I contemplated titling this post: Clico Restaurant – the best meal of my life. But the truth is, I’ve been lucky enough to have some incredible meals in my life and while Clico is certainly one of them, I have yet to decide which one has been the most sublime.

What I will say without hesitation though, is that the Chicken Roulade I ate at Clico Restaurant, was the simply the best that has ever passed my lips. And it wasn’t the wine talking…

The beautiful glass dining room at Clico Boutique Hotel

Aless and I were invited to spend a night at Clico Boutique Hotel recently and eat our way through their tasting menu, and sample breakfast the next day. It’s wonderfully close to home, nestled amongst some beautiful trees in Rosebank, so we opted for a staycation and said ‘yes’, if only to give us the chance to catch up in between all the travelling that I had to do in July.

Clico’s definitive highlight is the food. Head Chef of Clico Restaurant, Marnus Scholly, delivers a superb set of tasting dishes paired with some absolutely beautiful wines and the combination was really a culinary sensation for us. I’ve often said that Joburg is severely lacking when it comes to fine dining and in particular tasting menus that allow a food journey for the patron, so it’s great to see this happening at Clico Restaurant on Chef Marnus’ menu.

Butternut Agnolotti served with a roast tomato sauce

We enjoyed six courses, plus the teaser amuse bouche, and it’s actually hard to say which course was a favourite. The Chicken Roulade I mentioned earlier was sensational, and it was unusually paired with a red wine, blowing the misconceptions of white meat and red wines out the water in one bite.

Similarly, the Impala Rump Tartare topped with a soft fried quail egg was a miniature version of this traditional dish that Aless and I both loved.

The six-course tasting menu costs R600 per person, plus an additional R150 per person for the very generous wine tasting.

The now renowned Chicken Roulade

Dark Chocolate Semifreddo – absolutely delicious!

Breakfast at Clico Restaurant

So after a ridiculous meal the night before, we weren’t starving for a big breakfast. Although it was tough, we managed to stomach some of the tasty breakfast options on offer. I chose the Croque Madame, and Aless chose the Eggs Benedict. It was always going to be hard to top that dinner, but the breakfast was great and I’d recommend it as an option if you’re looking for something a bit different that isn’t a typical Joburg restaurant.

A very generous Croque Madame

The Eggs Benedict may be presented simply, but it was perfection!

Our stay

I’ve really left this section until last, because for me the stay at Clico is not as much of a highlight as the food. In plain terms, Clico reminds me more of a great guest house than a boutique hotel. The rooms are ideal for business travellers: spacious, there’s strong WiFi, and each room has a small balcony that overlooks the pretty garden.

But the rooms just don’t have the warmth or the individuality of a boutique hotel, and Aless and I had an open plan bathroom with no toilet door – not the romantic ideal we had in mind. We could’ve requested another room, but I don’t like to seem picky and I believed that the staff could’ve been more intuitive to a couple staying the night on a weekend.

Our room at Clico Boutique Hotel (the open bathroom is to the right)

The garden at Clico is great, with all of the rooms looking out onto the pool and wooden deck

Would I choose Clico as a business hotel? Definitely! I wouldn’t book a weekend stay for a romantic getaway, but I certainly would book a meal at the restaurant, whether for a dinner for two or something bigger in the private, glass dining room.

My stay at Clico Boutique Hotel was by their invitation. As with all my posts, views are my own. Read more about the hotel here.

Looking for a nearby getaway? Check out Kievits Kroon Country Estate…