New to this where do I start? How about with WOW! I'm a flatlander from the OC area, who went up to see friends in Big Bear they invited us out for a lovely Italian meal at a friend's place this place is truly a diamond in the rough. When in a sleepy mountain town, you never expect to find a fabulous place like this. Quality, well prepared and properly presented with reasonably priced menu. I have eaten some of the best family run small Italian places throughout Orange county and this one rivals all of those. It is absolutely a go-to destination for a proper meal made with love. All with fresh ingredients and presented properly, generous portions served by a small family oriented staff the owner Allison is charming smart and knows true value of quality food and ingredients. After some fabulous conversation we came to understand that she has a great knowledge of food and preparation don't ask her to speak Italian but she will talk to you in French if you like! Do not miss chance to be part of something that is bigger than being on the mountain. Cheers to the Sweet Basil bistro family. read more

If you come to Big Bear, Do Not skip this little Gem of a place. It is off the chart Amazing! Best Italian/American fusion you will find for 100 miles! Let's start with the owner, Ali. She took over ownership about 5 years ago and has really turned this place around.She is so Amazing and knows her stuff. Welcomes you in with a beautiful smile and is happy to welcome you in and serve you. Her staff is beyond professional! Friendly and courteous with a smile. Now the food, Unbelievable!!! The portions are enough to take some home on. The flavors were exquisite. Can't say enough wonderful things about this little treasure. It is downstairs underneath the bowling alley and you may need to wait on the weekend but it is worth it!!! So going back again and again. Wishing the owner Ali much luck, tho she doesn't need it cus she will go far!! Great job everyone at Sweet Basil Bistro. You were the Highlight of our weekend!!! read more

We have been wanting to try this quaint restaurant. Nothing fancy, but the food, service and ambiance was absolutely amazing.. I will be returning. read more

Not our first time here and will not be the last! Family owned and operated, and the family is amazing! The wine lists consist of plenty of options direct from Italy. If you're more of a beer kinda person, they have Peroni among other options. The inside is small, but comfortable making the experience very personal. The food is top notch and made fresh to order. The Gorgonzola filet is outstanding. This place is always slammed, reservations are a must and can only be done online. So plan ahead of time to ensure you get in. read more

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My favorite restaurant on the mountain! This restaurant is the best food in big bear lake! The food is made fresh with love. All the food is great.I love the girl artichoke for appetizer with some garlic fritters that make your mouth water when you eat them. The bread and Olive oil are to die for all.The main courses are beyond delicious. They have real Italian sodas and for dessert.They even make many donuts and house that you dip in dark chocolate caramel.Raspberry it's phenomenal! Thank you everyone for making every visit the best ever! Much love read more

I was in heaven here! They have authentic, delicious Italian food. I can't have gluten and there were plenty of options and they were so very accommodating. The staff were all amazing. I planned on getting one of the many dishes they offer with gluten-free pasta, but I could not pass up the Gorgonzola stuffed filet. It was so good! The table bread they serve DOES have gluten, but thankfully, I brought my own bread. I am so glad I did because I was able to dip it into the olive oil that comes with their bread and it was one of the best things I ever tasted. There are a few gluten-free desserts, but I was way too full. Maybe I'll try next time. I will be back! read more

Sweet Basil Bistro - Kids spaghetti - Italian Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

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This place is a small restaurant in the corner of the first floor of a bright red barn in Big Bear. The place exudes local small restaurant energy with warm lighting and classical decor. My waiter, David, was polite and timely with service and seated me quickly. The food menu was a double-sided page with the drinks spanning 2 pages. I ordered the gorgonzola pasta adding Italian sausage. The food here is excellent and really feels like it was made fresh (in restaurant). The parmesan sauce with gorgonzola mixes the nutty taste of the former with the aged tartness of the latter to create a wonderfully rich and heavy base for the oval shaped pasta. The tomato puree adds a nice bright zesty note to the dish as a way to prevent fatigue from the rich sauce. The sausage had a solid bite with mild Italian spices intermingling with the rest of the dish. The only thing to note is that the amount of tomato puree is too little in my opinion to dot the vast amount of pasta and sauce. The bread came partway through my meal (Due to dining on opening, bread was delayed but freshly baked.) The bread was soft and slightly spongy with a crisp outer shell. Very delicious. (To point out the wonderful service, David bought any additions I requested.) All in all, a very splendid meal. If you're looking for Italian in Big Bear, this is the place! read more

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Cozy Autumn Magic at Big Bear Lake Had the most amazing dinner here on a crisp fall evening in Big Bear The red leaves outside, the glow of wine glasses, and the warm red lights inside -- pure magic. The big painting on the wall caught my eye right away It made the whole place feel extra artsy and romantic. I also loved the little candle on each table -- such a sweet touch! If you're looking for a cozy date spot, this is the one. The Blushing Martin is a must-try -- gorgeous drink with a tiny crescent moon inside I ordered the salmon (so good!) and the little bread was ridiculously delicious Left with a happy heart and the warmest memories. Highly recommend! read more

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Three of us went. We each got an entre and an iced tea. We all shared one desert. After tip it was $204!! I thought it was pretty average. The Bolognese sauce was really good but a very small serving. The meatballs were mostly filler. We are on social security and our daughter is not working now. This made me realize that eating out is only for the wealthy. read more

Stumbled on this place over the weekend and I'm glad I did! It is right next to the bowling alley and only a short 10ish minute walk from the hustle and bustle of downtown Big Bear. I came at the perfect time because it started getting busy as my food was being served, so be prepared. All of the workers were really nice (they all gave caring italian mom vibes), all the servers work together, which made things work quickly, my lobster lasagna was great, had a sweet glass of wine, and the pumpkin spice creme brulee was tasty! I'm surprised this place wasn't busier with how great a dinner I had! read more

Food was excellent ! So fresh and wonderful. Service was a little lacking, I know they were busy. Can't handle large parties either but it is a small space. read more

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My wife and I ate at Sweet Basil on a Saturday night at 6, were advised to make a reservation ahead of time, and I'm so glad we did as the restaurant was packed. Overall, my 5 star rating reflects our general dining experience, which was exceptional by every metric. Delicious and elegant food, warm and attentive service, comfortable surroundings, wonderful wine parings, and super yummy cocktails, made this a memorable dining experience. Once seated, we were bought a loaf of warm bread and the most delicious, garlic olive oil for dipping. Some fresh ground pepper really kicked the oil up a notch. Since my wife is vegan and allergic to sugar, we called ahead, spoke with the owner Allison at length to ensure we understood our dining options. Our service was delivered by a team that included two servers, a support staffer, and the owner Allison. Our water was kept full and our dining needs were fully met with friendliness and efficiency. For such a small place, Sweet Basil has a nice selection of wine and spirits. My wife ordered their seasonal passion fruit moc-jito and it was wonderfully refreshing. Allison helped with our wine selection, offering samples to help my decision. I tried a Cab Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon before settling on the Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon Lot7 (a rich and round cab with soft tannins and a bit of spice produced by Chuck Wagner from Caymus Vineyards in Napa). This wine far exceeded its $15 per glass price point expectation and was an excellent pairing for our meal. There are quite a few vegan options on this menu, and as we had spoken at length with Allison about our sugar-free choices we ordered the grilled artichoke to start. Flavorful, tender, and quite big enough to share, we enjoyed dipping in both the garlic aioli & garlic olive oil. This seemed to be a popular appetizer at tables around us, all without vegan diners. We ordered 2 entrées. First was the Mushroom Truffle Pasta, packed with sautéed mushrooms, house-roasted tomatoes, garlic, & vegan Parmesan. The sauce was light and absolutely delicious. We also ordered the Grilled Eggplant Parmesan. The sautéed eggplant was topped with roasted tomatoes and vegan Parmesan before broiled, and served atop angel hair pasta tossed with their house-made tomato basil sauce. Spectacular! Both are highly recommended! If you are looking for excellent Italian, where everything isn't smothered in heavy red sauce and cheese, check out Sweet Basil. We will be back the next time we're in town. read more

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Stopped here for dinner, and ordered the Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and Angel hair pasta with pesto sauce with a side of seared broccoli - both were delicious! Also ordered the garlic shrimp antipasti and the butternut squash soup - soooo good. The staff was friendly, but it took longer than we expected for our entree. It's a small restaurant, so be sure to use the reservations link on their website in advance. Plenty of parking in their lot. read more

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We are on our honeymoon and decided to go to this restaurant based on recommendations we got. First impression is that they are busy and don't have enough staff but our waitress was very nice. She sat us down and immediately took our orders, we felt kind of rushed to pick what we wanted. We got our drinks about 15-20 minutes later and noticed that the waitresses have to make the drinks themselves which is why it takes awhile. Our appetizer of garlic bread was good but the salad we ordered was not what we would expect from an Italian place. Our food arrived and my husbands plate was not very good, he took maybe two bites and decided he was done. While the ravioli I ordered was great. We waited for a long while before someone showed up to check on our meal, never asked about getting us more drinks. We let them know that his chicken was severely overcooked and that the pasta was clumped together (you could pick it all up with one fork) and they gave us $3 off lol. Overall we would not come back and would share with others that for the price it may not be where you want to go. read more

Sweet Basil Bistro - Dinner, ravioli with vodka sauce (was good) Caesar salad that needed more sauce Alfredo with blackened chicken that was very overcooked - Italian Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

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Have been here several times when visiting Big Bear. Food is always very good. Staff is very attentive. Will definitely visit again when in Big Bear. read more

For the past 3 years, we come up to the big bear area for our anniversary and we always pick a night to eat dinner at Sweet Basil Bistro while we are here. The food here is always good. The area to eat gives a relaxing vibe. Also each year we come to eat here, we recognize it is the same staff and the ladies who work here are nice and service is great. We will be here again next year and I would definitely recommend eating here. read more

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Very cozy restaurant tucked underneath the bowling barn. Limited seating but we were able to be seated right away as walk in's. Service was great and the food was nice. The portions are generous. I recommend the limoncello cake for desert! read more

Sweet Basil Bistro - Italian meat loaf with orzo. - Italian Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

HIDDEN GEM in Big Bear A charming Italian Bistro located within walking distance of Big Bear's downtown Village. The food was phenomenal!! So flavorful and balanced! If only there was smell-o-vision...Absolutely impressed and exceeded my expectations! Very friendly service!! What we tried: Sautéed Crab Cakes Fried Calamari Fried Cheese Ravioli Garlic Cheese Bread Sizzling Garlic Shrimp Salad Spaghetti with Creamy Basil Pesto Sauce Linguine with Clams read more

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Food was amazing so was the service. David was our waiter, his banter and attention to detail really made all the difference drinks were always full. He was very pleasant. Working in the food in over 10 years you can tell he loves what he does. Thanks David for making the evening special read more

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delicious food excellent friendly service Comfortable quiet atmosphere Be sure to try the soup read more

Sensational quaint Italian restaurant with plenty of great options. The ambiance is peaceful and the service is quick and friendly. The food is top notch, the lobster lasagna is creamy and thick. The vodka sauce is perfect too! read more

Sweet Basil Bistro - Italian Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

Mine and my dad's first time here! We are in town for the Holcomb valley trail run, and asked our lovely front desk staff (Natasha) at the lodge we are staying at in town, which place she recommended, and this place did not disappoint! The service was exceptional and they were busy! Food was excellent- we got the mushroom truffle, watermelon salad (amazing!) and topped it off with dessert. We will be coming back! read more

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Meh... and I hate to say that because I've had several good experiences here long ago but ya I'm just not impressed. Literally every lunch item is a sandwich (I just didn't want bread but still wanted some protein & a good size meal) I felt super rushed trying to figure out what to eat and so I ended up with a very sad caprese salad that was all lettuce (not even what a caprese salad is supposed to be or look like) I barely ate any of it while my date had something much better. Our waitress was just going too fast rushing me when we were the only people in the restaurant for lunch so I just ended up so disappointed & starving when we left. The wine I had was ok but I was just so bummed out from what was supposed to be a nice date lunch. The place did look nice & was clean but dark for lunchtime. Anyway it was much better before under the original owner in my opinion... read more

Sweet Basil Bistro - Italian Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

I'd recommend reservations. We took a chance going on an off time. I'm so glad they were able to accommodate. Everything was excellent. I love a good grilled artichoke. We originally had a different restaurant in mind to celebrate our anniversary, but we are happy we went with this restaurant instead. Great wine options. Cheers read more

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This place is excellent! My husband has high standards for Italian food. So for him to really enjoy it and want to come back says something! Service was great. Ambiance was lovely. Food was very good! This place will be our regular go-to spot now every time we visit Big Bear. read more

Came to sweet basil naturally while skiing on the mountain. it seems really popular here and we had to wait a little while to get a seat, though maybe because we didn't make a reservation? it wasn't that bad in the end though, since i think we only waited about 20 minutes the servers are all pretty friendly here. i got a sally's pasta ( i think) and felt like it was perfectly fine. my other friends however got other dishes and they felt like the portions were a little small. overall i think it's an alright place to come have some italian food after a day of skiing. things will be a little bit more expensive on the mountain because of the difficulty in transporting supplies, i guess that's a problem all the restaurants in the area will have read more

We went to celebrate our 3 year anniversary and this place was nothing but incredible. The service was top tier, she helped us pick out a bottle of wine and gave many personal recommendations from the menu. Overall so helpful and kind. As for the food we were blown away by the bruschetta Burrata platter, it was a special for the night and it was delicious. The Ribeye was cooked well to our satisfaction and the lasagna was a rich and hearty meal as it should be. The restaurant itself is small but extremely cozy and makes you feel at home. Would 100% recommend! read more

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We so love this place " food was amazing as amazing And the owner Alison is great Can't wait to come back read more

4 stars for the vegan options. We ordered the garlic fritters, steamed artichokes, sally pasta, and the truffle pasta. They did a good job, it wasn't just an afterthought like many other places. We also got the donuts for dessert (vegan without the caramel sauce) and the strawberry and chocolate sauces were yummy when you dip them together. Our server was a bit weird. It seemed like he was on something. He acted very awkward, but we still got our meal in a timely manner. read more

We came here for our daughter's birthday and the food was amazing, the ambience was great and the service was fantastic. I am definitely coming back for more lasagna. read more

Just went and they have. Lunch special menu. I love this place with a passion! For lunch I ordered their portobello mushroom Panini sandwich with their salad on the side. Yumm!! great service as always and I just love how intimate it is even during lunch hours! read more

Sweet Basil Bistro - Portobello mushroom Panini sandwich - Italian Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

Great Italian food. Normally, restaraunts in the mountains have left a bad taste for us in the past but this place, wow! Still dreaming of the truffle oil pasta. Comfy ambiance and suitable for families. Drinks were a bit strong but tasted delicious! Thank you for a great service! (The people working were very lovely) read more

Found this place through yelp and we're glad we came here for dinner. Very nice ambience, the servers were very attentive and friendly. The food was delicious. We would not have thought we would find an Italian restaurant. It did not disappoint. Very good portions too. Highly recommend! read more

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While in Big Bear, we checked out Sweet Basil Bistro for dinner. Inside was already busy when we arrived just after 5:30pm, and we hadn't made reservations; however, we were fortunate to snag the last, unreserved table, so it wasn't too bad! We opted for crab cakes as starters-- honestly, they came as two, extremely small pieces that really weren't worth the $16 paid for. We also got a garden and a beet salad, which were fresh and solid salads, nothing bad to say. I ordered the mushroom truffle pasta (with linguine), as I love truffle. Portions were generous, but unfortunately, it fell flat on the flavor. There was absolutely NO truffle flavor to it (is it just supposed to mean the mushrooms instead?), and overall tasted just like your typical, oil-based pasta. Not much flavor to it, sadly. However, I did enjoy a bite of the chicken parm that someone else had ordered. Perhaps it was just the dish I chose that was lackluster. Sweet Basil Bistro is okay for Italian food-- not the best I've had, but it does the trick when you're craving a fancy-ish Italian experience. read more

Sweet Basil Bistro - Truffle mushroom pasta (with linguine) - Italian Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

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Food was wonderful. Services was good. Would return 100%. Family friendly. It was def noisy in there.

Showed up at 6pm when Open Table showed open tables at 6pm, 615pm, 630pm. First the hostess tells me they won't seat anyone without a reservation. Then I go outside and make a reservation for 615pm and pay $125 via Open Table app. Then we wait, only for her to tell me she has to cancel our reservation. Clearly they didn't want us to eat here for some reason even though we see several tables open through the window. We had 2 tired and hungry 7 year olds and you made one of them cry. I rarely give 1 star reviews to any small business, especially when I've been a customer before, but your behavior and way you spoke to me was unacceptable. Do better and try harder. EDIT: I had a feeling you would dishonestly post this. I still have the OpenTable reservation confirmed on the app and you have STILL not released the $125 hold on my credit card. You were very condescending about casually accepting my money and not issuing any refund. Then when you sarcastically said "sorry" and I calmly remarked that "you should be sorry" you loudly screamed "what" and thought it was appropriate to follow me out of the restaurant and continue speaking rudely. Also your restaurant was half empty and it's not a "holiday." We are a week into the new year and your excuses about glitches and holidays are pathetic. Note that this business blames the customer after being paid for a reservation at their business, and still refuses to be accountable for their poor behavior. read more

Sweet Basil Bistro - Proof of business owner's dishonesty - Italian Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

It seems to have lost a bit of it's uniqueness. When it first opened a few years ago the 5 star chef who I believe owned it prepared all the meals and they were special. Now the menu is pretty typical , just like any other Italian restaurant. The food is good but ordinary, prepared by cooks. If I am wrong someone please politely correct me. ETA: I now see that it is under new ownership. That explains a lot. read more

Loved Sweet Basil and will be back anytime I'm in Big Bear! Cute restaurant with friendly staff, excellent service, and delicious food. I got the Gorgonzola Pasta with Blackened Chicken and it was amazing. The rest of my group got other pasta dishes and soup and all said they were amazing. The portions were super large so well worth the cost. read more

Sweet Basil Bistro - Gorgonzola Pasta with Blackened Chicken - Italian Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

As always, our dinner was excellent. All the staff were amazing. We love dining here. Can't say enough about this place. When we are craving Bolanaise And meat balls. We always wait till we are able come here. The marinara is by far our favorite. And we have traveled many places around the country, but no one beats this pace for Italian cuisine... First choice. BOTTOMLINE read more

It's decent. But not the same as when Sally ran it. I miss the roasted broccoli on the plates. We went here as our number one choice over the years that we owned a cabin in Big Bear. We wish the new owners well. read more