A new eatery for all: Bonfire, cigar and sheesha bar

Clique Café opens up a new venue for quiet exclusive dining.

ISLAMABAD: The capital city saw a new eatery emerge in F-7/2 this weekend. This hidden place opens up a new venue for quiet exclusive dining. With an outdoor bonfire garden for a chilled-out evening with family and friends and a sheesha bar, the café offers fine dinning with a fresh take.

The simple yet an edgy modern decor of the place sets the perfect mood for an intimate meal. The candelabra styled chandeliers bathe the interior with soft candle light reflecting upon the wooden tapestry, giving a very cosy feel to the place.

The café is attracting throngs of young high school and college students in search for a more exclusive place to hang out. Zainab Zaman, a BBA student and freelance photographer, said, “The place is elegant and posh and doesn’t attract a tacky crowd.” A popular comment seemed to be that “the place gives a very raw effect, nothing flashy but yet glamorous”.

Rimel Afghani and Madiha Masood have started this joint venture to attract the people of Islamabad to a new taste to dining. With a cigar lounge and a cupcake bar – that seemed to be the talk of the party – the hostesses seemed to have gotten it right and have provided something for everyone.

Islamabad’s elite enjoyed some great food sample along with a great evening with friends around a fire or in the cosy dinning area.

Expressing her support for the project, a government analyst Simbal Khan said, “I am delighted to see the youth of Islamabad immersed into the social scene and trying to improve it on a daily basis.” The menu is casual and different and the place is filling in a nice niche. “It is a fantastic cuisine,” she added.

As there are more second-generation residents emerging in Islamabad now – who have been born and raised in the city – they are able to expose Islamabad to a different style of socializing.

With the advent of more restaurants like Clique Café, food enthusiasts are being introduced to the fusion cuisine that is mostly seen in international restaurants like Buddha Bar or Ninja in New York.

Introducing Hot Pot with French bread and world renowned Sausage Bangers, the eatery is bound to attract foodies to try these new dishes on the block.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2010.