Circus Circus

Someone recommended the carrot cake here so I stopped by for a slice and a coffee. It was just north of $ 10 but the atmosphere is what will keep me coming back. Don’t tell anyone, but the outdoor seating area has heaters and they throw a few blankets over the chairs if you are still cold. The indoor area is acceptable but it’s far more intimate and cozy outside with no noise pollution other than the whizzing cars. They have a lovely selection of magazines to browse through if you’re alone and the service was wonderful.

First time at Circus Circus tonight didn’t know what to expect but felt it was really relaxed friendly service with great food at a reasonable price

Circus Circus you did a great job today! This was the second or third time I have been here in the last 4 years living in Auckland. At first the place didn’t impress too much, except for the quirky, themed atmosphere, loved that quality straight away. But today, settling down for some brunch proved they have lifted my first impression. The staff were all very, very good at their job. Towards us and towards each other from what I observed.
There is a wide range of options in seating; if you want something solo, in a group, private, nestled away, alfresco, loads of options, big tick. The food was well presented and tasted fresh and delicious — we had the vegetarian frittata and eggs benedict, plus 2 gluten free almond biscuits. The coffee, to be honest, was more close to four stars, but because everything else was exceptional, they win top score from me today.

This place is heaven. I couldn’t come to Auckland without coming by here for a flat white or breakfast.
This time we saved it for a family Saturday brunch, and it was my first time trying their eggs benefit. Oh man, i’ve been missing out. Out of the fam we had 3 of us order the smoked salmon eggs benefit, 2 order the bacon eggs benedict, and 1 ordered the vanilla bean pancakes with berry compote and honeycomb butter (uhh umm??!)
The hollandaise sauce was perfect — not too sweet, not too acidic, not too watery — just perfectly balanced in texture and flavour. I may as well have licked my plate. The eggs were clearly free range and perfectly poached. The smoked salmon?! Omg. House-​smoked and one of the most delicious smoked salmon’s I’ve ever had. Literally melted on your tongue and was perfect. The english muffin was a bit strange — kind of more like a bun but I still really enjoyed it.
Flat white was maybe a bit weak for my tastes, but the milk was perfectly steamed both in foam and temperature, and the flavour of the espresso was delicious.
Again — wins all across the board. This will always be one of my top 3 cafes in Auckland.

Having arrived to Auckland the night before, the three of us were ready to have a big breakfast before departing Auckland on our grand New Zealand cycling adventure! A friend in Auckland had recommended Circus Circus since we were staying close. The meal was exactly what our bodies needed, fuel for the road! Most of my reviews of NZ will be biased towards bicycle touring needs, maybe except for the occasional stops in civilization.
There was only one dish on the breakfast menu which my eyes kept wondering back to, the Eggs Benedict with Salmon. The plate was served warm, the eggs nicely poached with runny yolk. Hollandaise sauce complemented the salmon, adding another layer of richness to the poached eggs. The best part was at the end, sliding the few remaining pieces of salmon or bread over the runny yolk and Hollandaise sauce still left on the plate. The meal, as with all meals during my trip throughout New Zealand, was served with a cup of Chai Tea Latte… I love how almost every café, corner store and restaurants in New Zealand have Chai on the drink list!
This corner eatery has a prime location in Mt Eden, great as a meeting place over a meal or just coffee. The staff seems to genuinely enjoy working at the restaurant, friendly to patrons, attentive to people seated inside and outside. Grab a table outside, just sit back, enjoy the chai or caffeine hit, joggers running by, and dogs on their morning walk.
Circus was a good breakfast option before our first day of cycling to Queenstown, great for carbs!

Have only had coffee and cake here, but it must be good because I keep going back! I have even had to so «No» to myself because I was starting to be recognised by the staff who were keying in my order before I could get the words out. The coffee is always made with care and craft. The cake is fresh and to die for. I prefer the chocolate cake, which comes with plain Greek yogurt. YUM! This Mt. Eden institution will be around for the foreseeable future.

Finally got here for a late lunch with a friend. Ordered their really home-​y Home-​made hash browns– which were cooked to a crunchy delicious pattie perfection with two poached eggs on top. Thin strips of their house smoked salmon to have with the potato and watercress bundle on the side for greens. A generous dollop of herb crème fraîche at one end of the long plate. Neat presentation– luckily didn’t have to wait too long for it to come out either! Was delighted with my passionfruit frappé also. It was a refreshingly fruity bubbly drink with an interesting flavour.
Think their circus theme is absolutely brilliant– it truly looks like a circus on the outside (makes it easy to spot on the corner when you’re driving) and it feels like you’re in a circus tent while sitting inside. Like their cool circus lions on the corner outside the restaurant on the side street next door. They have a huge interior– the seating goes far back and back past the main counter and cabinet with a mix of fully enclosed indoor and tarpaulin-​walled outdoor/​indoor with radiators.
Definitely worth a look into– so great because they’re open all day and most of the night so you can come for a late lunch at 4pm like we did!

Looking for a place to eat with our two year old in tow on Saturday evening and stopped in here on recommendation from wife’s classmate. The service, food and atmosphere were excellent. Our two year old was given coloring supplies to keep herself occupied while they put together an excellent Asian Beef Stir-​Fry, Chicken Burger and Kid’s Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs with Pasta. Topped it off with a Chocolate Mousse Pot to share amongst us.
Meals came quick, food was very tasty, and the staff were very friendly. Prices were reasonable at $ 20/​plate for adults, $ 10/​plate for the kid.

This place used to be good. Not sure what happened, did see a notice for a new head chef a couple weeks back. That might explain a few issues. First the service — we booked the large table in the back for a group of 8. None of the staff would ask us for our order or even direct us as to what to do. So we sat and sat and sat… after about 30−40min of polite conversation we each got up and then had to stand in line up front for an additional 20min to order food and drinks… when the food finally arrived it was bland and under seasoned. Poor showing all around. Quality and service standards need serious attention.

I went to Circus Circus for dinner as I had a voucher from the entertainment book. The waitress who served us was very helpful, especially when I was unable to choose between three dishes. We settled on the grilled salmon fillet on creamy pumpkin risotto and the roasted creole chicken. Both were very tasty but we preferred the salmon. The food arrived promptly and was very tasty. the dessert menu was very enticing but unfortunately we were too full.

Came into here with reasonably high expectations given the place’s reputation, but was pretty let down. For their prices you can get much better food elsewhere with better portions, quality, and atmosphere. Was also stoked for the dessert as soon as I saw the menu, but it wasn’t any better than something I could’ve gotten from my local countdown, srs. For $ 10 I expect more than a baby dick CUP of pre-​refrigerated cheesecake. To top it off, we had the most anal broad serving us who told us off for bringing our own banana into the restaurant. Like chill brah, when did we become socialist America here. John Key is really fuckin up, aye.
To sum the place up I’d say, no exaggerating, to come and eat here if you want to experience the letdown of the century. Save your money and go buy some discounted almost expired desserts from countdown cause it’s the same thing anyways.

We came in with our two kids, let me preface the review with this very simple fact.
Circus Circus was nice, don’t get me wrong. its a lovely place with all kinds of nooks and crannies. Great, creative use of the almost-​separate buildings, the staff are good (not great) and the food was mostly good, we booked during a Saturday night and the atmosphere was calm and quiet. In the past Circus Circus has been quite kid friendly, placing you into a room where there are kids toys … This was marred during our visit by other adults seated in the same area afterwards who looked at my kids (5&7) with horror and asked to be moved. seemed there was little thought to the placement of the non-​family diners in relation.
The menu was quite limited and we were on the verge of sending my son’s chicken back, it was cold in the middle and when I took a bite I crunched on bone and gristle.
I’ve previously been to Circus Circus a year or so back and had a great meal, so maybe it was a bad night, but it was a somewhat ‘meh’ experience.

I’ve been to this place a few times, having grown up in Auckland but this is my first visit in a few years. I always drive past here and it is quite packed, even late at night, making it a nice place to hang out with friends for a late catch up.
The Circus Circus café has a great atmosphere, I love the shape of the place, its quite long with a few different «levels» a few steps apart. That way it doesn’t feel like the place is too massive.
Plopped myself down on late Friday morning for a breakfast, and luckily made it 10 minutes before they stopped doing breakfast. They don’t have an all day breakfast menu :(
Ordered a homemade muesli, and would’ve liked it was toasted a little more to bring out flavour.
They didn’t have table service when I was there, had to order and pay at the front counter. Not sure if it works the same in the evening.

A pleasant dining experience! Quite honestly, the food [for what it costs] warrants 3 stars, but the atmosphere and service have padded my opinion.
The drinks selection is fairly standard, nothing special. I would have hoped for/​expected something more unique, given the novelty of the venue.
I opted for the grilled salmon while my partner chose the lamb rump. The salmon was adequately delicious, while the lamb rump was a savoury experience! We followed with a panna cotta and Kahlua mousse pot. Our waitress [who was very chipper and helpful] recommended against the panna cotta and endorsed the mousse. Both were quite tasty, but the mousse was definitely superior.
Circus Circus makes for a great date night and is equally appropriate for family dining.

I used to stop by Circus Circus all the time. I even worked there for a month in my youth. Now, I hardly ever choose it as an eating destination. I’m not sure why. The food is a 7 out of 10. The coffee is the same. The sweets — you can do better. The place is very child friendly. My favourite breakfast thing on the menu is the bagel tower with bacon avocado and brie. The seating is good — there are lots of options and you can sit and feel like you’re relatively private.
It’s open all day and at night so if you’re into café fare at night, this is a good option.

This time we stopped in for lunch, but Circus Circus in its vibrant red corner location in the heart of Mt Eden village is the best meeting place anytime, morning, noon or night including the wee hours for small special occasion parties like 21sts.
I ordered the Piri Piri chicken salad which was acceptable but not a stand out on the day. My friend’s Bruchetta topped with bocconcini and fresh tomato looked much more appealing.
As always this place was bustling with activity and the waiter staff were super friendly.
Topped the meal off with a flat white and we came away happy.

I just love Circus Circus. It feels like there’s not enough places like this doing café food at dinner time.
It’s kid-​friendly and you can come here any time of the day into the night to do breakfast, brunch, coffee and cake — I’ve even been here late at night and had a glass of wine with friends as an alternative to the bar crowds.
In winter I might have soup which is a big hearty meal with bread, but usually I get the Spinach and Ricotta Crepes. They are so good I would need to grieve if they were ever taken off the menu.
There’s always sweet deliciousness in the front cabinet, although the cakes can be a bit hit and miss. You get a choice of cream or yoghurt with your cake which I really like as I’m not a cream kind of girl.
My children love the fun aspect of this place and the sprawling series of dining spaces somehow just really works. You find your spot and it’s different each time. I only wish others would take note of what Circus Circus is doing and at least attempt to replicate it — especially at dinnertime.

Circus circus is very much an institution in Mt Eden. It’s a meeting place, a place to mull over a coffee and watch the world go by and of course to eat great food. There’s all sort of little nooks and crannies here which is good if you are looking for a bit of privacy or have a business meeting. Somehow the staff always seem to find you wherever you sit and the service is very good. We went for brunch earlier in the year and were very happy with what we got. My wife got the mushroom on grain bread with a brandy and cream sauce. I got a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel — minus the red onion of course. I firmly believe there is no place for any sort of onion in a smoked salmon bagel! A popular spot but you can generally find a seat and you can’t help thinking that Circus Circus is the heart of Mt Eden.

Circus Circus is a café that has become synonymous with Mt Eden. With its bright red exterior, saxophone playing clown and gold lions at the entrance, Circus Circus is hard to miss when in Mt Eden Village.
Though the café may look small from the entrance, it’s quite deceiving as it includes the building behind, has a courtyard area and even a second counter. The décor is fantastic, and is what makes me love Circus Circus so much. The café completely encompasses the circus theme, and has clowns dangling precariously from the ceiling, fairy lights running the length of the sheltered deck, old school chandelier style lights and posters, posters, posters!
Though it is one of my favourite cafes in Auckland due to the theme, Circus Circus also serves brilliant food. Everything in the cabinet always looks fresh and appetizing and a full menu, including tapas and their mouth-​watering crème brulee, is always available.
Tip: Circus Circus is open late so is a great place to go for after dinner coffees and desserts!

A colourful fun fare, Circus Circus is one of the few cafes with an on-​going festive theme. I thoroughly enjoy having dessert here, as their chocolate mousse cake is something truly special! Their coffee is always bang on brilliant, but I can’t say the same for their savouries and muffins. Be warned that they are often dry and a bit too expensive for what they are.
However, with such an atmosphere located in the heart of Mt Eden, it’s hard not to go here whenever you’re in the neighbourhood. The staff are always onto it and friendly, no matter how busy they are. A good meeting place and always thoroughly enjoyable.