Circa 1926

Why was I ever dragged here? Next time I will know better. I am at a loss as to how this place has survived in Winter Park.
Paying a $ 5 cover is annoying to begin with, especially when a place isnt even worth $ 5!

BEWARE!!!
If you go to this erstaurant with a Groupon deal that they participated in, don’t be surpised when they REFUSE to honor their issued groupons! REDICULOUS!!!
Well Circa 1926 — You just squandered your first impression!
Poor service and poor management. perhaps you should rethink your advertising options to not alienate customers!

We went here with a groupon and our experience was mediocre/​fair and so was the food. The crab and lobster bisque was sour with a lack of seafood meat. The calamari was chewy, the seasoning was bland, and the breading fell off the calamari.
Very strict on how much bread they will give you, 4 small pieces at a time, but give you a good amount of very tasty olive oil dip. We repeatedly had to ask for more bread and the last time we asked, our server said there may not be anymore and it was Thursday around 7:30−8pm. Very odd.
Our entrees were better than the appetizers and had good flavor, but small portions for the price. I had the lamb and my husband had the stuffed pork.
We did not sample any of the desserts.
The restaurant was desolate on the evening we went and now we know why.

The overall lukewarm reviews made me cautious about this restaurant, especially considering the prices. I have to say though, that this experience thankfully surpassed my expectations as set by Unilocal.
After making a reservation for 8pm we ended up getting there 20 minutes early. Luckily, there was one open 2-​person table so we were seated immediately. Our drink orders were taken and filled quickly despite the full house.
We both ordered the Chef’s Table option on the menu. The waitress asked each of us a few questions like what level of spice we’re comfortable with, what things we don’t eat, allergies, preferred level of doneness for beef, tuna, etc. The chef then creates a unique 5-​course meal with no relation to the standard menu.
We’ve never done anything like this before, and we had a great time. We loved the anticipation involved in waiting for the next course, not knowing anything about what it was going to be. Even the waitress had no idea until it came out, since apparently the chef decides what to do on the fly.
So what did we get? Well, you’ll have to excuse the non-​foodie vocabulary and the incomplete descriptions because while everything was fully explained to us as we received it, much of the description went in one ear and out the other. I took photos of each course with my cellphone camera, so also please excuse the terrible photos since it was very dimly lit inside.
First course: A large sea scallop, which was perfectly cooked, alongside some curried pineapple and pineapple purée and something green. A fantastic start to the meal, I found myself cutting the scallop really thin to make it last as long as possible because I didn’t want to stop eating it.
Second Course: Three varieties of tuna. On the left, tuna kobachi and sriracha. Center, lime ceviche, and on the right, pepper crusted with mango salsa. All three were amazing, with my favorite being the pepper-​crusted tuna.
Third course: Three styles of beef. On the bottom, it was topped with some sort of preparation of onion that I can’t remember. Upper right was topped with a mushroom glaze, and my favorite at the upper left was a boysenberry-​based sauce that was incredible (and not as sweet as it sounds). Again, all three were excellent.
Fourth course: Lamb in a pomegranate sauce with walnuts. The lamb was nicely cooked but there was too much sauce for me and it was so intense that it overpowered the flavor of the meat.
Fifth course: Pineapple and mango sorbet in vodka. This was very strong, and a bit difficult to eat. This was my least favorite course.
Okay, so not everything was 100% perfect for us, at least not in the final two courses. But as far as I’m concerned, that’s part of the experience. You’re not always going to love everything put in front of you 100% of the time, everyone’s tastes are different. You’re asking to be surprised, and that comes with the territory. Nothing we had was outright bad, and everything put in front of us was completely finished.
Don’t do this if you’re in a hurry or if you’re averse to trying new things. Also, don’t select this option if your opinion of value is inextricably linked to portion size — while I was fully satisfied by the end of the final course, I was not completely over-​stuffed. To me, that’s a good thing.
Our server was great, our wine glasses never went dry and the water glasses were filled with an equal quickness. We had a great evening and were talking about «next time» before we even got out the door.

I’ve actually only recently discovered this place, by happenstance stumbling upon it (as many times as I’ve frequented Winter Park’s Park Avenue). I really just came for a drink while waiting for a friend. The waitress was on her first night, so I have to at least acknowledge that. She didn’t know much about the wine on the menu (but hello… it’s a pub) and had to ask twice about their Foursquare deal of a ‘free glass of wine or champagne on your first check in) — that could happen to anyone.
All-​in-​all I’d like to come back for food and see how that aspect of the place is.

Circa has a great dance club– the only one on Park Ave. The dj is pretty good and the décor is sleek and trendy. The drinks are unreasonably priced but this is Park Ave. so that is to be expected. Overall it’s a great time, except for an abundance of lame people, which someone else mentioned in their review. It’s not unusual to see an extremely middle aged (idk if that even makes sense!?!) couple dancing to Lil Wayne using their newly-​learned and badly executed salsa skills. A couple of months ago there was a very old couple celebrating their one-​billionth anniversary and making out all over a couch– which is sweet but it does nothing for «cool» points.
The restaurant portion of this establishment is just fine but definitely leaves something to be desired. The food is definitely good and the décor is gorgeous, but in my opinion the entrees #1 fall just short of filling no matter how good they taste and #2 lack any «wow» factor. The service has always been fine for my dining experiences.
Side note: The last time I was here I noticed something on the menu called Vegan Smoked Duck Breast… um, what? I didn’t ask the server, but still wondering how the heck that is possible!
Verdict: This place is stylish and the food is good– it’s overpriced but worth it every now and again.

We had a wonderful Mother’s day brunch here. The four course meal was fantastic. The service was a bit slow, but it was full to the max, so I understand. The servers were great and we got plenty of attention from them and the management. Overall I enjoyed it immensly.

The restaurant was more than accomodating for a large group. It was a casual business meeting so we had our own area, they helped me with confirming wifi connection and the server was OUTSTANDING! I wish I would have gotten his name, I really want to call his manager to compliment him.
My salad was amazing, my cocktail was great (pricey though), we had a lot of different opinions at the table. One ordered blackened tilapia and loved it. One like his burger, the pastrami sandwich looked amazing, but I forgot to ask him how he liked it. We had dining companions that hated the fried deviled eggs, but I liked it. The mac n cheese looked really good. I guess its hit or miss. However, I’m giving one star on a gorgeous location, one for accomodation, and 2 stars for such an amazing waiter. He went up and beyond the call of duty to be helpful, charming, and kept his cool with our very opinionated group.

I went here for brunch with Alicia P. My review is going to be a little different. I mean, we can’t feel the same about a place ALL the time.
If it wasn’t for the fact that they comped us our bottomless mimosas, I would’ve gave them 1 stars.
First off they gave me THEE worst bloody mary ever. It was tomato juice and vodka. Thats it. No salt, pepper, horseraddish, worscheschire, tabasco, nothing! Not even a garnish. No celery, olives, or shrimp. Just a f*cking straw. I sent it back. Now if you know anything about me you know that it had to have been THAT bad. Usually if it has alcohol in it I will drink it. But this my friends, was horrible. Hence the bottomless mimosas.
They brought us some banana bread which was actually pretty awesome. It was still warm. And the brunch had a Caribbean theme so there was some dude playin the steel drums which was pretty rad.
I opted for the Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict. I’m not quite sure if the Hollandaise was real but whatever, it didn’t taste too bad. The bummer was that the eggs had been cooked too long so the yolks were solid. Dude! That’s like the best thing about a poached egg. A runny yolk. Oh well. Ali and Tim got the Strawberry French Toast. It was good but my sister-​in-​law makes a version of it that’s way better.
Honestly if it weren’t for the $ 60 in gift cards that Ali won at a Unilocal Elite Event I would have never gone and judging from my experience I won’t be back.

Came in for lunch, and had a great meatloaf sandwich and simple little steak wtih fries
All was excellent and service was great!
Will be coming back for more!
Thanks for the great little interlude with my wife
Dave

Ok guys, Circa must have seen all these reviews and made a vow to change, because my brunch experience this morning was nothing short of 5 stars.
I had $ 60 in gift cards to Circa from winning the raffle at the Unilocal Elite Slow Down at the Brewery event, so Lauren H. and I decided to brunch at Circa this morning with our male counterparts.
The Sunday brunch was Calypso/​Island themed — with a dude playing the steel drums and all — and right off the bat we were greeted with smiles and quick service from our waiter, Chris.
We were put at a cozy little window seat, treated to bottomless mimosa’s, and a deliciously fresh and warm banana nut bread.
My boyfriend had the Pina Colada Pancakes, Tim and I had the french toast that had a strawberry middle, and Lauren had the Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict.
Now, I was REALLY craving Fried Green Tomatoes (it’s so rare that I find a place that serves them!) but I really dislike hollandaise sauce (I know, I know… weird) so asked Chris if I could have a side of them.
What do you think came out with my brunch? A side order of 6 perfectly seasoned (emphasis on the *perfectly seasoned*) and perfectly fried green tomatoes. Maybe the best I’ve ever had outside of homemade! Not exaggerating!
Chris checked back frequently, always bringing mimosa’s, and our table was kept clean and clear by him and another younger lady (manager?). And when the check was delivered we saw that our mimosa’s were comped! Bottomless mimosa’s included in the price of our brunch? WIN!
All in all, it was perfect service, great food, and I hope Chris gets props for a job well done!
The only thing we found that sucked? Their Blood Mary. It was pretty much Vodka and tomato juice — no pepper, salt, celery, olives, shrimp — nothin’. But honestly, the banana nut bread that came out made up for it, so now we just know not to order a Bloody there — bottomless mimosa’s ALL the way!
So to everyone who’s reviewed Circa in the past and found them lacking, I urge you to give ‘em another chance! They’ve stepped up their game and brunch is well worth it!

I went here a while ago during the summer with my boyfriend. We were in town overnight and he’s accustom to the «touristy» side of Orlando (i.e.- below the 408). As a former resident, I wanted to show him one of my favorite parts of town (the few I have) after stuffing ourselves at another restaurant on I-​drive. I really needed to walk off the lobster. As we strolled down Park Ave, holding hands and just generally enjoying ourselves, we passed a restaurant with a man playing the piano and a woman singing. The second time we walked by, we had to stop in.
The service was questionable. It shouldn’t of taken that long to make mojitos. We were there just for drinks. Although it was fairly pricey, it was a solid choice but not the greatest I’ve had. The taste of liquor was too strong. The thing that sold me had to be the ambiance. The candlelight, the jazz standards, the tables on the street, and talking. By far one of the most romantic evenings we’ve had. We really like this place and can’t wait to go back when in town. It would be a great location for a second or third date if they are still doing the lounge thing downstairs *fingers crossed*.

If you didn’t know there’s a quaint pub located behind the Park Ave. location of Circa 1926, now you do. It’s creatively named, Circa Pub and has everything that the swanky parent location doesn’t have.
It’s small, fun and low-​key. A juke box offers entertainment as does the patrons who seem to be out for a good time. If you’re hungry, you are in luck. Their menu is reasonably priced and offers upscale versions of the foods we love. For example, instead of your mom’s meatloaf, they offer a bacon wrapped barbecue sandwich version of the staple comfort food. And should you order anything with fries, get ready to be wowed — they come stacked like the game of Jenga.
It’s a great place for celebrating promotions, hosting a happy hour, or enjoying a night out with your honey.

Went there this Friday for my friend’s engagement party and this is what we noted:
— Great atmosphere, especially loved the love booths!
— Service was quite nice, we had 2 very attentive servers although getting drinks was such a pain that half the party ended up just walking over to the bar instead.
— Menu price was relatively Winter Park average although they really jip you when it comes to the portion. We joked that the steak seemed to be divided amongst the others who’ve ordered the same thing in our party. It was such a joke.
I ordered the Miso Salmon — the bamboo rice was super delicious but the miso flavoring was too sweet and more American than authentic Japanese. The salmon didn’t taste too fresh but whatever it was a mediocre filet. I ordered a cosmopolitan for $ 10. Seriously? I thought drinks should have a standard when you’re offering some drink specials at $ 3 but oh well.
I snagged some of my friend’s Lobster Pasta. It had a great taste but it only had one claw in the entrée and the rest just looked like mac and cheese but with lobster sauce in the mix. I liked it but I suppose an attempt to finish it off would be a sensory overload.
My boyfriend ordered a surf and turf with scallops. I thought the scallops were undercooked but the steak was quite tender. Nothing too special to rave about this.
Another friend of mine ordered the Modern Shrimp Cocktail and I think it’s really great with the creativity. Tastes really wonderful too! Thumbs up for this appetizer.
This was my first visit and while it’s not a place I would strongly recommend people to go to, I do think it would be more reasonably priced if it weren’t for the cocktail. All in all: surf and turf + Miso Salmon + cosmo + 3 Jack and Coke = $ 160 without additional gratuity (18% for a party of 6 or more was included).

Uninspired. If I had to pick one word to describe my experience at Circa 1926, it would be uninspired. Despite a pleasant staff and ambiance, Circa 1926 falls so short with its menu that I left with the distinct impression that I would not be returning any time soon.
I went to Circa 1926 for lunch on a recent Thursday. I’d driven by many a time and was drawn in by its proximity to where I was parked as much as anything else. Hard wood and Moroccan influences are immediately apparent upon entering Circa 1926. I felt that I was either walking into a Montana lodge built by a North African or a North African establishment built by a Montanan. Either way, the ambiance and atmosphere was excellent.
Service was quick and attentive – perhaps because there was only one other table occupied in the restaurant. I was dining late (for lunch) so the emptiness of the restaurant did not set off any warning signs. I wish it had.
I looked over the menu and settled on Vegetarian Pad Thai. Normally I will not order ethnic meals in restaurants that do not emphasize the specific cuisine of that ethnicity. I broke my own rule in this case because, well, I am old enough to break my own rules! That said, to be fair to Circa 1926, what follows may be an indication of its kitchen’s skill with Thai cuisine more than it is a commentary on the full menu.
For whatever reason, the Pad Thai was uninspired. It had a surprising and unwanted sweetness and packed neither heat nor any discernible flavor other that the rather cloying sweetness. The dish emphasized noodles and lacked nearly enough vegetables, although the vegetables that it did have (various summer squash for the most part) were fresh and not overcooked.
It is easy to write about good food and perhaps even easier to write about bad food. Writing about boring food is not at all easy and boring food is what I found at Circa 1926. Having now read the reviews of people who preceded me at Circa 1926, I know that I am not the only person to have had a bad experience there. I won’t let that happen again.
Circa 1926, despite a physical appeal, is just too uninspired.

I realllly want to give this place more stars but after Sunday’s brunch experience I can’t believe I am even giving them 2 stars =(
Circa had a great deal of a set price for a brunch plate, pastries and your choice of a mimosa or glass of champagne so 10 of us lovely ladies headed there for a Valentine’s celebration of being lovely ladies.
We called the day before and made a reservation for 8 and then had to call that morning to extend it to 10. When we arrived, there was our table set for 6 right next to the front door. We made it work, had more places set up and got some more chairs. It was funny because our waiter wanted to take the table next to us and combine it but the hostess had a reservation for 2 coming in and didn’t want to make them wait… cause you know, our party of 10 was worthless right? So we saw their heated discussion right in front of us which was comical… the waiter moved the table over (and the table was 2 inches higher than our other table which just looked funny) then the hostess came over to have them remove it. Not to mention… after we were already seated for 30 minutes, that same hostess asked one of our ladies to swap out her chair, the nice dark wood and suede cushion with one that you could tell it was a ghetto extra chair which 90% of our table had. So I gave her the benefit of the doubt and thought she was trying to match another table… NO the table she took it to had 2 of the nice chairs and one ghetto chair. WHAT THE? REALLY? This hostess treated us like we were the outcasts at this place and it was just downright unacceptable.
It seemed that they were on a switching theme of the day because a little bit later, they switched out waiter (even though he was still serving the other tables he was serving before). Our new waitress was sweet but not the brightest, forgetting some items and messing up some orders. One lady ordered scrambled eggs and they came out another way and the waitress said «Do you mind scooting them onto your smaller plate and I will bring you out scrambled.» WHAT? WHO SAYS THAT? YES, SHE SAID SCOOT! uggg we were just appalled and surprised. She got the hint and said let me take the plate and I will fix it for you. Sigh… how hard was that waitress? Should have said that to begin with. THEN… we simply asked for salt and pepper and it took them forever (we asked 3 different people) and it appeared that out of the 8 tables in this dinning room all tables were sharing 3 sets — sharing? This establishment has a HUGE backroom that was not even being used and there was an upstairs (having a bridal shower) and you are telling me you don’t have enough salt and pepper shakers? We asked the table behind us ourselves.
There was this random guy (assuming he was a server) and his name was «Count» and came over wanting to take our photo for us. Then I asked for a drink menu and he gladly provided us with one. When the server returned I asked for a drink and the menu was immediately GRABBED from my hand saying that menu was old and I could not order from it. OOOOKKKK Well then why did the «Count» deliver it to me? So he said we don’t have a lot of mixers that are listed in there but whatever I wanted he could see if they could make. So, I asked for the menu back to show him what I wanted and he paused and said the prices were not correct. I said that is fine can I just show you what I want? It was like pulling teeth and I don’t care if you are at KFC… ordering should NOT be like pulling teeth!!!
I am sure there are MANY things I am forgetting because there were so many issues with this place on this certain morning that it was comical to no end!
As I mentioned… this brunch came with a complimentary mimosa. Yet, when we got our bills we were being charged for it. After arguing with the waitress she finally took it off but was seriously the last thing I even felt like dealing with.
We talked to the manager. He knew every single issue we had and his excuses were «they were short staffed,» «it’s a holiday weekend,» «blah blah blah.» I don’t want to hear your excuses. I’m paying you money for a service and you failed, just apologize!!! Sigh… so he gave us a bottle of champagne and 5 (yes there were 10 of us) cards for a free glass of wine on our next visit.
Just being treated as lousy as we were frustrates me to no end. Sigh… Circa…I may just stick to you as a lounge/​dance club late at night.

The only reason I thought about giving this Winter Park monstrosity 2 stars instead of one was my meal itself was actually very good. Then I reconsidered. Why? The rest of the experience? I’d rather eat at a hot dog cart in NYC in the middle of a blizzard while watching a golf tournament. That’s a worse-​possible-​scenario for me.
The service was absolutely terrible. While I understand it’s a holiday, and as the manager mentioned to us, they were short handed, what did they just hire from bitter & single servers unite? How RUDE!
While I missed the first half of brunch, the second was more then enough of an experience to make up for it. The waitress pretty much flat out ignored me when I tried to order, skipping around me to get everyone next to, across from, behind, and opposite me. My drink also sat empty for ¾ of the meal. If you’re charging for drinks, you would think you’d WANT to rack your bill up for a better tip. Don’t worry, she did. While they offered 1 complimentary mimosa as part of the brunch package, the waitress charged two of us for both drinks we ordered– and had the audacity to argue with us about how many we had ordered. The conversation went:
‘I thought one drink was free?
Yes, but you ordered two so I charged you for two.
But one is free, correct?
Yes, but I brought you two.
If ONE is free, and you BROUGHT me two, what is TWO MINUS ONE?!
Whatever’
Did she seriously just ‘whatever me over a $ 4 mimosa? She should’ve paid me $ 4 for the inconvenience of having to deal with her. She also, rather rudely I might add, brought out my friend’s order partially wrong and asked her to move the stuff she wanted (which was covered in the eggs she didn’t want) off the plate and give it back to her. Ummm, how about correcting the order yourself? It’s not like you have to cook it.
The manager, while nice, only tried to rectify the situation in a half-​ass manner. He offered us free champagne, which was very sweet but we all wanted to high-​tail it out of there. He also still charged one of the other girls for her meal which she told him wasn’t good when he asked why she hadn’t touched it. I get it, you ordered it, so *TECHNICALLY* you have to pay for it. Well, now, you provided the service and you have to pay sir– I’m sure I’m not the only one who will comment on our brunch experience.
While I’m all for mistakes being made– it’s all about the recovery. Circa was DOA in both their initial efforts and customer retention.

When I think about Circa, I think of one word:
UGH.
This place was honestly a nightmare. We came here for a girls Valentine’s Day brunch. I’m into lists today, so this review is going to be a list too.
1) We made a reservation for 10 yet when we got there, there were only seating for 6. They sat us RIGHT next to the door. Normally, I might mind less, but it was really chilly on Sunday and there were people were coming in and out the entire time — sometimes they left the door open, sometimes closed, but I’ll tell you the hostess did absolutely nothing to help the situation. I was the one getting up to shut the door.
2) They switched our waiter right in the middle of everything. You’d think they were changing shifts, right? Nope. Our first waiter was there the entire time we were. We were confused. And our waitress was never around.
3) The hostess asks us to SWITCH OUR CHAIRS so a table could have all matching chairs. We got some ghetto chairs — might as well have been fold up chairs.
4) We would ask for things and never get them or have to get them ourselves. Example? Sure. We asked for salt 4 times and eventually had to get up and ask the table next to us for salt. It seemed they were «sharing» salt and pepper shakers for the entire restaurant. Another example? Sure. My friend asked for lemon and simply never got it.
5) The waitress (the 2^nd one) got one of my friend’s orders mixed up — she had ordered scrambled and got over-​easy instead. When my friend informed her that it was wrong, the waitress said «do you mind just scooting the fries and pancakes to another plate and I’ll just scramble some eggs.» um… WHAT?
6) My food was horrible. So horrible, in fact, I didn’t eat it. The manager was aware I hated it and did nothing. (If you actually go here, don’t order the crepes). I paid full price for my meal and I didn’t eat it.
7) The Valentine’s Day brunch came with a complimentary mimosa. Yet, when we got our bills, it wasn’t complimentary. After arguing with the waitress she finally took it off but was seriously the last thing I even felt like dealing with.
We talked to the manager. He knew every single issue we had and his excuses were «they were short staffed,» «it’s a holiday weekend,» «blah blah blah.» I don’t want to hear your excuses. I’m paying you money for a service and you failed.
Hated this place. If I could give it zero stars, I would.

I planned a brunch social event there this past weekend. The restaurant was very quiet — Panera across the street seems to be a huge draw for brunch-​goers scoping Park Ave.
But the venue is lovely, they open the french doors out that lets guest sitting inside still have a view of the action outside. It’s a little reminiscent of a french style café.
Circa offers a complimentary mimosa to go along with their brunch. They don’t have a lot to offer when it comes to sides but the «Dulce de Leche» French Toast I got was plenty to fill my appetite (it came with a side of bacon and that’s it). There wasn’t anything very caramel about it — but it was sweet and tasted fine. No complaints from me… surprisingly.
My only gripe is that we were confused about who are waiter was supposed to be — since the restaurant was fairly empty, they outnumbered the amount of customers. So we had a number of obsessive waiters adjusting the location of plates, refilling drinks that were already half full and asking if we wanted another mimosa when we barely finished the first one. I have no idea who my tip went to.

I had the pleasure of dining there last night. When you walk in it makes a very nice presentation. Having the piano is not my style but I think it makes sense for the target audience. We were there for a special occasion and the service as a result could not have been better. Perfect. The owner is a very lovely host. I thought the layout of the restaurant was very unique and lovely. They have a front dining room, back dining room with closed off tables (for privacy) and upstairs they have a darling, trendy bar. Then to top that off they also have in the back the cutest pub. They really have it all.
I give them kudos for being creative with their food. Every Ithing tasted last night was good. Nothing really blew me out of the water but it was all consistent, creative and presented very nicely. The only strong recommendation I would have is tone the salt down. Most things were very salty. The desserts were pretty typical but actually the highlight of the night.
To me food is just one part of the equation. It is the total experience that is important to me. In that respect they did a great job and I will go back. Remember this is a new restaurant so they are working very hard to get all the parts right! I would recommend it.