Circus (Bar, Restaurant)

Roll up, roll up! The Circus has arrived in Covent Garden. But you can forget any preconceived notions of gaudy costumes, dancing elephants and large men in top hats - this is out-and-out glamour all the way.

Arriving at Circus, I immediately had that nice, smug sensation of ‘invite-only’ – in fact, the whole place is very much like a private members’ club. The entrance is very discreet. So discreet, in fact, that we walked straight past the dark, unmarked doors. Walking down the long, mirrored corridor to be greeted by the über-glam hostesses, I got the impression the venue is going for a more East-London feel. It’s rather out of place in tourist-central Covent Garden (no bad thing – it’s about time ‘midtown’ developed some elegance).

The restaurant itself, a surreal Dali-esque oasis, is something else. That’s the beauty of London – just when you think every design concept has been exhausted, you find somewhere with hoops swinging mere feet above dining tables, a bespoke dancer’s pole, and giant silver goose feet on your table. And that’s why you come to Circus – if nothing else, come for the scenery.

It’s a real see and be seen venue. We obviously weren’t the only ones who thought so, as certain younger members of the royal family were dining that night at the spectacular feature table running right down the centre of the restaurant. This isn’t a place for wall-flowers, evidently.

It’s hard to concentrate on the food when there are fire-eating ballerinas and scantily clad beauties whose antics on the suspended hoop would’ve made Houdini blush, but the allure of former Gaucho chef Nik Biok’s dishes means I was torn between admiring what is on the plate and admiring who was on the dancer’s pole. It’s a close run thing, because although the US-inspired food is bursting with flavour and the presentation is fabulous – exactly what you would expect from a venue that is all about appearances – it’s not faultless.

The pulled pork starter with potato latkes was especially tasty, although a little sparse, while the tuna and salmon tartare, although fresh-tasting, did not really have much to say for itself. However, the jambalaya more than made up for its weak predecessors – it was punchy, zingy and had a very healthy amount and variety of fish in it. It also had the bizarre addition of pumpkin seeds and tinned sweet-corn. Overall though it was spicy and full-bodied, and rather overshadowed my companion’s steak which had been heavily doused in garlic. Good for your heart, not so much for your date.

The brownie and ice-cream dessert wasn’t as sticky or as indulgent as I would’ve liked, but the 3 milk ice-cream that accompanied it was light, refreshing and just creamy enough to feel like you were doing something sinful.

All in all, with jaw-dropping entertainment, harlequin finery, and a fantastical cocktail list, the glamour set are fast sinking their claws into this venue. Circus has all the makings of a hot west-end classic. ...read more