07/15/09

It's good if you want a 2.5 hour dinner, NOT JOKING!!!

by lovetoeat78

I've tried Ken Oringer's other restaurant Toro and it's one of my girlfriend's favorite restaurant. So we both gave it a try to see how it is. She had made reservation at 6:30 and we still had to wait at the bar for 30 minutes meanwhile we were both starving. So we finally got seated and we ordered a few plates. Seriously the wait is soooo long between plates that we both lost our appetite. There were plenty of waitstaff but apparently only 2 chefs. The portion was small and pricy. I spent $200 and I wasn't even full. And we dont even eat that much.

• Pros: The foie gras
• Cons: Everything else

10/29/08

Beautiful but lacking

by JSenkier

Had heard tons of things about this restaurant...and the chef. Beautiful presentation of the dishes but my dish-the salmon-was sincerely lacking, and my friend's skate fish was ok, not great. The restaurant itself is nice but small. We were very crowded, with other diners right next to us. And the bathroom is in the basement-very far away from the dining area. Wierd setup. Overall, not worth it.

02/13/08

One of the finest in Boston

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!

01/13/08

Product has no taste; beautiful plate presentation

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 entree 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.

07/02/07

Save your money

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

12/16/06

The highests level of haute cuisine and molecular gastronomy are executed under Ken Oringer's hand within Boston's historic Eliot Hotel.

by Eric Grossman

Chef/Owner Ken Oringer's nationally recognized dining room continues to attract the upscale masses. Super-attentive waitstaff sail across the leopard-skin rug. Alternatives to the expensive wine list are more affordable, inventive house drinks. You get the feeling you're eating out of a food magazine; all dishes look (and most taste) picture-perfect. Perfection comes at a cost though--prices are high and portions are small. Among the lengthy list of starters, the astounding marinated yellowtail and yellowfin with opal basil, ginger and garlic. Entrees include an immaculate cut of halibut swimming in a divine citrus-ginger broth. Desserts of the Blood Orange and Amaretto Capsule ilk conclude the satisfying, sumptuous repast.

Photo courtesy of Clio

02/22/06

One of the 5 best meals of my life...

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.

01/12/06

Past Due

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

11/06/05

expensive; not sure it's worth it

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.

11/03/05

Hype<results

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.