Sebastian’s Bistro Lunch – A Delightful Dining Experience
We recently had the pleasure of dining at the newly opened restaurant on the water at the Caribbean Beach Resort. Our Sebastian’s Bistro lunch featured a variety of appetizers that you can read about in our first blog about this new eatery. We also sampled a couple of the lunch menu items which we will report about here.
One of the first things I want to point out is the ambiance of this restaurant. I will cover some of the décor in another blog, but I want you to get the feel of your surroundings when you come here for lunch or dinner. You are meant to feel as though you are dining under the sea, and I enjoyed every aspect of this restaurant. Sebastian’s Bistro is a wonderful new addition to Walt Disney World dining options. The menus are fresh and inviting, bringing a Caribbean, tropical flair. I want to point out that there are many paleo, keto, vegan, and allergy-friendly options.
The chefs here, including my all-time favorite Chef James, are eager to help. I cannot say enough about the friendly and helpful service. Our server, Michael, was eager to point out his favorites, and secret tips. Not only did Michael provide information about dining at Sebastian’s, but since we were going to Trattoria al Forno later that night, he had some helpful recommendations for there, as well.
Sebastian’s Bistro Lunch Options
Sebastian’s Bistro lunch menu features a variety of options – everyone should be able to find something to eat. I only include the appetizer, mains, sandwiches, and desserts menus here. You can see the rest of the menus, including drinks, on our other blog that discusses the many appetizers we tasted.
Because we were already eating so much food, we went light on lunch and shared the Crispy Avocado Bacon Burger on a gluten-free roll. As with most of the restaurants in Walt Disney World, Sebastian’s Bistro currently uses Udi’s rolls, which tend to be quite dry. We took one bite of the burger and then removed the roll. Chef James stated that they are working to get a gluten and egg-free roll from a local source soon.
The burger typically includes a crispy avocado that is deep fried and contains gluten. Instead, we swapped it out for fresh avocado. The bacon is cured with sugar and nitrates – I wish it was more paleo-friendly without the nitrates and sugar, hint, hint Chef James. The burger comes with chimichurri and Pico de Gallo sauces. The chimichurri sauce contains canola oil and caramel color for those who avoid those ingredients. It is made in a facility that processes many allergens, so be warned. The Pico de Gallo sauce has only one downfall for paleo and keto dieters – canola oil. The burger patty itself was extremely tasty. This is a dish I highly recommend if you are looking for a good burger at WDW.
Since the burger comes with either French fries, sweet potato fries, or jicama slaw, we swapped it out for the rice and beans. The fries are made in the same fryer as everything else – you cannot get them gluten-free. What is even worse to me is that the sweet potato fries contain a long list of ingredients. I would love for them to use fresh sweet potato slices and perhaps offer “baked” seasoned fries. The biggest problem with Sebastian’s Bistro is the tiny kitchen with only one fryer. The only negative to the black beans – you guessed it – canola oil. Same with the cilantro rice – and that is made in a shared facility, so be warned if dealing with an allergy issue. The jicama slaw contains sugar in the rice wine vinegar as well as canola oil.
The sustainable fish sandwich features cobia and is gluten-friendly when served on a GF bun. Chef James also highly recommended the Plant-based Banh Mi Sandwich. This is a vegan option that he says he thinks diners will enjoy. I am interested in going back and trying it sometime. The Island Curry “Eggless” Salad Sandwich is another vegan option. It is made with tofu, vegan mayonnaise (included canola oil and sugar), pea protein, and contains sweet potato, celery, and pink lady apples. I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Although my dining companion and Chef James are not fans, I thought it tasted good. While I would not want this in a sandwich, I did recommend to the chef to offer it as a stuffed tomato or on a salad plate. That I would buy.
The jerk chicken is the same seasoning and sauce as the wings, only using thighs for the entrée. The jerk seasoning on the chicken is gluten-friendly but it does contain sugar. Warning – the sauce contains sugar and soy (gluten). They will be getting in a gluten-free tamari soon. If you eat this dish without the sauce you should be fine. Of course, always speak with a chef before ordering.
If you opt for a salad, the Dijon vinaigrette can be made fresh using extra virgin olive oil rather than the canola/EVOO blend.
The Grilled Skirt Steak is a gluten-friendly option on both the lunch and dinner menus, and supposedly quite good. Due to the potential of cross-contamination, if you are gluten-free, instead of the crispy yuca, I recommend asking for a heaping serving of the marinated vegetable ribbons that they can make fresh for you using EVOO. Just swap out the rice wine vinegar (contains sugar) for balsamic vinegar if you avoid sugar. The combination of rainbow carrots, daikon, and celery in a lemon juice and olive oil mixture was tasty and refreshing. I could have eaten an entire bowl of them. You can see them here on our chicken wings appetizer.
Desserts at Sebastian’s Bistro
My favorite meal is dessert, and this was my only real let-down. The only two gluten-free dessert options were the Message in the Bottle and the Floating Island. For some reason, I do not have any information on the Mile Marker Zero Key Lime Pops. Of course, the Warm Chocolate Pudding and Banoffee Tart both contain gluten and are the two things I would likely love.
The gluten-free Message in the Bottle is a coconut-rice panna cotta with pineapple chutney and mango-lime sorbet. The presentation is lacking – it is not in a bottle. It would have worked if they could have found half bottles to use laying down. Having each aspect of the “message” in a progressive manner moving up towards the next of the bottle would allow for guests to enjoy the separate layers of the dessert.
The amount of coconut rice panna cotta on the bottom of the glass was not that much. You had to dig way down to get to it. It was topped with a pineapple chutney, the sorbet, a chocolate coin, and a white chocolate “rope or nest.” Separately, the individual flavors were interesting. Together, they did not work. The dish can be made dairy-free by eliminating the green chocolate nest or rope – whatever it was. The sheer amount of chemicals, sugar, and sorbitol in this dish eliminates it from a healthy diet. I would not order this dish again.
On to the Floating Island, a mix of fresh Caribbean fruit, meringue, and guava and guanabana sorbet. The presentation of this dish is delightful. The Floating Island is gluten-free and can be dairy-free by eliminating the Chantilly cream and “green” white chocolate spaghetti. Why it is on a floating island, I will never know, unless it is meant to be seaweed.
The fruit is delicious, the sorbets refreshing, but the meringue might break your teeth. It is virtually impossible to cut it with a fork or spoon. As it is such a major part of this dish, I recommend an overhaul. I would prefer the two sorbets as a sundae with the fruit topping. Of course, the sorbets themselves are not recommended for paleo or keto dieters due to the high sugar and chemical contents. I would much rather they purchase frozen mango that is ripe, put it in a food processor, and serve a refreshing 100% fruit sorbet. That would be the perfect end to a meal here.
I do recommend Sebastian’s Bistro lunch menu for a delightful change from theme park dining. The chefs will happily work with special diets and food allergies.
Please feel free to send us an email if you need to know more about any of the menu item ingredients.