09/05/2019 First impressions are the most important, right? And the first one here is a warm Irish welcome from Patricia, the wife of German chef/patron Sebastian Pasch.
Sebastian is located in an 18th-century stone-built former stable, renovated to create this charming restaurant. We ate in the 16-cover dining room: a cosy candlelit space with a beamed ceiling and attractive stone walls. For alfresco dining there’s seating for 36 on the covered front terrace.
The à la carte menu changes every three months, offering Mediterranean cuisine (with some Asian hints) based on fresh, locally grown seasonal products. There’s also a menu of specials. Sebastian heads to Palma’s Mercat de l’Olivar; although he has trusted suppliers for most produce, he also likes to see what’s available on the market stalls.
We began with the starter ‘specials pan-fried scallops with sugar peas, kumquats and a blood orange emulsion, and a very good version of the classic Italian veal dish ‘vitello tonato’, served with tuna tartar and capers. From the à la carte starters – of which there is a decent selection – we ate pan-fried foie gras with raspberries, and Sebastian’s very popular lobster ravioli served with green asparagus spears. We enjoyed them all, but would have liked a larger portion of the scallop dish.
We ended the savoury part of our dinner with rack of lamb with a honey and rosemary crust and green beans. Succulent and flavourful, it was easy to understand why it’s become a house speciality.
Of the three desserts we tried we had two favourites: a superior fresh-tasting lemon meringue tartlet served with basil ice cream – number one for us – and the indulgent crème brûlée of Baileys and marinated cherries.
Wines here are mainly from the Peninsula and Mallorca, with a small showing from France, and a wine from Formentera.
The combination of Sebastian’s excellent cuisine (up there with some of the best on the island), the lovely Deià location, and Patricia and her service team, makes for a hugely successful restaurant.
Sebastian is open for dinner only, every night except Wednesday. It is usually open from March to the end of October.
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