Sebastian’s by Antonio’s: Basti Escalante puts his name on the door—and his reputation on the line

Sebastian’s by Antonio’s, the Group’s newly opened restaurant in Rockwell, Makati City, makes that distinction clear. When they first acquired the Rockwell property, the original plan was to open an elevated Breakfast at Antonio’s, arguably the safer choice. As they developed the space, they saw the opportunity to do something different. “That was when it became personal for me,” Basti admits. “I started thinking about restaurants I enjoy when I travel. They are not necessarily the grandest restaurants, but they are the places you find yourself wanting to return to again and again.”

Building a new concept is one thing; putting your name on it is another. “It definitely creates additional pressure,” he adds. “But once we decided to create something new, I felt it had to be genuine. If my name was going to be on the door, it needed to be somewhere I would actually want to eat.”

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Opened on September 15, Sebastian’s by Antonio’s is a relaxed, all-day-dining concept made to fit into your day: if you’re craving it, there’s a good chance it’s on the menu. From 7am to 12pm, they’re slinging breakfast favourites—crab eggs Benedict, smashed avo toast, ricotta pancakes, Filipino and Western breakfast plates, you name it—best enjoyed with daytime pick-me-ups such as the iced shaken espresso with cold foam and orange zest. For lunch and dinner, the kitchen, led by executive chef Arvie Christoper “AC” Agra, embraces the full gamut of classics. Think oysters, escargot, foie gras, roast lamb chops and duck leg confit; but also fish and chips, a burger, spaghetti Bolognese, pepperoni pizza, adobo and banana split.

For Basti, three dishes capture this spectrum best. First, Antonio’s steak tartare, an homage to the elegant heritage that built Antonio’s into the titan it is today. Second, Manang Myrna’s sinigang, as their household cook for nearly three decades would make it—an extension of their home. Finally, the steak frites, refreshingly straightforward with an emphasis on quality ingredients and meticulous execution. Refined, homey or uncomplicated: at Sebastian’s, they do not discriminate.

The surprise, for us, was the Antonio’s club sandwich, layered with egg salad, bacon and a fried chicken thigh. Every layer is toasted golden brown, yet the bread stays fluffy, and a swipe of pesto mayo lifts all that richness. It’s a reminder that the Group has never been one to serve a classic and leave it at that.

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“Sebastian’s is exactly the kind of restaurant I wanted in Manila,” says Basti. “I’m a much more casual diner, so I wanted somewhere you could have a proper breakfast, come back for lunch, have a steak and a bottle of wine at dinner, or drop by when you want something simple. Not every meal needs to be an event.” The aim, he says, is for Sebastian’s to accommodate all of those occasions without changing its personality: “Take the food seriously, but do not make the experience intimidating.”

When a meal does call for something special, Sebastian’s obliges. The mango jubilee is flambéed tableside with local Don Papa rum, the flame catching with a roar you can hear across the room. On weekends, a prime roast beef trolley does the rounds, carved to order and served with Yorkshire pudding, rosemary jus and the works.

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Basti wanted a place guests would return to; a week in, some weren’t even waiting a day, back for dinner after coming in for lunch. Tables were booked for weeks ahead, and on the Tuesday we visited, couples on dates sat alongside extended family gatherings and young parents with their children.

The restaurant’s interiors, designed by Tony Boy with architect Gigi Eala and lighting design firm CSLDI, likewise invite familiarity. Less formal than Antonio’s, the 50-seat dining room trades hacienda grandeur for walnut panelling, bottle-green tile and a gilded mesh ceiling. Solihiya chairs and jalousie-style slats keep the heritage references, minus the white tablecloths and chandeliers. When we complimented the space, Basti said it with pride, as though it hardly needed saying: “Of course, my dad designed it.” The terrace seats another 40, for those who wish to dine al fresco or prefer an even more casual experience.

As Tony Boy’s eldest son, Basti may seem to have had his path set in stone. But to say that he is simply following in his father’s footsteps is entirely reductive. “I have enormous respect for what my dad built, but the worst thing I could do is to try to become another version of him,” Basti says. “My dad created Antonio’s around his own idea of what a restaurant should be. Sebastian’s is probably the clearest example of me finding my own voice within that legacy. My dad understood that if Antonio’s reflected him, Sebastian’s had to reflect me.”

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One thing that Antonio’s and Sebastian’s have in common is an informed sense of place—something that will continue to guide the Group as it embarks on new projects. Antonio’s, nestled within a one-hectare property about a 90-minute drive from the metro, is the kind of restaurant you clear your day for, if not the weekend, to be transported away from your daily rhythms. Sebastian’s, located in the heart of the city, is primed to be part of your routine.

“Metro Manila operates differently,” Basti observes. “Here, you are much more involved in people’s everyday lives. Someone might come because they work nearby, live in the neighbourhood or want somewhere to meet friends after work. They are not necessarily planning an entire day around visiting you.”

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Another is their commitment to quality, and that extends beyond the plate. “There are countless decisions guests will never see, but over time they feel the difference when you start cutting corners, whether that is in the ingredients, the cooking or the way you take care of them,” he says. “Sebastian’s can be more relaxed than Antonio’s, but we cannot become relaxed about the standards behind it.”

Holding that line now falls to the Group’s new leadership team, as Tony Boy moves from daily operations into strategic oversight. Chef Agra’s brief, Basti explains, is not only to maintain the Group’s culinary standards but to “push us forward through innovation and develop the next generation of chefs.” Patricia Benedicto, director of brand and F&B, oversees concept creation across the portfolio, ensuring that whatever each restaurant’s identity, “the experience still carries the warmth, authenticity and quality people associate with Antonio’s.” Basti’s own focus is growth. “For me, business development means continuing to look for opportunities for our restaurant and retail concepts, particularly in Metro Manila, and thinking carefully about where and how the Group should grow,” he says.

“What excites me is that we are now asking a bigger question: What can Antonio’s Group become over the next 20 or 25 years?” he notes. “My dad gave us an extraordinary foundation. Our responsibility now is not simply to preserve it, but to build on it thoughtfully, so that as the Group evolves, people still recognise the care, quality and hospitality that made Antonio’s what it is.”

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