Before I went to Carmel by The Sea, I asked a friend for recommendations. She immediately suggested Basil Seasonal Dining and, yes, it was perfect for me. I loved all of the fresh ingredients and there were plenty of vegetarian dishes for me to choose from. The Carmel area is the perfect location for a farm to table restaurant. Fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat, poultry and dairy products can all be locally sourced. Chef Soerke Peters changes up the menu depending upon what is currently available.
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Wow! This place is fantastic.. Chef Soerke Peters serves "farm-to-table" dishes that are attractive to the eye and pleasing to the palate. My wife and I were here for her birthday and we had heard great things about Basil but had not yet tried it.
We started with the duck paté, which is served with toast points, house-made pickled onions, pears, & cornichons, and a house-made whole-grain mustard. The paté was, without a doubt, the best we have ever had; it's creamy, savory, and melts in your mouth. The pickles serve as a nice acid to help cut through the fat; either with your bite or after. The mustard is absolutely fantastic; a bit on the hot side but perfectly balanced and the mustard seeds are tender enough to pop when chew them.
My wife had the smoked venison for her entrée; it's served with puréed parsnips and reduced balsamic vinegar. The meat is served sliced, over a ramekin of brussel sprouts with julienned pear on top. The presentation was beautiful and the flavors were spot on.
I had the 5-hour braised beef cheeks dish. This entrée is served like a stew, in a savory gravy over mashed potatoes, celery and carrots. The meat is very tender and the flavors are mouth-watering.
For dessert we tried the Italian Bread Pudding and the Flourless Chocolate Cake. Both of the desserts were plated beautifully and tasted wonderful.
I highly recommend this restaurant and we will definitely be coming back!
Quality at a reasonable price. This is an excellent choice for lunch in Carmel when you don't want to break the credit card limit. We had crab cakes and a "Autumn Gnocchi", which turned out to be a lighter than expected pumpkin gnocchi with vegetables. Both were nicely presented, and excellently prepared. We don't know what people were talking about concerning overly heavy suaces. Our dishes were not. The decor is just a bit dated, but we went for the food and service, which were perfect.
Great dinner. We had a wonderful outside table in the small patio. Our drinks, salads, entrees and desserts were all fantastic. My wife had the seafood salmon special and I had the steak and yucca frittes and we would reorder them in a heartbeat as well,as everything else on our tab. The service was exceptional as well.
Most excellent. Stumbled across this little place while vacationing and talking to locals who recommended it........we had lunch there...we travel and dine at many fine restaurants ......this place is a hidden jewel.......I highly recommend it
jh
A busy little place that served good food. Had the fig and brie salad and it was very good, followed by the eggplant ravioli which was also pretty decent. I wouldn't say it blew me away but a solid meal at a decent price point...
Yummy!. The servers were very generous to my friends and I. The seared-tuna salad I ordered was a little lack-luster, but the presentation on all of the plates were gorgeous. We ordered a cheesecake for dessert which needed to set a little longer; however, it was light and not too sweet. I could have eaten it for days!
The food was lovely, the service was lacking. If you're a local, make sure to mention it. The two tables that did got great service and groveling galore.
Be sure to call ahead to reserve a table! The food is beautifully presented and absolutly delicious. The restaurant is very small... I would guess 10 tables or so. The atmosphere is welcoming, cozy, and intimate. The chef did pop out of the kitchen a few times to greet some clients. DON'T skip the bread pudding, for the love of god.
On point. Fresh, well executed dishes. Impeccable service. Small space makes it intimate. Plus, the price is great. Less than $100 for 2 included app, entree, 2glasses of wine each and dessert. Not bad for this area. Recommended. Highly.
A breath of fresh air in Carmel. I had lunch here, today, and I know that I will return. I uploaded photos of what we ate. The service was friendly and all the dishes were excellent. Loved the basil sauce with hot bread that was served before ordering! My Thai BBQ shortribs were tender and flavorful. I'll have to return a few times, to try the other items on the menu that looked great. I'm so glad to find this new place in the hometown of Carmel, where I grew up and went to high school.
We ordered the following dishes
Garlic bread and pesto: bread was crunchy and soft inside. Pesto was made fresh and delicious 😋
Beet ravioli: it wasn't exceptional but fairly tasty
Al pesto: Pasta with olives, burrata and fresh pesto. It tasted good too.
Overall the food is okay but expensive
Service was prompt and staff is friendly
After roaming on the busy Ocean Ave in Carmel trying to find a place to dine in, we came to this restaurant. It was not so busy and had beautiful outdoor seating, which was perfect for the weather. We had garlic bread which came with pesto and was scrumptious. My toddler loved meatballs and french fries. We also tried lasagna, crispy potatoes and caprese focaccia sandwich. Food tasted fresh and delicious. Our server was friendly and attentive. We were glad to find this restaurant as it is little hidden from the main street. Also, this place is dog-friendly. Restroom was clean. We definitely had a good time.
Good Italian food. Good variety of dishes. Underrated because it's in a hidden location overshadowed by the bigger Italian restaurants in Carmel. A small place to dine inside, but plenty of outside tables with a canopy and heaters. Try their cocktails and wine. Disappointed when the website advertised the special 3 course dinner, but discontinued it by the time we got there.
I was a bit worried when I walked in, because the restaurant is a little empty. I'm so glad that I came. The food here was amazing and the service was great, too!
🥑 The avocado toast is topped with black truffle and poached eggs. It comes with some sauce that's sweet and sour (balsamic vinegar maybe?) and it's soooo good!
The burger was tasty too, the perfect balance between bread, beef, egg, and sauce. Also love the fries!
Finally -- the cauliflower, perfectly roasted. The server gave me some pesto sauce as the dipping sauce, and I love how it tastes!
Honestly so delicious. The oneness and some staff are from Italy so the food was amazing! Would definitely go back! Had the burger and carbonara. My husband said it was the best carbonara since Italy. The desserts were amazing and I want to go back to try them all!
Not very surprising that the pesto they serve with their bread is delicious. The bread itself was also really good. I got the house cocktail and really liked it. My wife got a margarita that was delicious. There is plenty of outdoor seating and they are dog friendly. Only problem is we didn't know where our dog should lay so she wasn't blocking the walk ways. We tried four of their pastas and they were all good. I got one with sausage.
Dog friendly Italian restaurant with outdoor dining. I’d recommend reservations because it can get busy. The food was very good, especially the black seafood pasta. There was a generous portion of seafood and the sauce was really tasty. I would have preferred to have the tables spaced further apart (COVID times), but I ate on the early side and was able to avoid having people sitting too close! Next time I’m in Carmel, I will be back!!
Great quaint and maybe family run restaurant in Carmel. Food is great. You can taste the quality and the skill in their pasta, pesto, and bread. Ingredients like the pesto, bread, and burrata taste very fresh. Enjoyed the environment and the food. Staff was very nice and attentive. Highly recommend if in the area! Portion sizes are good
Although California didn't win me over like most people, the food is undoubtedly the reason to go. This location was hands down the best Italian food I've ever had. Perfect spot for you and the wife, and I recommend going right as the sun is setting, really adds to the ambience.
Also, try the gnocchi, it's too good!
Wow!!! The food was amazing!!! Must visit
Perfect food and service!! Strongly recommend! Very high prices.
Quintessential Italian restaurant in charming Carmel location. Tucked in an alcove with white tablecloth service inside and windows overlooking courtyard dining, Basil exceeded expectations. A wide selection of menu choices tastily prepared led to a relaxing two-hour dining experience. The locally sourced buffalo mozzarella appetizer set the table for a nuanced slow roasted beef rib entree. The wine list was peppered with Italian vintages. Definitely on our list to revisit.
Fantastic meal with incredible service. Plenty of gluten free options. The burrata and prosciutto was delicious and the gluten free gnocchi was out of this world. We had an amazing experience and will definitely be back!
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