Circus

Decided to take an old friend out for dinner and headed to Circus for a lively, entertaining meal.

With Circus, I know exactly what to expect – great entertainment, a loud and buzzy atmosphere, great drinks, decent food and above all a great evening out. Circus has previously been slated for the dire quality of its food, but as I understand it they changed their kitchen team fairly recently with a new head chef and now the food offering is of pan-Asian descent. I don't want to use the term ‘fusion’ because it is such an easy title to put on food that doesn't know where it's from!

Circus doesn't pretend to be the last word in gastronomy, nor would anyone reasonably expect the restaurant to be rivalling Zuma or Asia de Cuba in its pan-Asian offering. However, Circus did surprise me with the quality of their food which was well cooked, treated delicately where required, and full of flavour. Some items, the miso cod in particular, were over seasoned a little, but at no point did I feel like I couldn't eat the dishes in front of me. Their dim sum selection was lovely, as were the soft shelled crabs. Fillet of beef on hot stones was tender, succulent and well seasoned. The aforementioned miso cod was perfectly cooked but overdone on the miso. Small things, and taken on balance with the rest of the evening, not at all that important.

Their entertainment acts were fantastic. Best act by far was the drag-queen singer who did a fantastic job of embarrassing those lucky (or unlucky) enough to be sitting at the main table.

Service was as entertaining as the acts – this isn't fine dining service, nor should one expect it to be. Instead, the staff are supremely friendly, like having a bit of fun and a laugh, and at the end of the day looked after us really rather well. Yes, the service can be a bit sporadic but in truth there are some restaurants where customers should just relax and go with the flow. The drinks were very good, with a guava/coconut cocktail being the highlight.

Value for money? Well, if it was just the restaurant being taken into consideration, then you could say that Circus is expensive for what you get. However Circus is much more than just a restaurant, and for a damned good night out with a lot of laughs in a totally unpretentious environment, Circus is above average value for money and a true destination venue in London.

Hidden behind subtle black doors, you would walk straight past this place if you didn't know about it. Behind the doors is a very interesting restaurant. The food is top quality and the entertainment was ok. We went for the pre-theatre menu which was descent value but we didn't get to see many of the acts. The drinks are very expensive and even with the pre-theatre menu the bill still came to 50pounds each. Not such good value for money…

This restaurant is hands down the worst place I have ever had the misfortune to eat in. Circus labours under the misapprehension that it is a trendy eaterie, and that people will ignore the poor service, food and atmosphere, because of this, but it is actually incredibly naff. The night that we went, a Saturday, the diners were 95% women who looked mainly to be on office and hen nights out from out of town. The ‘performances’ are also incredibly poor at Circus: the restaurant schedules in 15 minute acts every hour or so but, otherwise, you are left to your own devices. The owners have tried to create a painfully trendy environment but actually it's just painful: you sit in a near darkened, windowless bunker and scream over music more suited to a Romford nightclub on a Tuesday night. The food is no better than you can get on any high street – just marked up at twice the price. The service is some of the most appalling I have ever witnessed. There isn't room enough in this forum to share the full horrors with you but I will shre some edited highlights: as we sat down our waitress said, “Just to warn you, you'll need to be out in 2 hours.” I'm well aware of London's dreaded table tipping policy but, as a party of 8 sitting down to dinner on a Saturday night, I don't need it shoving down my throat. Come dessert, my friend was told in no uncertain terms that he could not order a certain dessert because “you don't have enough time – it takes too long to bake and you need to be out in 10 minutes.” After being hurried out, a friend retrieved her bag from the cloakroom: the attendant had cellotaped a tag to her leather bag, she then proceeded to tear it off and rip the leather…Another friend who was witing for her was spoken to by a burly bouncer (why bouncers in a restaurant? It makes you wonder) as if she was a drug addicted shoplifter: “What are you doing waiting here? Get out of the way.” So, in summary, I am thrilled to inform you that Circus is the WORST RESTAURANT I HAVE EVR BEEN TO. All 8 of us now like to think of it fondly as the Fawlty Towers of London restaurants. I beg, nay implore you, to never eat here. Awful on so many levels.

Having been to the “circus” website, the idea of having a fun filled evening to entertain our clients seemed great.
On arrival the night seemed promising as we were welcomed by a ring master fluttering a fan about mysteriously revealing his painted face . We were escorted to our table, everything so far was OK. We then ordered our drinks and food, hoping to at least get our drinks before the meal arrived. But in effect they arrived about 15-20minutes after we had ordered them and came with the food. To be honest wasting my time writing this review is a waste of time, just don't go. Our waitress was cheeky verging on rude at some points. The entertainment was utterly underwhelming, the expectation of anything fun happening was very quickly shattered after having to wait about 30minutes before our first act that lasted maybe 3 minutes (the only redeeming fact was that she was vaguely attractive). The food was “OK” but incredibly over priced. The most entertaining and talked about part of the evening was everybody's first trip to the loo. The atmosphere was that of a drunken northern hen party. A cheap (well not in price) tourist attraction , that will always have punters, so returning customers is not a priority.

Who is writing these positive reviews? Circus is terrible. It's that typical naff over-priced central london gimmick joint that designed to be opened, hyped and then sold in a year (opened in January 2010). Go to Covent Garden square or any street entertainer, literally any street entertainer and you'll have a better time. Sit in a room with everyone you hate from work chuntering about tea-cups and their miserable lives and you'll have a better time. If you want burlesque go to Volupte or somewhere else.

If you like Pixie Lott rather than the Pixies you'll like Circus. If you think the Daily Mail is a really good paper just telling it like it is, go to Circus. If you think Come Dine With Me is the acme of fun and sophistication go to Circus and NEVER leave, please.

I organised a night out at Circus for my company's summer party. We are a small company so all of us fitted on to the “Stage Table”. Whilst organising the event my contact Becky could not have been more helpful, she was aware of our budget and suggested options for our needs. We went for the sharing menu (£50 per head), one of my colleagues was allergic to one of the ingredients on the menu which was removed for us and told of some of the dishes that she should not eat under the chef's instruction.

I was welcomed at the door by very friendly staff and was introduced to a host who would be in charge of our table all evening. We were greeted by a glass of champagne and the first of the nights entertainment. All of the entertainment was brilliant, very varied and with the lights and music (even the kitchen shutters were pulled down so that the noise did not interfere) there was a real show quality and atmosphere with all of the performances being a good length and showing an outstanding amount of skill, te same 3 acts were repeated throughout the night, which was the only downside.
Being on the stage table the entertainment happened in between our courses, glasses were moved to the sides and the performance happened there in front of us on our table…first class seats…this is the place to sit!

The food was outstanding, the best sharing menu I have ever had. There was more than enough food to go around, and everyone was full after 4 courses. The sharing menu is extremely varied with something there for everyone…the steak in particular was amazing.

Our drink was limited to beer and wine to help us stick within our budget (which we did), the house bottles of wine are not cheap at a glance, but the wine is of very good quality (we went through 25 bottles of it).

The service was impeccable, our dedicated member of staff was always there and could not do enough for us…even to fetching us when the next bit of entertainment was starting if a few of us were outside to smoke. We never felt rushed with food and was there dancing on our table until 1am!

Circus is not a cheap night out, but DEFINITELY worth the money, we had an amazing evening and it'll take alot to beat!

It’s easy to walk straight past Circus on Endell Street, Covent Garden, if you’re not paying attention. There’s no big top entrance, or street entertainers juggling or hula hooping outside. In fact, there’s nothing to betray the entertainment that awaits within, only a polite doorman who ensures you have the correct destination and bids you a pleasant evening as you enter a short corridor with a cloakroom at the far end, guarding the main doors to the restaurant and cocktail bar.

Since opening in January 2010, I’ve walked through those main doors on two other occasions. My guest for this particular evening had never seen what lies beyond the cloakroom. Her interest was immediately peaked by the Californian-sounding model attendant who took our coats and led us through to the main dining area with its catwalk showpiece table that doubles up as a performance stage.

Aware that the circus-style performances wouldn’t begin until after 8pm, I encouraged a visit to the bar before we settled down to eat. Circus’ bar cocktail list is designed by Henry Besant and the Worldwide Cocktail Club – the team responsible for the bars at Bungalow 8 and Notting Hill’s The Lonsdale. It’s a short but encyclopedic menu of cocktails from which my companion chose a Kumquat & Almond Caipirinha. Unable to decide, I asked the barman to surprise me with a bourbon-based creation. I already knew my drink would taste amazing however it was created so the requested surprise must have been its brink pink coloration when poured into a martini glass.

For dinner, I had the special of marinated steak in a tiger prawn and chorizo dressing whilst she opted for the cajun sea bass (I would have opted for the highly recommended 24 hour slow roasted beef short ribs if the special hadn’t changed my mind). For starters we shared baby squid and chicken and prawn satay skewers. The Circus menu is Pan-American (just like almost all the staff) and, just as on both my previous visits, the baby squid and steaks are divine perfection.

The first indication that a performer is about to take to the stage is the open kitchen’s shutters going down along with the lights. If you’ve timed your food order correctly this will coincide with the end of each course. If not, then it’s a straight choice between melt-in-the-mouth steak in the dark or an aerialist, performing on a hoop above the catwalk table.

On each of my previous visits the performances have been different so you never know what to expect. On my first mid-week visit, we stayed all night and witnessed the acts grow ever-more burlesque as the evening draws on. This time however was a Friday night and the DJ was playing more to the bar crowd than the diners who wished to talk. So after a hula-hoop girl, a fire-dancer and the aerialist, we settled the bill, saved our vocal chords and made our escape.

Thankfully, with Circus now catering for weekday and weekend brunch menus and quieter mid-week sittings, there are better times to plan a visit to ensure you get the full performance and dining experience in Covent Garden’s unique cabaret restaurant. The popularity of this particular Circus has ensured that it’s not about to leave town any time soon.

The restaurant is not marked from the outside – hidden, discrete entrance, as long as you know it is number 27, you will find it, however.
Enter and there is a short corridor with a cloakroom and reservation check desk. When you enter the restaurant, you will feel like you are entering a 70s disco era – very cool, lots of disco balls everywhere and sparkle. Decoration is great and adds to the ambience – check out the toilets, quite matrix-esque.
Food is unusual to what you tend to find in London – I would call it Southern American with a twist. Good variety and probably a change to what you eat normally at an “American” -cuisined place. Very tasty and good sized portions. I rcmnd the side sauces. Food came very quickly.
Service was smiley and friendly but slow – took a long time to take any orders (drinks, food, desert) and then took 30 mins to bring the bill, which is fine if you're sitting enjoying yourself, but a pain if you want to leave. Just keep on the waiting staff's case about bringing it.
At hourly intervals after a certain time, the central long table becomes Cirque-du-Solei-esque and when we there, there was a contortionist and then a snake-charmer woman, which is a bit not-so-much for me when mixed with food. If you're not into this, request to NOT be on the central long table when booking. Restaurant seemed to turn into a bar after about 9.30pm with a younger crowd (<25). Would rcmnd for an ambient experience and good food.
Good for a date or with a group of friends.

I celebrated my 30th Birthday here on a Saturday, and once seated we were told by the female waiting staff ‘You need to order now we want the table back at 9pm’ incredibly rude, as we knew we had the table from 7-9pm. We chose one main course only, as that is the only time we had! The food overall was good, although my medium steak was a little burnt, my friends dishes were nice, but not worth the £16+ price tag plus sides.
The Circus acts were interesting, the flexi girls were great, but the Brazilian dancers were a little odd, seeing as it was a circus theme.
Overall ok to try once, but I and my friends will not be going back

Visited last weekend. Whole experience was fabulous from the moment of arrival. A large group of us were booked into the restaurant, and although at times this could have been problematic, the service was exemplary, and the staff kept smiling.
Dinner and drinks were great. We started with a punch bowl between 15 of us which was great fun and really tasty. The entertainment was quirky and interesting – completely unique. Great fun for a celebration. We hung outin the bar after dinner and ended up dancing on the huge table until the early hours. What fun!

Disapointed after all the hype.

I had dinner with a few girlfriends on Saturday evening and it was a let down after reading great reviews. When I booked I was told there was short snippets of entertainment throughout the night. We were there for 2.5 hours and only had a short performance from a women on a swing. Which was really good but I was glad she wasn't directly above my table from a viewing perspective. Food was nice BUT nothing special. Service left a bit to be desired. Our waitress was functional not pleasant and rushed drinks and food orders. I was told when I made the reservation we could sit in the lounge after dinner but then after having to try track down someone to take a drinks order we were asked to move to the bar as there was a party of 80 arriving in the lounge. The bar was packed with people waiting for tables so we eventually decided to leave. I'm only glad I wasn't the couple who arrived as we were leaving. Circus reception serves as a cloakroom so if coats are being collected noone can check in. The couple attempted to enter the restaurant and were told by the doorman. WAIT for the ladies on reception. He also sent a few people tried to reenter after a cigarette to wait for ladies on reception. Nice!