Dijo

April 29, 2026

Bonjour from the picturesque Dijo rooftop bar & restaurant! Located at the top of the Mandrake in Westlands, Dijo is a contemporary French restaurant and gastro bar that serves unique French bistro cuisine, distinct cocktails and a stunning 360° panoramic view of the city.

As you step out of the elevator and into this expansive establishment you’re greeted by a myriad of vibrant colours and prints right from the doorstep. There’s a stunning waiting area by the entrance which makes for a great photo backdrop (I think that was their intention with that section). The Aztec red and white printed seats against the sage background and the pop of greenery… an instagrammer’s dream!

The place is quite spacious with various seating areas be it for 2, 3, 5, or even 12 people. I love that they have an area cordoned off specifically for large groups - they call it their family style dining table. A nice long dining table that can fit up to 15pax. Great for big groups of families, friends, work teams etc.

Dijo is stunning to say the least but as we know… we don’t eat ambience so let’s get to the main course here. I came here for dinner with a friend and had to make reservations beforehand. They do take walk-ins but due to its popularity they can’t assure you a table as easily especially on weekends - I’d highly recommend making reservations.

Our server Gladys was very accommodating and hospitable. We sat at a nice cozy couch at the corner which allowed us to watch the sun set as time passed by (book the couches by the corner for the best views!).

The menu is small but exciting. They focus on small plates to share amongst yourselves, tapas style. We tried a few items including: the Frenchy flatbread (KSH1100/), the bourguignon croquettes (KSH1100/), the ham & truffle croque monsieur (KSH1100/), the chicken cordon blue (KSH1700/) and the coffee crème brûlée (KSH800/) for dessert. For drinks we had the passion lemonade (KSH680/) and the bisou (KSH680/). Lemme talk about the drinks first - the passion lemonade is very refreshing if you’re more of a citrusy person while the bisou has a cranberry base so it’s more on the sweeter side. I enjoyed both but my friend preferred the passion lemonade.

The French flatbread was such a fun dish! It has a Camembert filling and is topped with honey glazed apples, chilli flakes and walnuts. If you’re not a cheese lover - I would stay away from this because Camembert cheese is really an acquired taste. But if you are a cheese lover like me with high-functioning lactose intolerance then this dish is for you (take the pills beforehand 😮‍💨) The flatbread was warm and soft to the tear, so delicious, oozing that creamy Camembert with a nice apple crunch to top off the savoury with a touch of light sweetness. Really enjoyed this dish.

The bourguignon croquettes are beef croquettes filled with slow-cooked beef in red wine and accompanied with a chilli mayo dip. These were also very delish. The chilli mayo came off a bit too salty though just fyi. The ham & truffle croque monsieur is basically mini ham & cheese sandwiches layered with truffle bechamel (a creamy sauce made with truffle oil/butter). The sandwich reminded me of a grilled cheese because it’s also coated with cheese on top giving it a nice crunchy crust (remember I said to take the lactose pills?). Is this a dish I’d pick again? No. Did I enjoy it though? Yes.

And last but not least of our main small plates was the chicken cordon bleu which as you know also has cheese and a tasty remoulade sauce mixed into the ham & cheese filling. The dish comes with a side of coleslaw and we ordered one portion of fries as well. I don’t think I’ve had chicken cordon bleu before but if I have I must have not enjoyed it because this was also just an okay dish. I think the filling was too much for me. They also don’t have ketchup so you’d have to dip your fries in the various condiments they make in-house because they don’t make their own ketchup either.

For dessert - the coffee creme brûlée was perfect! If I had to critique it I’d say the crust tasted slightly burnt, like more than usual which affected the taste of the crust very slightly but did not take away from the wonderful full bites that I had of that crème brûlée. I’m always ready for anything coffee - flavoured! It being presented in a cute metal martini glass made eating it even more delightful.

The service here was really good, Gladys made sure to check on us often and she was helpful in aiding our food choices too. I appreciate that they give you the Dijo contact card with a QR code on it leading you straight to their Google listing so you can review right there and then after your meal. Smart way of getting live and direct reviews.

The ambience as I said earlier is 10/10. A rooftop bar is never a bad idea and one as expansive as this one and with those views is great for a multitude of occasions i.e. date nights, happy hour, friend group hangs, birthdays, team dinners, anniversaries etc. It’s very versatile and that’s gonna help their longevity in the restaurant scene here. They are on the pricier side so plan accordingly before going.

Did I survive after eating all that dairy you may ask? Me writing this review right now is a testament to my very powerful lactose pills that did not fail me that day 😅