter was attentive and the chef came out to check up on us. The bread is yummy, and we had an endive appetizer which was different yet flavorful. I ordered the duck and my bf the filet mignon. The mashed potatoes were nice and creamy, and they had a lovely array of vegetables. For dessert we had creme brulee (very satisfying!) and the sherbet assortment with fruit. It included guava and pineapple flavored sherbet with fresh kiwi, pineapple, and strawberry. Very nice way to end the meal! A perfect date spot.. read more

Excellent house specials... filet mignon and salmon! Place is tight on space, but the food is yummie and the service is excellent!!

Cozy intimate restaurant with one chef, one waiter and one back waiter. Tables are pretty close to each other sometimes parking is hard to find. What I love is the exquisite cuisine, extensive wine list and excellent service. We enjoyed the raclette, veal tenderloin, and meringue with ice cream. read more

Basilic Restaurant - Delicious choc tart - French Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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What an amazing meal! This Balboa Island restaurant has great ambiance, personal service, and absolutely wonderful food. I've only visited Basilic once, but I plan to go back many times. Everyone in my party enjoyed their food so much. Maybe it was our server's charming French accent, but I ordered almost every special he described...he made everything sound so good. I can't remember which red wine we ended up going with, but it was a great match for our meal. We were served a delightful amuse-buche to whet our appetite, then I had the Asparagus Soup to start and it was delicious. No cream was used in the soup, so it was tasty without feeling too rich. For dinner, I had Halibut & Braised Short Ribs and enjoyed every last bite. For dessert, I ordered their special that evening, which had chocolate ice cream, lemon meringue, whipped cream, fresh strawberries and a mixed berries sauce. It was so pretty on the plate, but that didn't stop me from digging in and polishing it all off. And even though I was ready to pop, I couldn't resist the complimentary macaroons they served us after dessert. We definitely ate to our heart's content at Basilic and I was on an amazing food high the rest of the evening. Basilic is a must, but be sure to make reservations. It is teeny-tiny in there and they fill up quickly. read more

As close to perfection as it gets. Ambiance: cozy, authentic, romantic, warm and dimly lit. Ideal for our anniversary. Service: With one aisle down the restaurant, your waiter is always at arms reach. Service was personal, prompt and informed. Food: Husband had the filet special. It was insanely divine. He said best flavor on a filet he'd ever had. Likened it to a drug. I had the rack of lamb. Cooked spot on, seasoned perfectly and absolutely delicious. We also has the raclette which was simple and just as raclette should be and the onion soup, rich and winey. For dessert, the chocolate tart, which was the least wow of the night for us but was still good. Price: fair, I love a restaurant that calls it as it is and doesn't put on airs with their prices. It was all worth it. read more