The first time I encountered Sansibar was in fact not through food, but through a pair of slippers. Turns out Sansibar is a whole brand of stuff – including condiments, apparel and a restaurant. Several years ago I spied a pair of slippers perfect for winter (more like comfy ballet flats for at-home) with the Sansibar logo and have been wearing them comfortably for the past 3 years. Only last year did my parents come home raving about an oven-baked ocean perch that they shared at this restaurant called Sansibar. This year I managed to try it out for myself.
To reach Sansibar you have to cross these sand dunes. Just kidding – there is a sandy road for you to walk through the impressive, vegetation-covered landscape to get to the restaurant building. A few steps further and you’ve reached the beach. The restaurant is huge, with ample outdoor dining space as well as indoor. The menu is also extensive, but it’s always good to go for the daily special (in this case, they covered an entire A4 page). First, we were given a small bowl of salad with a light vinaigrette and some bread to start.
As usual I couldn’t pass up having the Chanterelles with pasta (€15). This time the dish was served quite differently to how I had it a few days ago at the Sturmhaube. The pasta was thicker, more like pappardelle, with a generous portion of shaved parmesan cheese on top giving the mushrooms a strong flavour. There was also less sauce than last time – I guess this allows you to eat your pasta in a tidier manner without slurping and splashing around. Personally, I preferred this stronger taste, but The Mother liked the dish at the Sturmhaube more. Another German staple is Flammkuchen, which doesn’t actually have an English name. Known as Tarte flambée in French, it is a effectively a very thin and crispy pizza traditionally topped with cheese and speck. At Sansibar I had Flammkuchen with three types of cheese, bacon and rocket (€11). The pastry was so crispy and brittle it reminded me a little of puff pastry. Very tasty, but also slightly decadent with all those cheeses molten together.
The Father went for a Whole Ocean trout with mustard sauce and oven-baked potato (€22). The whole fish looked very impressive served on a large platter (below you have The Father’s medium-sized hand for size comparison). The meat was so delicate it fell off the bone and tasted so fresh, as if they had caught it from the sea that very morning (they probably had). It’s good to keep the focus on the fish with such a dish, keeping the sides to a minimum – only a potato, some sour cream and mustard sauce. This meal could easily be shared by two as well!
A quick walk down to the beach before dessert – it was around 20 degrees, so not overly warm and the beach wasn’t too full. Such lovely blue skies though, contrasting the green-blue of the sea. For dessert we shared the ‘Dessert triology’ (€12) – it includes a creme brûlée and two other surprises prepared by the chef. In our case we had vanilla ice cream with strawberries and caramelised olives, and a lovely soft and light chocolate mousse with raspberries.
We sat there well into the late afternoon, soaking in the sun and enjoying the surrounds. With a large playground to entertain the kids and a beach, I can easily imagine staying there an entire day! They even serve breakfast! What is also amazing about Sansibar is that, even though they produce large quantities of food all throughout the day, the quality never suffers. The service (mostly consisting of young waiters) is also attentive and accommodating. Not to be missed if you are ever in Sylt.
Sansibar
Hörnumer Straße 80
25980 Rantum
Sylt, Germany
http://www.sansibar.de/
Follow me on instagram!
