Circa

I want to give it more than my opinion of 3.5 stars. I really do. But it’s the price that lets this place down. So, okay, they are situated on the Mount Lawley Beaufort Street strip, albeit on the more quiet end (north of Walcott). They have a rip snorting looking décor, but the bench seats are vinyl which means, even on a mild night, I am sitting in a puddle of bum sweat within minutes. The service was A1, very attentive. But probably because Steve S and I were the only two customers. The food was lovely, really tasty. We shared the antipasto platter (leaving a few morsels so we had space for our mains) then we had a [handmade, authentic] pasta main each. They were delicious. We accompanied that with a bottle of Italy’s finest Sangiovese (@ $ 40 — reasonable) and we shared a very interesting dessert (no Tiramisu on the menu– what??!). All that came to $ 145. Sorry, but that’s too much. My experience was overall positive, but I wish to leave feeling I achieved value for money along with my full belly for the complete dining experience.

Circa do not indicate on their menu gluten free options however after a brief chat to our waitress she was confidently able to let me know what I could have. She showed a deeper level of understanding of what constitutes a gluten free dish explaining that some dishes don’t contain gluten however they will still have some contamination and therefore would not be suitable for Coeliacs and those very sensitive.
The chicken parfait was served with toasted gluten free bread. We were kindly offered normal bread for Ai-​Ling to enjoy and each serve of bread was served on separate plates to ensure no mixing of crumbs. The parfait was velvety smooth and reminded me of the enormous dish Mum always makes for us around Christmas time. She does everything from scratch and we eat parfait on toast for days until it’s all devoured.
For our main we shared the roasted duck, a tender slightly pink breast served on cauliflower purée and charred cabbage with a sweet apricot jus. Not the most fructose friendly of choices but I have been eating so much vegan dishes in my post-​Christmas guilt that I was craving some poultry.

This is serious good food. Good selection of wine. I really enjoyed rose from their menu. Party of 4 we tried different mains and could not resist not sharing the happiness. All food including our starters (chorizo and beef tartar) were delicious. I will be there again soon

I am obsessed with Circa. Ever since they opened their doors I have been in and out either with friends or family and sometimes even by my lonesome self (cheeky). The restaurant is absolutely beautiful and makes use of the narrow space very wisely. It even has a stag horn chandelier towards the back of the dining area. Very modern, very chic and very contemporary décor. The restaurant can cater for 1 to about 20 I think, as I have seen large groups come here. I sometimes feel this place does not get enough business though as they are competing with some other popular eateries around the hip Mt Lawley area. I for one am a loyal fan to all things Circa. The staff are always friendly and always welcoming and accommodates to your needs whether if you want to reserve a booth seat or a window seat their happy to place you where ever you like to place your bottom. Every day there are specials for any time of the day whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner. I do recommend the daily specials as their not always available. Circa is a place where I can go for a quiet sit down of tea and cake (dessert too if your feeling naughty). Staff are friendly and always like to have a chat if you welcome them, but soemtimes I just go there to sit and read a book with my French Earl Grey tea and Frangelico cake (worth every calorie).
On weekends, Circa opens their doors for breakfast for any early morning risers. The menu has the typical modern Australian breakfasts but they also have their specials which usually is more worthwhile ordering than off the menu. The place also caters to the health conscience, with dishes like poached eggs on a bed of kale (if your into healthy stuff) or crispy skinned salmon with Greek yogurt dressed salad. However I feel breakfast is not complete without crispy bacon, so I usually indulge in any dishes that has bacon in it (crispy skinned pork belly is not a substitute for bacon). I have had a talk to a waitress recently, the chefs do make their own sour dough bread on premises and is made fresh daily (in case you want to clean your plate up with some extra carbs).
The lunch affair usually gets a little quiet. Circa offers fresh made lunches like chicken foccacias, steak sandwiches and some light meals. Cakes, slices and muffins are made on premises and change daily (try the frangelico cake if available). I believe that a satisfying lunch should end with a large slice of their sweets with some tea to wash it down with. All meals should end with a nice dessert unless there is bacon, then end your meal with more bacon!
Dinner have more substantial meals to offer. I know some people may argue that price is a bit on the upmarket side, but believe me, the freshness and quality of the food is worth it. I have been to places where they charge an arm and a leg and I have walked out more hangry (hungry + angry) than I should. Price wise though, Circa is not on the cheap side but always makes up with quality. I return to this place for their quality and care in food. The dishes are always well plated, some more detailed and refined while some dishes are just plain simple and delectable. Circa is a place for a nice catch up with friends as well as a romantic setting for a date. I do not know if children will fair well in this place though as I have not seen a children menu nor have I asked if they could cater to small children.

Circa Mt Lawley!
Popped in here last night with Susan for a last minute dinner idea and left feeling very sated. I have to say walking into this venue I was happy and surprised by the chilled/​romantic atmosphere and good use of space. The service was very efficient and as warm as the heating inside.
We went with a shared starter of Beignets of spanner crab and spinach with lemon and ginger mayonnaise. I found this to be very light and fluffy and the flavours whilst a little subdued were noticeable.
For mains we decided on the Crispy skinned Barramundi, white bean purée, braised fennel and parsley veloute for 1 dish and the Braised Amelia Park Lamb shoulder, spinach, pancetta, and french lentils.
The skin on the Barramundi was indeed crispy and the flavour of the fish really came out. As for the lamb should this was so tender when I attempted to cut into it, the lamb more so just separated from itself at the slightest touch. Presentation on all dishes was very impressive and the wine that we chose to match the meal went down nicely as well.
Seeing as this place has been open only 2 weeks or so, so far, it seems that Circa are onto a good thing here. Meal costing ended up being towards the pricier end of the scale but we left satisfied nevertheless.
A great new offering in the Mt Lawley dining scene.

Circa has opened in the long forgotten Diva site on Beaufort Street. The décor is rich with opulent finishings making it a little too dark and gloomy for breakfast. The sunlight just peaking in through the open doors. By night you could definitely imagine cramming into a booth with a bunch of friends sharing hearty Mediterranean fare and a bold bottle of Shiraz.
The breakfast menu consists of approachable breakfast items such as:
Poached apples, pears, rhubarb with granola crumble
Sicilian sausages, poached eggs, sautéed mushrooms, spinach, manchego
Smashed avocado, roasted tomatoes, fetta, sourdough, olive oil
I do love a good Croque Monsieur so we ordered one to share. The sandwich came out drowning in béchamel sauce and stuffed with honey baked ham, swiss cheese and dijon mustard. The bread lots its toasted crunch as it battled with the overflowing sea of sauce.
The beetroot cured salmon was a refreshing light option. Served with a slice of green vegetable frittata on sourdough with a lovely dollop of something like hollandaise and crème fraîche added a delicious punch of buttery zest. The poached eggs served on organic Loafer’s sourdough were beefed up with a side of bacon, the yoke perfectly runny.
I wish I had taken a peak of the dinner menu. Circa has taken off where Diva left off making it a nice local restaurant to enjoy welcoming service and simple, homely meals with family and friends.