Cleo, a Los Angeles restaurant by the SBE Group, is nice yet not too fancy, and chic yet relaxed. The restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine right off of Hollywood Blvd, and has sister locations in Las Vegas, South Beach, and Baha Mar. A restaurant with spots in the United States’ “wildest” cities suggests an overly-sceney restaurant with mediocre food, but I’m happy to report this is NOT the case at Cleo. I had the opportunity to go to the restaurant and I was thoroughly impressed at how NOBREAD friendly it was!…
Not only were the waiters well-versed in gluten allergies, but they carried cards which noted the kitchen’s GF items. The cards didn’t stop at gluten! Dairy allergy and nut allergy cards were also on-hand, providing diners with a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience. To start, you have to order some of the vegetable appetizers and kebabs. The dishes at Cleo are tapas style, and perfect for sharing. My friend and I ordered the artichokes with lemon and the cauliflower with vandouvan and cashews; both were awesome! To round out our veggies, we also ordered the Brussels sprouts with capers, almonds, parsley, and red wine vinagirette. Before heading to LA, one of my friends told me that the Brussels sprouts at Cleo were the best Brussels sprouts in the city… and I think she’s right! The sprouts were perfectly roasted and marinated in the red wine vinaigrette. To add some protein to our meal, we ordered the grilled octopus and garlic shrimp. The dishes were filling, and I highly recommend them for all of the seafood lovers out there. Other NOBREAD appproved orders include the kebabs (all except for the beef kebab) and the grilled daurade (the restaurant’s most popular seafood entree). Unfortunately there was no gluten free bread at the restaurant, so the popular flatbreads were off-limits.
I loved my night at Cleo; I went on a Monday so the scene was very tame, but I’d love to go back on a weekend night and check it out again. I mean… I don’t know how long I can go without those Brussels sprouts… so it’s safe to say I’ll be back in again soon!