There may have been some confusion amongst the three of us as to the actual name and location of Sean’s Panaroma, but bless or summer frocks we all knew what we meant and arrived at our intended destination on time.
Sean’s is fairly painless to get to by public transport: train to Bondi Junction, bus to Campbell Parade, and then a short stroll in the sunshine along the panorama of Bondi Beach.
As my fellow diners have mentioned, we were ushered through the back of the restaurant, past the kitchen, where staff scuttled past, before being seated in the distinctly less hectic dining area. There is an untroubled cosiness to Sean’s that extends from the décor to the relaxed staff and even to the questionable muzak that filters through conversational lapses.
I shall skip over the warm malt scrolls and organic butter, the hot-from-the-oven cracked wheat bread dipped in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt flakes, the refreshing Pebble Creek sparkling water and get straight to the really good stuff.
In the spirit of indulgence I ordered the duck liver pâté for my entrée. The scoop you see here tastes as smooth as it looks. If the thought of a small fist of pâté fills you with dread rather than gluttonous glee, I would diplomatically suggest the plate be shared between two or three. If, however, you have a weakness for sumptuous paste smeared over warm, soft, crunchy pulled bread with a drizzle of sweet and sour onions to temper the pâté – a serving for one is a plate of pleasure.
My main was simple fare. After the decadent pâté and a delicious serve of Barramundi the day before at Café Sydney, I opted for the linguine with shredded arugula, lemon, chilli and parmesan. According to GourmetSleuth arugula seeds were used in Roman times to flavour oils and it is apparent in this dish how the greens work with the oils and juices to create a zesty combo. I enjoyed this uncomplicated main, it was particularly fresh and accompanied by the Krinklewood 2007 Semillon wine was not as heavy as anticipated. This course meant I had space to further indulge in dessert…
Of the trio of temptations chalked on the menu boards I selected what I considered to be the lightest – blackberry jelly with honeycomb ice cream. The jelly was tangy whilst the ice cream was, well, creamy. The slippery and the smooth were well balanced with the honeycomb bits and thin biscuit that crumbled atop.
I enjoyed my foray to Sean’s: I’d recommend it for entertaining overseas (or even interstate) guests and I think it has a certain weekend charm, so would return for a laidback lunch in the future.
Food: 4 spoons
Service: 4 spoons
Atmosphere: 4 spoons
Overall: 4 spoons
Bookings? 1-2 weeks in advance
Sean’s Panaroma, 270 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach
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