Basil Pasta Bar — Restaurant in Vancouver

Decided to give this a try because it’s open late and near where I was working that evening. I really wanted to like it, but the execution was underwhelming. The environment was not the most comfortable either - there was an unpleasant smell that I noticed when I was standing at the register to order, which I could not detect from my table, and it was very chilly inside. The staff was friendly, though. I ordered the coconut cream ravioli without the chicken and a tiramisu. With the ravioli, I found the sauce to be pretty bland (even after adding black pepper and red pepper flakes), which is not what you expect or want from something called “curry cream” sauce. The garnishes of fresh basil and coconut flakes were missing, which was disappointing since some fresh herb would have contributed massively to the flavour. I had no problem with the ravioli and how they were cooked, but the asparagus were still a little fibrous. You can see into the kitchen, so I could watch them sauteeing the vegetables to order, but I would guess that most of what they use is either frozen or from a can because they did not taste fresh. The dish was not bad, and I liked that they used a lot of vegetables, but I felt like it fell short of what it could have been. It was $16.45 and a big portion, but I’m not sure if it was worth it for something that I know I could’ve made better at home without a ton of work. The tiramisu was fine (and also pretty big - I would actually want to share this if I was dining with someone else), but while the pasta for dine-in came in a plate, this came in a plastic takeout bowl with the lid on, and the cream on top stuck to the lid when I took it off. What’s pictured is my attempt to reconstruct it. It seems a shame to ruin the presentation like this when they could’ve just served it on a plate and kept it intact. If I give them another chance, I would order something with red sauce and see that's more...

It was a cold night on February 2nd when I decided to go to basil pasta bar. It’s my second time. The first time I went to basil pasta bar it was a fairly new restaurant and the cool thing about the menu was you can build your own type of pasta dish.

This time I went to try the lemon chicken fettuccine. I wasn’t feeling creative so I wanted to try one of their house specials. It was tasty but nothing special. I had their side salad it was very good. I think it had more cheese on it than it should have for a side salad. Some would love that so I appreciated the though.

The food came out very fast so if you want fast food and in a rush it’s perfect.

They had a clean bathrooms and the place was clean as well.

I really like how they had take out menus. We all have smart phones to check websites but the screen is small and you have to scroll through everything. I like an old school take out menu when I want to take a quick glance I can see everything.

Service was good. They were kind and many attractive young woman working there too!

I also noticed it is a huge take out or pick up place. I saw many food deliveries.

They close around 11pm so it’s a nice option for a late night eat.

They take cash and cards. Which I really like I respect establishments that practice multiple forms of monitory exchange. There has been a trend in places no longer taking cash and it’s a bit of a hassle if you don’t have a card or vice versa you only have a card and no cash. (I just want to eat and I can pay in many ways)

The prices were very fair for Vancouver prices. I still think paying for pasta in a restaurant is a little crazy because it’s simple and cheap. At least this place owns it and that’s what they focus on.

I would recommend this place to anyone with kids or anyone who wants something simple quick easy...

Great food. Horrible service.

I live in the area and frequently get take out from the local eateries. Basil has great food but by far the worst service.

Unless you order unmodified items off their menu (ie. no customization & no custom orders) chances are they will mess up the order. Out of my last 10 orders 6 were not what I ordered. It’s gotten so bad that I’m forced to open the bag containing food and inspect it in the restaurant every time, just to ensure I don’t waste my time walking home only to have to walk back again so they can fix the order. The girls are so busy they don’t take the time to read the online order as it is printed. It’s infuriating.

I switched to online orders after years of phoning in orders because often times they just wouldn’t pick up the phone or worse yet they’d take the call, put you on hold, and then 5 minutes later hang up on you. I suppose the upside was that phone orders were slightly more accurate than online orders, when you could get through.

Their latest problem is them running out of food. Earlier this week they had run out of about 12 menu items. Last night they had no garlic bread. Of course since the order requesting garlic bread was placed online that couldn’t be undone. I was told I’d get a refund but that has yet to appear on my credit card statement and they probably should just have given me a cash refund in store but failed to do that.

The owners really need to step in here and work on processes to improve quality control. This location has really gone downhill since they opened the new Kits location where I imagine they spend most...