Sweet Basil in Wellesley

Wonderful staff and awesome food. Highly recommend.

Something has gone wrong at this formerly terrific restaurant. Bread was a bit stale; Caesar salad was lifeless without garlic in the dressing; haddock was over salty; asparagus was even saltier, not really edible. After many excellent meals in the past, this was a surprise.

Staffs were friendly and the homemade pasta is great.

Food was half cooked, the staff came over to check in on us and completely ignored the fact that we had barley touched our food. The waiter completely ignored it and cleared our plates without asking us how the food was.

Love this homey local spot. Great food, amazing pesto, love the rosemary chicken, and BYOB is a great option.The risotto is almost always too wet and undercooked so Id skip it but the rest of the menu is usually nostalgic, consistent, and amazing.

I had the tomato soup and the calamari to start with, both were good. Dinner was shrimp scampi which was delicious.

The calamari fritta and the rosemary chicken were amazing!! I will come again soon.

Such good food-the best Ive had on Moody Street! Most of the dishes are pretty big portion sizes expect for the ravioli. I loved the shrimp scampi. Cute, fun named cocktails as well.

BYOB or it was when I lived in Needham. Always excellent and worth the wait. I think I saw a smaller one on Moody Street.

Awesome risotto and gluten free pasta. Great atmosphere. Just BYO wine.

Sweet Basil has good food choices and they always have vegetarian options available in menu. I love their pesto sauce. Sweet Basil has very flavorful dishes.

Great food and service, reasonable prices. BYOB. Good wine selections just across the street.

My family dined at Sweet Basil Newton location on a recent Monday evening. ( 05/23/2022)For Sweet Basil every morsel of food, every dish, one can dream of. We are definitely coming back and will bring more of our friends to enjoy Sweet Basil!!We had a delightful waitress, Shannon. I would like to commend on excellent work, attention and service provided by her. Shannon attention to all our needs and personal interest in us is more than one can wish for. She is THE BEST!!!

Great waitresses but the food was so salty and oily. They mentioned they changed chef so it not the best menu sadly

Large portions, artsy atmosphere, vibrant. Wait staff is professional and thoughtful. Excellent spot for a date. They don’t take reservations, BYOW.

The rosemary chicken is amazing. Very busy location and have had hit or miss with takeout as of lately but may just be dealing with covid and staff transitions

A Real MysteryAte @ Sweet Basil on Saturday evening. A disappointment, starting with an hour wait for a table. Once inside place was so loud that we could not talk to one another. The food itself was adequate, we had salads to start followed by pastas. As for the salads would recommend the Greek as it had interesting ingredients and strong dressing. Others in our party had Ceasar and beet salads both taste as if the dressing was forgotten. Risotto of the day was with fresh vegetables but almost tasteless. The other pasta (forgot exact typewas heavy and lacking in taste. Needless to say did not have dessert but went to J P Licks, easily the culinary highlight of the evening.

Best Pesto I have ever had!! Everything is so fresh and the portions are big. The staff is super friendly. We brought a bottle of wine cause they don’t have any liquor. One of my favorite restaurants and I drive 30 minutes to eat this pesto!! Everything delicious 😋 Absolutely recommend

We had a wonderful unplanned meal here after my daughters gymnastic competition.What a treat! I was so impressed by the food, service and atmosphere. The staff was so welcoming I felt like home, and the food was amazing. Even though this isnt close to home, we will be going back for sure. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

Stopped by on way from NYC to Maine. Most delicious tomato basil soup we have ever had. Kudos to exec chef Brian and owner David.Will try to replicate but there’s some magic in their hands.Other dishes and their friendly service warrant many more visits in future.Thanks!

One of my favorite spots in greater Boston! BYOB as well :Homemade pasta is deliciously made with a deep egg color. The fresh bread and pesto was great to start. We followed this by the mussels, which were served in a buttery garlic white wine sauce over sauce soaked bread. I’ve had a lot of mussels and my life and these were on a different level. I’ve had the rosemary chicken and the chicken parm, both are so tasty. My girlfriend had the butternut squash soup and she was raving about it. The passion for their food and serving their customers was apparent. If you aren’t used to dense pasta you may not love the pasta at first but it definitely will grow on you. A true gem, thanks Sweet Basil!

One of the best Italian restaurants in the Greater Boston area. Family-sized entrees filled with flavor. Bring your taste buds here!

One of the best restaurants in town. Lets you bring your own drinks, gives unlimited bread with wonderful pesto to spread across or dip it in and has top quality food. Great place for an anniversary dinner, recommend to anyone.

You frickin kidding me! I realized disaster was ahead when first entering and hearing a exiting customer politely commenting on the poor quality of the service.Nice place, but the cokes and sprite were a rude surprise as they were cane colas and a lemon lime small batch low quantity brand ya neva heard of. Then the salad

Great bread served as appy gad wonderful fresh made pesto parmesan. Ordered fra diavolo seafood and girlfriend had rosotta special both good but linguini was unusually thick and round. I will ask for cappelini next time. Good attentive service. Not cheap but worth it, reasonableportion for the cost, good food and service. We will be back soon.

Sweet Basil used to be one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Boston with warm service and a willingness to accomodate food allegies and dietary restrictions. Its sad to see all of that has changed as the restaurant has grown busier. It used to be great -- and I hope the old Sweet Basil will be back one day soon, so we can sing your praises once again.

The food is amazing, its BYOB, and the service is incredible. We were incredibly lucky and grateful to the owner Dave who stopped by our table asking how our food was and offered up his recipes giving us a signed copy of his cookbook. It really made our night and we look forward to making his butternut squash soup

Super friendly staff, generous portions! Reasonable priced, you can bring your own wine.The atmosphere is pretty relaxed. Easy street parking.2)Fresh pesto and bread(free starter😁)3)Rosemary chicken1)Steamed mussel

Went for the first time last night and loved it. Friendly, funny staff, excellent food and no rushing us out of there. Wish we didnt have to BYOB, but thats no biggie. Thanks for the wonderful experience!

Super friendly staff, generous portions!!!, fairly priced, you can bring your own wine which was so fun. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed. Easy parking near by

1st of all, because it is served when you sit, that gorgeous green garlicky basil olive oil concoction they serve with bread is 1 of the most delicious things Ive ever had the pleasure of eating. Yes I know its called pesto.Then we had the muscles appetizer and that was out of this world.For dinner I had the rosemary chicken. Its served in a creamy garlicky sauce with chunks of flavorful chicken and tube type pasta. I couldnt stop eating it. It was just amazing! So tasty!

Awesome service, friendly staff. Thanks Shannon! And the food....OMG. the mussels appetizer was flavorful and addicting...eant to bottle up the garlic wine sauce! And now the main course....maple salmon served over creamy gris and asparagus. Phenomenal food! A must go AGAIN! Perfect night out for dinner.

Absolutely stunning food and very very friendly stuff.

Best overall dining experience in recent memory. Wait staff were prompt and courteous when seating us and throughout the dinner. I found it amazing how the staff operated as a team, when any server was in our general area that person kindly checked up on us to ensure my wife and I were without want. The ambiance was cozy with moderate lighting, low noise and modest décor. We sat within view of the kitchen area and the young chefs practicing their craft cooking very tasty dishes. For starters we had the risotto made with fresh mushrooms in a creamy sauce and the smoked gouda cheese appetizer on toasted bread on top of a bed of salad greens. Both portions could easily qualify as entrée size. For main courses we had the shrimp scampi with large firm shrimp and the linguini with fresh clams still in the shell. Both came tossed in housemade pasta served al dente. Loved the density and texture of the pasta. I also enjoyed what appeared to be pan roasted onions in the linguini dish which added good diversity of taste/texture every several bites. Owner Dave Becker was present the night that we passed through (Halloween 2020mingling with guests and assured us if we didn’t like anything we ordered they would remake it or cook us something we did like. Never had to take him up on that offer as everything was just excellent! Thank you Sweet Basil for putting a smile on our faces during what was an otherwise somber travel occasion visiting a friend in hospice.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way, Sweet Basil is some of the best food you’re going to get in Greater Boston, and the reasonable prices make it all the better.SB is also byob. Note, there is a $5.00 corkage fee, but I’m more than willing to pay it.The pesto and bread you get with your meal is phenomenal and is practically an appetizer in itself.I am aware some of the reviewers say they experienced “rude” waitstaff. I’ve never had this happen to me, nor seen it personally. I don’t want to invalidate those reviewers, but I don’t think they should be weighted as a deciding factor to visit SB.Note that no reservations are accepted and it’s walk-in only. I actually appreciate this as I believe it provides fairness to everyone. Do note that this could result in a long wait time, but SB is definitely worth it. Also they’re known to bring around appetizers to guests awaiting to be seated when the wait is particularly long. They’ll even hold your wine and call you when you’re table is ready if you want to walk around Needham Center.If this review is too long for you, in short, you should absolutely visit Sweet Basil and experience it yourself, they definitely get my stamp of approval.

We had a wonderful experience at Sweet Basil on Saturday night! With a group of 9 people we thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the service. You are able to bring your own wine or beer which is a big savings these days. We were served a family style meal which came with platters of delicious food. I loved the Gouda salad and the Bolognese and the Chicken parm was delicious. I would highly recommend this place.

Albeit a little cramped, Sweet Basil boasts a homey ambience, with polite wait-staff and a phenomenal menu. I had the best swordfish I’ve ever had and I will definitely be coming back some time.

Small byob spot with great food. Service was was also good. Big portions.

AMAZING FOOD. Pork tenderloin, cold bean salad, pesto spread with bread, homemade pasta, etc....all delicious. The place is cozy but lively. The staff were all so sweet and friendly. I am an out of towner and cant wait to come back to this place. Best choice I have made in a while.

Just awesome...fish specials change daily or so...try one. Terrific service, food, wait staff and a wonderful and creative hostess make this spot a must for the in the know, Metro Westr.

The food was impeccable with generous portions, fresh ingredients and a unique spin on traditional pasta dishes. The service, however, was lacking. Most of the servers were inexperienced and untrained, leaving us waiting for long periods or having to get up and find them. Surprising at an establishment with a high price point. The restaurant doesnt offer beer and wine. They allow you to bring your own, but charge you a corkage fee even though they dont offer to pour or provide anything but glasses. After the delicious meal, we were looking forward to their dessert menu, only to learn they dont offer any. I wonder if they charge you to bring that too. Until they address these things, Id prefer takeout to dining in next time.

This place is my #1 choice to gather with friends for a casual night out with great food. Its BYOB with a corking service which makes you feel at home. The restaurant is fairly small and cozy, they dont take reservations and are often busy. I love how theyll swap out table tops and find room to fit everyone in.The staff here is amazing. Always friendly, joking around and ensuring you have a great time.The menu changes frequently and features Italian and modern influenced dishes. I havent had a bad meal here but I must Warren about two things: Youre likely to eat too much of their pesto and bread to start with and their portions are quite large. I can sometimes eat an appetizer as a meal. Taking this food home is hardly a tough choice.

Sweet Basil is a family neighborhood Italian restaurant. The food is traditional Italian cuisine, the drinks are BYOB (with a small corkage feeand the service is friendly and relaxed.There are no reservations and depending on the time and the day, you may wait for an hour or two. If there is a long wait, the bar around the corner serves wine and cocktails.As far as the food goes - it was comforting and delicious. The tagliatelle Bolognese were satisfying (albeit a huge portion), the baked gouda in filo dough was tasty and so was the salad that came with it. I thought the highlight was the Squash and Apple tortellini - those were dreamy.It is not hard to see why the locals (and some not so localare lining up to dine here.

Went out on a date for a special occasion and was not disappointed. The food was spectacular and the staff was very helpful and nice. The pesto and bread that they give you when you arrive is incredible. Make sure to bring a bottle of wine because its BYOB.

High quality Italian food. They have a smaller menu but everything is excellent. They dont offer alcohol but you can bring your own, and they just charge a small corkage fee, which is very reasonable. They even give you a bag to take home the wine that you didnt finish. Super friendly service. Theres always a long wait. They sometimes would provide a small snack for those waiting in line, which is a really nice gesture.

The food is consistently good. Tonight we sat in front of where they seat people waiting. They should reconsider this waiting area. One person waiting on the small stools was on the speaker phone. Another person practically had her elbow in my face while coughing profusely. This seating is fine for a diner but in this restaurant gives very little consideration for customers trying to enjoy their dinner.

Super rude waitress. The food is good but the service really sucks. Just terrible. She came to announce the specials and as soon as she saw one of our friends picking up the phone call she JUST LEFT. no apologies or anything. Just left. Later she just showed up once and then with the bill. That’s it. Very rude. Super unpleasant experience.

Sweet Basils is a nice, small Italian restaurant in downtown Needham. They do not take reservations so be prepared to wait. They do take your phone number and call you when the table is ready. There are a few bars next door that have decent drinks. The portions are huge, perfect for sharing. My favorite dish is the Mussels. I have also ordered the chicken parm as well as the rosemary chicken. The rosemary chicken can be salty because of the pancetta. They do not have any alcohol for sale but they do allow BYOB for a corking fee. It can get a little loud but other than that a great place to try out for a date night or with friends. Not a good place for large parties.

Despite not taking reservations, they called me 3 times once our table​ was ready and we got sat right away. Everything was well laid out, with nice large silverware and a knotted napkin. Service was prompt, warm and welcoming. Atmosphere was laid back and not at all pretentious/stuffy. It was cozy but bustling; it was trendy but of no particular style. The bread and pesto brought to every table was phenomenal. The small, fresh menu selection was easy to swallow. Even ordering two simple things such as mussels and Greek salad, the portions were robust and the flavor to match. Stayed for 3 hours, tipped 50%.

I had a nice dining experience here in the past. The salads and pastas are delicious, and come in famously large portions! I love their pesto for the bread. There is not a parking lot, but there is metered parking space on the street within a two block radius.Edit: I was recently disappointed by my dining experience. The server was fantastic as usual. After a 40-minute wait, the host was ready to give my table to another party that came over 30 minutes after mine if I hadnt walked up to him to check on my table. The usual rustic sourdough was out, so their substitute was a plain white loaf that felt like a waste of stomach space and their delicious pesto. The food runner pushed a plate of mussels onto my table and spilled the pesto. He saw the spill and simply walked away. In the end, I ended my meal early to save myself from more disappointment.