Australian Gourmet Traveller - (04)April 2019 (1)

(Comicgek) #1
It’s the sort of venue that makes
you want to lean into the wine list, but
here, it seems like a little more time to
settle is needed. There are cocktails that
suit the setting, channelling the Spritz
and favouring Spanish and South
American booze like pisco and Sherry.
And there’s a decent all-Spanish list
of vermouth, enough tequila to satisfy
tequila fans, and some good, well-priced
wines – the super dry, elegant Aizpurua
Txakolina, for instance, will never make
you unhappy. But in a restaurant with
a name like this, you’d expect to see
less malbec, more cava, and you might
wonder why there are six tempranillos
in such a compact space.
There are occasional hiccups with the
food, too. Leek and béchamel croquetas
are surprisingly bland, and a snapper
ceviche is too wet, the fish suffering
under an onslaught of grapefruit,
watermelon, yoghurt and chilli.
Still there’s no faulting the foie gras
pintxo, a carnivore’s sweet symphony

of French foie wrapped in eye fillet,
skewered, char-grilled and dressed
with salt and honey. Yes, please.
Lamb rump is simply and effectively
presented, grilled and flavoured with a
zesty mix of sumac, lemon and coriander.
Flounder, meanwhile, smoky
from the grill, is served whole in
crowd-pleasing style, and arrives with
fried butter beans and a paste-like
sauce of anchovies, onions, white
wine and burnt butter.
There’s a good whole eggplant, too,
smoked to the point of soft surrender
and accompanied by decent baba
ghanoush and a well-judged, acidic
à la Grecque dressing.
The best thing Sebastian does is
show you a good time. Personable
young staff, brilliant water views, pretty
architecture and a menu that has your
best interests at heart all come together
to prove the “sum of its parts” rule.
For those in the east, now’s a good
time to go west.●

Details

Sebastian
26 Esplanade,
Williamstown,
(03) 9088 8989,
sebastianbeachgrill.com
Licensed
CardsAE MC V EFT
OpenMon-Fri noon-late,
Sat-Sun 9am-late
PricesPintxos $3.50-
$7.50, entrées $15-$22,
main courses $28-$38,
desserts $12-$15
VegetarianThree
pintxos, one entrée,
one main course
NoiseLively
Wheelchair accessYe s
MinusAn occasional
dish lets the team down
PlusLocation,
location, location

Basque mussels
with aïoli
and lemon.

GOURMET TRAVELLER 41

Melbourne review


PHOTOGRAPHY RHIANNON TAYLOR.

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