Went to dinner last night with another couple. The manager, Adam, seated us almost at the front door but we noticed there were those who he favored and received better seating. He spent most of his time kowtowing to his regular wealthy friends. Everyone else he couldn't care less about. Fortunately the food was delicious - appetizers, main course. Not the greatest but very good. Everything very reasonably priced. However, while that was my first time at this restaurant, it was also my last. I'm fully aware that the neighborhood and surrounding areas are filled with the wealthy who couldn't care less about pricing. But price gouging is in practice at this restaurant. I had two Long Island Ice Teas and my wife has two wines. I was charged $42 for my two drinks and $32 for the wines. I've been to chic restaurants in Manhattan and was never charged more than $16 for an LIT. And this little cafe has the nerve to charge $21 for a LIT in a small glass when most are made in a pint glass. HORRIBLY OVERPRICED. If you have to eat their food order take-out. The average person will go poor if a table of 4 has two drinks each.
Joanna S.
Good food, excellent service. Can be busy/crowded. Good meeting place for friends. Casual/neat attire.
Susan B.
Oddly, my original review is missing. So I will do it again. A friend of mine and I went to have lunch at this restaurant. As usual, when the manager is there, whose name is Adam, he manages to put us in a tiny table in the back, or in a very inappropriate place. When we protested, he gets extremely nasty and rude. For reasons not well understood the owner of this establishment is fully aware of this managers behavior and yet he is still there. This time he used the filthiest language. I have heard in a long time, He used F bombs and demanded that we get the F out of the restaurant. We were not rude or nasty. We also noticed that there are several complaints about this man and his behavior is generally targeted against women. He doesn't have the courage to talk to a man the way he spoke to us because a man would probably pop him one with the kind of language he used. Obviously, we will never return to this restaurant mainly because Adam needs a few lessons as to how to treat customers and frankly the food is mediocre at best. It is a local place and we are local people and that explains why we actually attended this place. Adam is not usually there when we are, so there are no problems. We will never return. Please do not remove this review. It is honest and sincere and needs to be seen.
Greg Bobulinski
A classy upscale restaurant. Soup to nuts - 5 stars all around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Catherine Barry
Absolutely my favorite restaurant you won't find service better in any restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fernanda NATES
delicious food and very good place and service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Laura L.
Basil Leaf Cafe is not a venue you stumble upon while on a Sunday drive; you must deliberately drive to Locust Valley on the north shore of Long Island. But boy, is it worth it! On the evening my friends and I ate there, we were seated in the second building: a cottage adjacent to the main restaurant. The table settings and decor were perfect for the space. Our table was located in a corner and seating was comfortable, with table linens that smelled fresh from the laundry. Our server arrived swiftly and our glasses were filled with water, menus given, and drink orders taken. She read the daily specials to us, which included a pistachio ricotta cake and halibut, both of which I ordered. THE GROWS: It was a hot and humid evening. There was AC, but the vents were located at the peak of the ceiling, between two beams, and the air did not reach the corners of the room. Most of us at my table were uncomfortably hot. We asked if they could turn up the air or close the door so the cool air didn't seep out, but the uncomfortable heat put a damper on our evening. Normally I order coffee with my dessert, but I was so warm that I skipped it. THE GLOWS: The baked clams were whole with toasted breadcrumbs and an accompanying sauce with the perfect consistency to both coat the clams and dip your bread. The halibut special was parmesan crusted and served over spinach; the kitchen happily swapped out the spinach for escarole for me (I love both, but their escarole is something I order all the time because I love how it is prepared). The pistachio ricotta cake was the perfect fusion of a very light whipped ricotta with fresh pistachio flavors. For this foodie, I highly recommend this as a place to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a meal with those you love.
Zeezee Zaina
Manager was very rude with us… I ordered a lava cake and they didn’t heat it up for me and gave it to me
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Kris D.
Just ate here a few months ago. The waitstaff was nice and they didn't rush you at all. I met a few friends for drinks and dinner. The food was ok. Nothing great but not bad. I would probably go back and order something different. I had the penne alla vodka. It was ok but a little too much sauce was on the plate. I did not have dessert so I can't comment! A few others had big salads and they seemed to enjoy them.
Cozy ambiance and good Italian food. You can't go wrong with any of the menu items - minestrone and carpaccio makes a great lunch!
Loretta S
After a walk at nearby Planting Fields Arboretum, we decided to visit Basil Leaf today for lunch, our first time. The restaurant was recommended by a friend, and we were pleased. The courtyard was inviting, but we chose to eat inside because many tables were occupied, several with loud children. In the bar room, we admired the casual elegance of the airy, bright, and quiet space. The service staff did a good job. Hubby went with soup and salade for his lunch and raved about how delicious and fresh both were. I ordered the penne a la vodka and was satiated with this generous, flavorful dish. Less than ideal was the free crusty bread slices (a bit burnt for my taste) with oil/spread placed on the table. As an aside, I would suggest a lunch menu with special prices to make a complete meal--soup or salade, entree, and dessert. I would sacrifice portion size at lunch to enjoy a full complement instead of all a la carte. As a result, we paid a bit more for lunch than we would have preferred, but we did get good value and service.
Isaac Mihaeli
The food is way too expensive and not worth for that price.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Jeannie Hynes
I’ve been coming here for three years and it never disappoints. The food is always delicious. The ambience is relaxed and very pleasant. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Special Salad, Pizza
G. C.
I read some negative reviews on Yelp, and so was a bit apprehensive about dining here. But my wife said she's been here with her friends twice before and they all liked it. So, I gave it a try. Their steak was simply amazing! Done perfectly. Sauce was very good. The seafood linguine was very good also.
Went to dinner last night with another couple. The manager, Adam, seated us almost at the front door but we noticed there were those who he favored and received better seating. He spent most of his time kowtowing to his regular wealthy friends. Everyone else he couldn't care less about. Fortunately the food was delicious - appetizers, main course. Not the greatest but very good. Everything very reasonably priced. However, while that was my first time at this restaurant, it was also my last. I'm fully aware that the neighborhood and surrounding areas are filled with the wealthy who couldn't care less about pricing. But price gouging is in practice at this restaurant. I had two Long Island Ice Teas and my wife has two wines. I was charged $42 for my two drinks and $32 for the wines. I've been to chic restaurants in Manhattan and was never charged more than $16 for an LIT. And this little cafe has the nerve to charge $21 for a LIT in a small glass when most are made in a pint glass. HORRIBLY OVERPRICED. If you have to eat their food order take-out. The average person will go poor if a table of 4 has two drinks each.
Good food, excellent service. Can be busy/crowded. Good meeting place for friends. Casual/neat attire.
Oddly, my original review is missing. So I will do it again. A friend of mine and I went to have lunch at this restaurant. As usual, when the manager is there, whose name is Adam, he manages to put us in a tiny table in the back, or in a very inappropriate place. When we protested, he gets extremely nasty and rude. For reasons not well understood the owner of this establishment is fully aware of this managers behavior and yet he is still there. This time he used the filthiest language. I have heard in a long time, He used F bombs and demanded that we get the F out of the restaurant. We were not rude or nasty. We also noticed that there are several complaints about this man and his behavior is generally targeted against women. He doesn't have the courage to talk to a man the way he spoke to us because a man would probably pop him one with the kind of language he used. Obviously, we will never return to this restaurant mainly because Adam needs a few lessons as to how to treat customers and frankly the food is mediocre at best. It is a local place and we are local people and that explains why we actually attended this place. Adam is not usually there when we are, so there are no problems. We will never return. Please do not remove this review. It is honest and sincere and needs to be seen.
A classy upscale restaurant. Soup to nuts - 5 stars all around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely my favorite restaurant you won't find service better in any restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
delicious food and very good place and service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Basil Leaf Cafe is not a venue you stumble upon while on a Sunday drive; you must deliberately drive to Locust Valley on the north shore of Long Island. But boy, is it worth it! On the evening my friends and I ate there, we were seated in the second building: a cottage adjacent to the main restaurant. The table settings and decor were perfect for the space. Our table was located in a corner and seating was comfortable, with table linens that smelled fresh from the laundry. Our server arrived swiftly and our glasses were filled with water, menus given, and drink orders taken. She read the daily specials to us, which included a pistachio ricotta cake and halibut, both of which I ordered. THE GROWS: It was a hot and humid evening. There was AC, but the vents were located at the peak of the ceiling, between two beams, and the air did not reach the corners of the room. Most of us at my table were uncomfortably hot. We asked if they could turn up the air or close the door so the cool air didn't seep out, but the uncomfortable heat put a damper on our evening. Normally I order coffee with my dessert, but I was so warm that I skipped it. THE GLOWS: The baked clams were whole with toasted breadcrumbs and an accompanying sauce with the perfect consistency to both coat the clams and dip your bread. The halibut special was parmesan crusted and served over spinach; the kitchen happily swapped out the spinach for escarole for me (I love both, but their escarole is something I order all the time because I love how it is prepared). The pistachio ricotta cake was the perfect fusion of a very light whipped ricotta with fresh pistachio flavors. For this foodie, I highly recommend this as a place to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a meal with those you love.
Manager was very rude with us… I ordered a lava cake and they didn’t heat it up for me and gave it to me
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Just ate here a few months ago. The waitstaff was nice and they didn't rush you at all. I met a few friends for drinks and dinner. The food was ok. Nothing great but not bad. I would probably go back and order something different. I had the penne alla vodka. It was ok but a little too much sauce was on the plate. I did not have dessert so I can't comment! A few others had big salads and they seemed to enjoy them.
very good everyone liked what they
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Cozy ambiance and good Italian food. You can't go wrong with any of the menu items - minestrone and carpaccio makes a great lunch!
After a walk at nearby Planting Fields Arboretum, we decided to visit Basil Leaf today for lunch, our first time. The restaurant was recommended by a friend, and we were pleased. The courtyard was inviting, but we chose to eat inside because many tables were occupied, several with loud children. In the bar room, we admired the casual elegance of the airy, bright, and quiet space. The service staff did a good job. Hubby went with soup and salade for his lunch and raved about how delicious and fresh both were. I ordered the penne a la vodka and was satiated with this generous, flavorful dish. Less than ideal was the free crusty bread slices (a bit burnt for my taste) with oil/spread placed on the table. As an aside, I would suggest a lunch menu with special prices to make a complete meal--soup or salade, entree, and dessert. I would sacrifice portion size at lunch to enjoy a full complement instead of all a la carte. As a result, we paid a bit more for lunch than we would have preferred, but we did get good value and service.
The food is way too expensive and not worth for that price.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
I’ve been coming here for three years and it never disappoints. The food is always delicious. The ambience is relaxed and very pleasant. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Special Salad, Pizza
I read some negative reviews on Yelp, and so was a bit apprehensive about dining here. But my wife said she's been here with her friends twice before and they all liked it. So, I gave it a try. Their steak was simply amazing! Done perfectly. Sauce was very good. The seafood linguine was very good also.