Sebastian’s Bistro Dinner Review [2024 Gluten Free & Food Allergy Options]
*This gluten free dining experience took place in May 2024. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut/tree nut, chicken/turkey & cabbage allergies.
Dinner at Sebastian’s Bistro
Sebastian’s Bistro, located at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, is a table service restaurant that we consider to be one a hidden gem of a restaurant at Walt Disney World. The family-style menu and price point also make it one of the best values for a hearty meal at Disney too. Recently, we had dinner at Sebastian’s Bistro for the first time in quite a while, so we were looking forward to our meal.
Atmosphere
Located at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Sebastian’s Bistro has a Caribbean inspired theme. It is located in its own building near Old Port Royale, where the main quick service restaurants and resort check-in are located.
Caribbean Beach Resort / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
It’s just a short walk from Old Port Royale to Sebastian’s Bistro. You’ll get great views of the resort, because the restaurant is located right on the waterfront. It’s a gorgeous area, especially in the evening time — and the perfect spot for an after dinner stroll.
Sebastian’s Bistro Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
While the exteriors and surrounding resort area is well-themed, we both agree that Sebastian’s Bistro itself is a bit light on the theming. Named after Sebastian from the Little Mermaid, you’ll see one large art print of Sebastian at the back of the restaurant — and the main dining room is just a bit bland. That isn’t to say it’s bad, but it is a little less themed than we would expect compared to the rest of the resort.
Still, you’ll find comfortable seating, and the restaurant is brightly lit with the sun coming in from the waterfront nearby.
The Food
What we really come to Sebastian’s Bistro is the food. The restaurant is owned and operated by Disney, which means they do have an allergy-friendly menu. You can also speak to a chef at any time to discuss options.
Sebastian’s Bistro Allergy-Friendly Menu (May 2024) / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On this visit, we did speak to Chef Fallon, who used to work at Sanaa many years ago. It was great to see her, and she was really helpful in navigating the menu with Brandon’s allergies, which require the menu to be modified a bit.
Sebastian’s Bistro - Allergy-Friendly Rolls & Salad / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
What I love most about Sebastian’s Bistro is how gluten free, dairy free, and allergy-friendly it is. Everything on the menu is either GFDF as is or can be easily modified. For instance, the salad and bread service is well setup for GFDF guests.
Up first was the Plant-Based Spice Necklace Salad with Mixed Greens with Spiced Candied Pumpkin Seeds, Tropical Fruit, and Radish with Key Lime Dressing. This salad is marked Gluten Free and safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Sesame, and Soy Allergies on the restaurant’s allergy-friendly menu.
The salad is always really good at Sebastian’s Bistro. I love the refreshing flavors, and the key lime dressing is SO flavorful. I especially like the spiced candied pumpkin seeds for some added crunch and texture. The tropical fruit on this has varied over time, and while the current version is OK, I do prefer some of the previous versions better.
The allergy-friendly bread service is another great option. This includes Bloomfield Farms brand allergy-friendly rolls along with a dairy-filled or Plant-based Guava Spread (depending on whether you can have dairy or not) and Caramelized Onion Jam. The is marked Gluten Free and the plant-based version is safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame, and Soy Allergies.
While bread service isn’t usually my priority of a meal, this one is not to be missed. The guava spread and onion jam both have unique flavors that are just so good and really make this bread service stand out.
Sebastian’s Bistro - Modified Salad / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Because Brandon is allergic to vegetables in the cabbage family, Chef Fallon made him his own custom salad with a lettuce mix that did not include kale. There is also a cross-contact issue for the candied pumpkins seeds with nuts, so that was omitted too. Overall, Brandon really loves this salad — mostly because of that incredible key lime dressing.
Sebastian’s Bistro - Gluten Free & Dairy Free Meat Platter / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For entrees, instead of getting one big family sized platter of meats, we were served separate platters to avoid cross-contamination. I was given the standard Taste of the Caribbean entree with Oven-roasted Citrus Chicken (not shown here but served on the side), Slow-cooked Mojo Pork with Mango Sambal, Grilled Chili-rubbed Beef with Mojito Relish, and Sustainable Baked Fish with Veracruz Sauce. This was marked Gluten Free and safe for Egg, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame, Shellfish, and Soy Allergies.
As always, this entree was a winner. Both Brandon and I think the mojo pork is our favorite of the meats, but the beef was really good on this visit too. Probably my least favorite of the dishes was the fish. It was a bit on the bland slide, so I might actually just skip this next visit.
As a side note, I didn’t order it, but you can pay an additional charge (currently $13) for a side of Crab and Seafood Cake with Tropical Mango Slaw and Guajillo Aïoli which is gluten free! It is also marked safe for peanut and sesame allergies. Our friend Gina from Gluten Free Disney World has ordered this and said great things about it.
Sebastian’s Bistro - Modified Vegetable Platter / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
We did get a shared platter of vegetables, which included Cilantro Rice and Beans and a sautéed vegetable medley, made of veggies that Brandon can eat. Typically, the restaurant will also serve a vegetable stew and sautéed veggies (right now broccolini). Both are Gluten Free and safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame, and Soy Allergies.
I’m pretty obsessed with the cilantro rice & beans. They have so much great flavor in them, and I have a hard time not wanting to eat every bit that we’re served. We also both really love the vegetable medley that we usually get. This version had butternut squash, peppers, and onions, but it varies sometimes on our visits. Both were great, and I honestly prefer the custom veggie medley over the regular veggie options served.
Sebastian’s Bistro Modified Meat Platter (Vegan “Fish” Cakes NOT Gluten Free) / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Brandon did get a modified Taste of the Caribbean entree, which included the Mojo Pork, Grilled Chili-rubbed Beef, and also the Plant-Based Caribbean "Fish" Cake. The plant-based “fish” cake is NOT gluten free and cannot be made GF, which is a bummer. But, if you’re dairy free & can have gluten, this might be a good option.
Brandon really loves the plant-based “fish” cake, which he’s had on several visits and raved about the meats he was served.
I did forget to get a photo, but for dessert we were served gluten free, dairy free & allergy-friendly vegan cupcakes. We got them to-go, because we were so full from dinner. The restaurant does also have a gluten free brownie right now (contains dairy). Dessert isn’t the restaurant’s strongest suit, but I love the seasonal cupcakes they serve — though I really do wish they would come up with a GFDF bread pudding like ‘Ohana now has! That would make this meal even more amazing.
Overall
We can’t say enough good things about Sebastian’s Bistro at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. The food is plentiful, delicious, and allergy-friendly, which we love. At $38 for adults and $20 for kids (ages 3-9), it’s a pretty good value as far as Disney “all-you-care-to-enjoy” style meals go. They definitely make sure you do not go hungry. The chefs at this location are always so helpful and accommodating too. Huge thanks to Chef Fallon for another great dinner at Sebastian’s Bistro. We can’t wait to go back again soon and definitely recommend this restaurant if you’re staying at Caribbean Beach Resort or enjoy this type of food.
Have you been to Sebastian’s Bistro for dinner? What was your experience dining there with special dietary needs?