One of the latest restaurant cum lounge options in Colombo is Clique. Located down Union Place, with loads of parking, their concise menu offers a wide variety of delicious dishes to choose from while offering a unique view of old and new Colombo.

Clique’s crunchy Chicken Karaage (Rs 800) was an interesting and delicious treat to start our meal while their juicy Beef Mushroom with Red Spicy Miso (Rs 650) was delectable too. If you love your sushi like me, go for their fabulously delicious Dragon Roll. It is spicy and filled with tempura prawns, avocado and Sriracha (Rs 950).

The Three Tiered Seafood Platter (Rs 2,500) at Clique was easily my favourite dish. It has a wow factor because of the number of items as well as how it is presented. The bottom tier consists of grilled salmon, tuna, calamari and jumbo prawn, the middle tier has delicious salmon sashimi and tuna sashimi along with two types of mussels while the top tier consists of salads, crudities and a combination of sauces and dips.

The Baroque style of the restaurant also creates for the unique and rich feel of the place. Even though it is a fine dining restaurant, the prices are not as over the top as you’d expect them to be. Like their juicy Rib Eye Steak (Rs 2,900). Our steak was served with a crunchy green salad and their famous Ultra Sonic Fries (which are crunchy on the outside and like mash potato on the inside!) You can opt for the following sauces to pour over that juicy steak of yours, namely Mushroom Sauce, Red Wine Reduction Sauce, Jalapeno Chimichurri Sauce or Salsa.

What seems to maintain the juicy texture of the steak is the way in which it is cooked. The steaks are cooked using the Sous-vide method which  seals the steaks in an air tight plastic bag in a water bath for a long period with the intension being to cook the item evenly while not overcooking the outside.  All their imported sous-vide steaks have a 40 minute preparation time. Before the steak is brought to you, a blowtorch is used to roast the outside. However, if you’d still like your steak to be grilled, you can certainly opt for it.  

The Clique Fusion Paella (Rs 2,500) makes for a filling option for dinner. The hefty portion is easily sufficient for two and instead of white rice, they use risotto, thus creating a unique twist to this famous Spanish dish. The paella is served with curried chicken, spicy grilled seafood and a combination of sauces. The soft and creamy texture of the risotto creates for a unique sensation on your tongue while you savour the dish.

The desserts at Clique I must admit are basic but can still fulfill a sweet craving. We tried out their Hot Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream (Rs 450) and the Vanilla Panna Cotta (Rs 550). The brownie was easily the better of the two.

Address:  505, Union Place, Colombo 7
Hours of operation:  Tuesday to Saturday 7pm to 3am
Dress Code: Smart Casual

Ratings:

Variety of food: 5 stars
Value for money: 5 stars
Cleanliness: 5 stars
Friendly staff: 5 stars
Parking: 5 stars
Toilets: 4 stars

By Natasha Fernandopulle
Pics by Kanishke Ganewatte