Basta

This restaurant is simply magnificent! The view of the canal is beautiful, especially in the evening when the soft lights are reflected in the water. And there is live music here, creating a unique atmosphere of coziness and romance. Tasting exquisite dishes, I experienced a gastronomic ecstasy. The service is top-notch, the atmosphere is unforgettable. The charm of this place makes you want to come back here again and again. In general, this restaurant is a real find for lovers of beauty!

The service and atmosphere are great, even though the food isn’t the best. It’s kind of a chill vibe with music playing and plenty of art pieces around. The staff are very professional, always there to help you with water, drinks, and food—they’re attentive throughout. Now, back to the food: it’s just average, very Western-style. Oh, and there’s a deal where if you order before 7 PM, you get three drinks and one food option. Also, it was my friend’s birthday, and we got two small cakes to share, which were actually delicious!

A great place for dinner and evening relaxation in the very center. Beautiful view of the canal. Service, food, presentation, I liked everything very much. I recommend visiting!

THE FOOD I stayed at the St Regis for 11 nights with my family and we had breakfast at Basta almost everyday. The breakfast spread was a decent size, with a good selection of salads, vegetables, fruits, sweet and savory breakfast foods and different kinds of eggs made to order. There’s a good selection of artisan teas and coffees made to order as well. It is probably a good spread for the average business stay of 2-3 days, but it got a little monotonous for us because our stay is considerably longer. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our time there. We also ordered pizza one night up to our room. One of the servers recommended me to try their Ricotta Truffles Pizza with a fried egg on top. I’ve never tried anything like that but I’m pleased to report that it was actually very good! The combo of flavors hit my tastebuds a new way. Good job, Basta! THE SERVICE We always felt taken care of by the servers here. I want to mention especially Joshua (server from South Africa) and Da (hostess from Thailand) who have taken care of us most days. Da greets us enthusiastically at the door every morning, and tries her best to find us good seats at the restaurant. The place is packed on the weekends but she never fails to find a good table for us to enjoy our breakfast. Joshua is professional, knowledgable and friendly; he anticipates our needs before we even asks for them! He remembers all our orders and he even went hunting for items we wanted because it wasn’t available at the buffet. Joshua is great at his job! He definitely elevated our breakfast experience at Basta. THE ENVIRONMENT The restaurant has an inside part which sits under a high ceiling decorated with a delicate and modern chandelier. It also has a large brick wall at the back with a beautiful mural painted on it. It has an open kitchen to one side, and floor to ceiling windows on the other, overlooking the canal. The outdoor seating has a casual vibe to it, and many guests choose to sit there to enjoy their meals with a side of spectacular view. ********* All in all, we had a good time here. I’m giving it 4 instead of 5 stars only because we would have liked to have more of a variety of breakfast items for an extended stay like ours. But for a typical short business trip, their offerings are great. The service is excellent and environment is welcoming. I would recommend this restaurant for visitors to Dubai downtown!