A Jozi girl loves a satisfying meal, close to home, on any day of the week and that’s just what Clico Boutique Hotel offers. This hotel and restaurant is a precious gem, nestled in the calm suburbs of Rosebank. It is a well-balanced mix of sophistication, relaxation and indulgence.
They are in the process of building a luxurious outdoor, Veuve Cliquot champagne garden. Which will offer us the perfect venue for brunch and bubbles this spring. But for now, we enjoyed an early dinner in their glass house styled restaurant, complete with roaring fireplaces and private dining area.
While the menu is small, each dish is perfectly presented, and well balanced. The considerate staff and management team make the experience something to look forward to coming back to. The plating is also a treat, these are dishes you will want to photograph and share with the world. We do eat with our eyes first
To start off with:
The meal starts off with a quartet of freshly baked, complimentary mini breads and a selection of flavoursome butters. Which included salted butter, garlic butter and spicy turmeric butter. All of which were delicious, soft, and warm to the touch.
Starters:
Beetroot cured salmon starter (R190)
Treat yourself to a beetroot cured salmon with textures of beetroot, and lemon curd. The popping pearls tasted like zesty pomegranate. This dish was citrusy, fresh, tasty, and very moreish. The salmon was fresh and well balanced against the tarte fruits and veggies it was paired with. A well-considered way to start the meal.
Squid starter (R140)
This was a pan-fried baby squid, set upon a warm black rice salad, finished off with a lobster bisque and onion tobacco. This dish was full of flavour and very comforting. The seafood was fresh, the squid heads crispy and lobster bisque was tasty, with the right balance of salt in it. The black rice made it fulling and delicious and helped soak up some of that delicious bisque in the bowl. After this great start to the evening, we were highly anticipating our mains.
Mains:
Lamb done three ways (R290)
Expect a trio of lamb offerings, including a slow cooked lamb rib, a lamb loin, and a lamb croquette. Accompanied by apricot and mint gel, roasted baby carrots and a jus. This dish was mouth-wateringly delicious. The portion was big enough to fill me up, which is great, as some fine dining experiences can leave you wanting a little something more. The croquette was quite spicy and had some chili in it, which I was not expecting. It was very tasty and enjoyable. The lamb loin was cooked to perfection and melted in the mouth, it was slow cooked and contained lovely flavours and spices. And finally, the lamb rib was so soft and buttery, it just fell to pieces off the bone. This was my favourite of the mains and a dish I would certainly go back to this restaurant for.
Beef fillet (R280)
Expect to tuck into 250g of wet, aged, beef fillet, set upon lyonnaise potatoes, accompanied by an almond, chili, and braised spinach, topped with red wine and onion marmalade and jus. The fillet was soft and succulent and very meaty, and the spinach was phenomenal. A poised dish that was well thought through, using appetising and seasonal local produce. The flavours and pairings just worked together to make for an enjoyable dining experience.
Desserts:
Summer berry pudding (R95)
Anticipate a summer berry pudding, mixed berry gel, berry macaroon, frozen white chocolate mousse, passion fruit and honeycomb ice cream. This was a dish consisting of known flavours but unexpected textures, which was exciting. It is always a treat when something tastes different to what you are expecting. The gel like consistency of this pudding was that for me. The dish was pert and zingy, the fruit was crisp, firm, and juicy and the ice cream was sweet and delectable. This was a deliciously discerning way to end off a phenomenal meal.
Chocolate done three ways dessert (R105)
You can bank on a flourless chocolate torte, frozen passion fruit, white chocolate mousse, passion fruit and a honeycomb ice cream with this dish. This was our favourite of the desserts. Especially if you are a chocolate lover. This dish was rich, chocolatey, and sweet. The bitter chocolate torte with the sweet honeycomb ice cream was delectable. A lovely way to finish off an enjoyable evening with loved ones.
If you are an out of towner, looking for a central spot to stay in while exploring the city of gold. Clico Boutique Hotel also offers rooms, a pool, conferencing facilities and it is just a stones’ throw away from the Gautrain station, Rosebank mall and busting Jozi eateries. This is a restaurant and / or hotel you will be visiting more than once, as we are confident, you will enjoy your experience here.
27 Sturdee Ave, Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa
(011) 252 3300
