07/29/09

pretentious food and atmosphere

by wki

mussels were OK....could have done with some decent Italian bread to soak up the sauce, Couldn't find the lobster in the lobster pasta , the pasta was overcooked and had a strange sweet taste. The scallop special was 4 scallops sitting in a sweet fruit(peach?) sauce.....horrible. Did not stay for dessert.....felt as if we had already had it. Do not understand the hype....will definitely not return. We will be going back to Figlio for something tasty.

• Pros: decent service
• Cons: all the food tasted sweet!

05/11/09

great date spot

by aly511

I loved the wine and menu. The back patio is awesome and the atmosphere inside was super nice. The cannoli was awesome as well as the lobster pasta.

• Pros: cannoli
• Cons: tight space

04/25/09

Don't pay for valet service

by Vasso

Premier Valet charges you $5 literally to pull your car around the corner. Do NOT pay -- just park in the neighborhood, which is what Premier Valet does, anyway. I have good friends who live around the corner from the restaurant, and it is totally ridiculous that the valet service charges to park your car 50 feet from the restaurant. Don't be fooled.

The food is wonderful, but I recommend going either very early or very late. At "rush" hour the restaurant space is absolutely packed, and you feel acutely how very large some restaurant-goers are. It could be like a cozy French or Italian bistro, except that French and Italian people are not usually so fat. So definitely go when it's less crowded, and you can enjoy a lovely meal with some of the nice wines they have on their list. The food is a bit on the oily side, but very tasty.

• Pros: wonderful food
• Cons: PACKED

10/22/08

Mediocre food (at best) in a great atmosphere

by lizzyw76

Service and atmosphere were great. Wine was delicious.

The mussels were bland, lobster penne unspectacular and the special, a duck risotto

was not very good at all...I wanted to love it, but they made it impossible.

Would only be back for drinks on the adorable, heated patio. I really hope Basi can turn this around.

Otherwise, they just won't last.

10/14/08

Very disappointing.

by bowakowa

After having been here a couple years back and being satisfied if not summarily impressed, we returned tonight to find a great patio, good service, and the most disappointing meal of our lives. We did not finish, nor did we accept a doggie bag. It just wasn't worth it. It is very sad to see such a cute little place fall so drastically.

• Pros: very cute patio
• Cons: food

09/05/08

On the decline

by Jen1223

I have heard great things about Basi, but I was extremely disappointed. The setting and atmosphere, especially for a date, couldn't have been better, but the food was definitely not good and completely ruined the Basi experience. I have heard similar reviews from my friends who comment that the food at Basi used to be good, but lately has drastically declined.

• Pros: Ambience, location, unique setting
• Cons: Food

06/25/08

Great Food, The worst service in the Universe-bad-aftertaste!

by UBU44ALWAYS

Be aware that Basi Italian restaurant is capable of giving you the best and worst expirience in one dining event. Basi provides up to snuff italian cucina meals, fresh spices and unusual cooking procedures, but provides the Worst World Class Customer Care in the Universe. I cannot remember the last time I have expirienced such appalling, vile service. The wating staff, Dave and others response to customers request for drinks and bread appear to be a burden. The customer response rate and service adherence level is nil. Reservations were made in advance and we still had to wait by the bar, unattended, for 45 minutes to be seated. The food was exquiste, the service abominable washing away the good tasting food. We will settle for figlios, were the serivce makes it a real dining expirience.

pro's: food

Con's Service

• Pros: Food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Cons: World Wide Worst Customer Care

03/26/08

Overpriced, Overrated

by search4food

If you like glorified spaghetti (ground lamb with red sauce and pasta) or steak that tastes like liver, and paying high prices, then this place is for you! There were 4 in our party, and only one person liked what they chose. He let me try the duck, and I wasn't wishing I had ordered it after I tasted it--and I love duck. My friend ordered the ?steak.? She couldn't give it away, nor could she eat it. It was rare and she asked for medium. It had a very strong flavor of liver. The place is compact, so half of the restaurant gets seated by the door, and got reminded of the 20 degree weather each time the door was opened. There was no place to put my feet, except for the round table foot. Unfortunately, it was also the same and only place for my husband to put his feet. He could not move back because he was right up to the occupied chair behind him. The table rocked back and forth too. Absolutely NOT worth the money. We will not be visiting Basi-Italia again, nor would we recommend it.

• Pros: lightened our wallets considerably
• Cons: overpriced, overrated

01/04/08

Our favorite restaurant

by docproc

For starters, I should tell you that we live in Cincinnati, not Columbus--so a visit to Basi Italia involves a two-hour drive and sometimes an overnight stay. We have made that investment several times because Basi is THAT GOOD. Yes, it's small--but that's what makes it charming and unique. Owners John and Trish have created a memorable locale and dining experience. I can honestly say that we've never had a dish we didn't love--you simply can't go wrong here. The mustard-crusted trout, the boneless half chicken, the braised pork cheeks (don't let the name throw you), the to-die-for chocolate cake...the list goes on and on. We have always had excellent and helpful service and have never felt rushed.

Simply put, this is our favorite restaurant.

• Pros: Everything. This is our favorite restaurant.
• Cons: Not a one.

07/17/07

Not a huge fan

by maryeloisemo

Have only been once, but I didn't think it was worth the price. I ordered a seafood dish and it was poorly cooked -- extremely chewy. The outdoor ambiance is great, though, so it might be worth another shot in the summertime.

• Pros: good ingredients, interesting dishes