Clio

02/13/2008 Posted by misterlyle

I was a little nervous about the quality since it is a hotel restaurant, but I learned quickly there was nothing to worry about. Our service was a little slow at first, but became quite attentive after I politely requested to put in our order. The waiter made some good recommendations and was well versed on the menu. The food was incredible! To start, I had the Lacquered Foie Gras which was nothing short of amazing. I would have this every night if possible. My main dish was the Butter Basted Lobster which again was a decadent and delicious choice, much enjoyed. I had been previously told the portions were small, but I saw nothing to convince me of that and was feeling very full from these two dishes and was contemplating not ordering dessert. I would have totally missed out! I had the crunchy salty Chocolate mousse with coconut sorbet and was again very impressed. The meal overall was extremely good, well worth the hefty price tag. Also, I should mention the wine list was several pages long with a wide selection that was impressive. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone and consider it one of my new favorites in Boston. Other restaurants I like are Excelsior, L'Espalier and Locke-Ober, in that order. Excelsior is still my favorite(sorry Clio) but Clio is an excellent place to dine!

01/13/2008 Posted by alainm

Like too many French gastronomic restaurants in the US, Clio focuses solely on the presentation of the plate and the quality of the service… missing the essential which is the quality of the raw material. The beautiful colors and the elegant cuisine modern type of presentation can’t hide the fact that the product has no taste. The terrine de foie gras was flabby with not only the texture of a pate but also its taste… same atmosphere unfortunately for the entrée and the dessert. What I find sad reading the critics here is that not many seem to care that less and less gastronomic restaurants focus on finding a great product and emphasizing its flavor as opposed to trying to hide it. This is the reason why I have decided to write a message, my first-time message ever on a website.

07/02/2007 Posted by gmsbell

It's incredible how a mediocre restaurant like Clio can gain such a wonderful reputation. Maybe their technique of piling small amounts of food vertically on your plate makes diners think they are having a gourmet experience. Or maybe it's the trendy crowd, all dressed in black, making you think you're dining with the beautiful people. In any case, you can wait months for a reservation, spend a king's ransom, consume a completely unmemorable meal (except that it looks terrific) and then stop at Wendy's on the way home so that you don't go to bed hungry.

Pros: fashionable dining experience

Cons: worst value for the money in Boston

02/22/2006 Posted by cyberdoggie

Every so often a dinner becomes enchanted. Clio won me over with incredible food and stunning service. I am reluctant to expound on the virtues of the 14 tasting menu courses since I don't want to ruin the surprise for people. There's no detailed menu they are willing to show you describing the tasting menu -- just a smile and a promise that you'll be delighted. At $125 w/o wine, you've got to trust the restaurant. The 'liquid ravioli' is to die for. The olive oil poached salmon melts in your mouth. My advice. Trust them! Everyone at the restaurant, from the moment you walk in and are greeted by the lovely Brooke, the bartender who mixes an amazing kalamansi martini topped with a dash of cayenne (A MUST TRY), to the impeccible (and wry) waitstaff, everyone is sharp and on. Dine here.

01/12/2006 Posted by atlanticart

Shortly after opening, I went to Clio and had THE MOST amazing meal and experience; however, my opinion has changed. The food was still very good but the service -- not the wait staff -- but the kitchen was egrious. There were VERY long gaps between courses of 45 minutes to an hour. When we complained to the manager, he was extremely arrogant and told us our opinion was not that of their other patrons. I will credit them for offering a gift certificate to use on a return visit. A year later, we haven't bothered.

Pros: Food

Cons: SLOW service

11/06/2005 Posted by yk8746

the food is excellent, but i don't know if the entrees merit the $35+ price tag. the staff is very courteous and informative, the ambience is romantic, the noise level can get a little high at times (it was 7 pm saturday night when i went) but it's bearable, and the prices are steep steep steeeeeep. i enjoyed the appetizers more than i did the entrees (the foie gras is a must). if your focus is on experiencing culinary ingenuity and quality, then clio is your place. if you want a satisfying dinner, then look elsewhere.

11/03/2005 Posted by terry6665

I try to eat at the best in every city I visit, but many times the over all results are not what I expect. Many times it seems that resturants go "past prime" and live by their history. So it is with this place. My biggest complaint was with the total lack of privacy at our table, very high cost and small and not to good of food(for the price). I'm not cheap, but expect value. Try the Asian place next door. Better.

04/17/2005 Posted by thomasb

Ken Oringer is absolutely a genius. I agree with Zagat calling him a God. The food combinations, presentations, and flavors were so unique, they reminded me of a mixture of restaurants in Spain, Paris and New York. It is nice to see that someone is willing to break away from the pack and serve such exciting food. The service was friendly and efficient. I highly recommend Clio. Don't forget to check out Uni the sashimi bar. A great place to go on a Sunday evening for a plate of raw fish and drink their famous cocktail Enter the Dragon.

Pros: delicious, creative, friendly

03/15/2005 Posted by nikkijac

My boss was on a business trip to Boston and I made a reservation at Clio. Credit card was taken and reservation confirmed, only to be called the next day and told that I needed to reduce the number in my party. They had booked two big parties and apparently my the size of my bosses party was not something that would work for them any more. I arrange many entertainment / business dinners and when people from our company are in Boston Clio's will be the last place I try.

03/10/2005 Posted by kennykernick

Clio offers over priced food that doesn't quite live up any standards. Service was posititely awful and cemented our pledge never to return. Despite having a reservation, we were seated 45 minutes late. We had to stand to finally flag down a server to even get beverages. Our meals were lukewarm when finally delivered and not quite what we had ordered. The filet was mediocre in quality and the fish seemed as if it had smelled better days. Save your money, save your time, save your effort and head elsewhere if you want a decent meal or beter.

Pros: other choices nearby

Cons: Bad Food, Poor Service, Obnoxious prices