Sweet Basil Bistro

🍂 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! ❤️

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wonderful & Delicious Italian bistro.
Definitely a must when coming to Big Bear.
This experience ALONE, made out weekend getaway! 🤌🏼

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Had such a nice evening for an early dinner. Was able to get a walk-in table very quickly. Service was quick and friendly and wasn’t rushed. Butternut Ravioli and Gorgonzola pasta were both phenomenal. Will be sure to bring our out of town guest to one of our new favorite spots.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

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!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Must have for dinner in Big Bear! Ravioli with pink sauce is always my go-to. The house-made sodas are delightful and the servers have always been generous with adjusting sweetness and flavor to my liking. Only downside is it is a little pricey.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was not as good as we expected, just a cup of hot water was 2 dollars, and the line was very long. Not recommended.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 1

My wife got the Lasagna Bolognese and I got linguine with creamy Alfredo sauce and blackened chicken. We both thought it was the best we had ever had. It was seriously so good. The atmosphere was great (especially since we were lucky enough to have been seated by the window) and our server, David, was outstanding. But, omg, the food. Wow

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious chicken parmesan

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Soooo delicious. From start to finish, flavorful, cooked expertly, fresh, even the cocktail was perfection. Eat here!! You will NOT be disappointed.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

(I had never been to this, the original Sweet Basil bistro but I have visited the old owners Sweet Basil bistro in Palm desert a handful of times and it's never disappointed.) ....Now on to the Sweet Basil bistro, Big Bear lake. We made a reservation as it was Sunday night on Labor Day weekend. The service was excellent and the atmosphere is cozy and charming. The cocktails were good but nothing that would stand out. 4 stars. The food however left much to be desired. The calamari appetizer we ordered was probably the worst I've ever had and it was approximately 4 to 1 breading to squid ratio and over cooked. It was borderline inedible and my wife who loves calamari took one bite and bowed out. 1 star for the calamari. The salads served around us were beautiful so we ordered a large Caesar. Our salad was disappointing in presentation and quality and I give it 3 1/2 stars. Perhaps could be blamed on someone trying to help in the kitchen. Our lobster ravioli arrived with the cheese so burnt and crisp you couldn't cut it with a fork but the sauce and flavor and ingredients were quite tasty. I give it 3 1/2 Stars. It was quite busy and maybe they were overwhelmed or perhaps their principal chef was ill or out of town. To be fair we will give it another go on a less busy weekend in Big Bear and provide an updated review later.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 2

Service: 5

Great food and service. Tables for two were close together so not much privacy.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

The four of us had reservations for 5 o’clock, and we were immediately rushed to order our food. Ribeye that our Friends had looked very good but the halibut that we ordered was fair. What ruin the dinner was being asked to leave because they had other reservations for the table. Very unprofessional, rude. Spent over $$300 and was totally rushed and then asked to leave they should not overbook to ruin someone’s dinner. We are locals and we will never go back again. Would not recommend.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 1

Sweet Basil Bistro is a truly amazing restaurant with a creative menu. The gorgonzola stuffed filet mignon is my favorite — uniquely flavorful. The parmesan crusted sand dabs fish is amazing, and the garlic shrimp appetizer is mouth watering. Their tiramisu has a rich coffee flavor that is truly delicious — far better than any other tiramisu that I have tasted. Sweet Basil Bistro offers a unique dining experience that you don’t want to miss.

Amazing experience here. We had a party of 7 for a birthday. The service was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. The food was incredible and they were very accommodating for our allergies. Ryan was amazing. Would absolutely come back here. And they service Hennessy!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The restaurant was packed when we arrived, which gave a good first impression. We waited about 30 minutes for a table for two.

Unfortunately, as soon as we were seated, I noticed a few flies swarming around us. Looking up, I saw a lump protruding from the wall above our table. It looked like it might’ve been a fly nest or something similar. This was in the far left corner of the restaurant, right above where my wife was sitting, next to the wall.

Flies kept buzzing around our table, and one even ended up in my water. We asked for a new glass, and the staff kindly replaced it right away. It did seem like they were aware of the fly issue but unable to do much about it at the time.

The food was average, but nothing remarkable. What really stood out, though, was the service. The staff were attentive and kind throughout the meal.

Overall the service was great, but the cleanliness and atmosphere left a lot to be desired.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 5