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Awards
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2008 |
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The Age Good Food Guide 2008 - Two Chef's Hats |
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2008 |
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The Age Good Food Guide 2008 - Kemenys Wine List of the Year |
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2007 |
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The Age Good Food Guide 2007 - Two Chef's Hats |
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Related Editorial Content
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User Reviews on Circa, The Prince
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 20 comments
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| Overall |
  
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Average |
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Food 7 |
Ambience 8 |
Service 1 |
Value 1 |
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An interesting example of how serious attitude can destroy decent food. Been a few times and will never go back. Dreadful, dreadful people.
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gourmandiser -
See my reviews 20 , 21 November 2008
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| Overall |
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Average |
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Food 7 |
Ambience 7 |
Service 1 |
Value 7 |
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The only good thing you could get from here is if you got for the Degustation Menu. The selection of amuse bouche, then small appetiser like dishes, are cooked pretty well and executed with style. Wouldn't call it having a wow factor as numerous visits have made me realise this place is slightly too 'executive' like in both service and its food, also the setting.
Did not usually enjoy the service here, staff don't know what the word 'smile' means and when making special requests, made to feel its a death punishable offence just by asking something not too unreasonable. For example, heating up the bread a little because during winter, they were stone cold and too hard to eat.
Great wine list and not as pricy as other fanciful restaurants, owning a wine cellar definitely helps in this regards, with lots of imported choices as well as hard to source local ones. Would come back here yes but wouldn't expect a lot from its so called 2 Hatted (used to be 3 Hatted for 1 year) experience.
By the way, I don't like their wagyu at all when they serve it for some reason. Not much taste.
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Iruka -
See my reviews 88, 17 November 2008
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| Overall |
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Not Recommended |
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Food 2 |
Ambience 1 |
Service 2 |
Value 1 |
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Ok. Voted one of the top restaurants in Melbourne. Often mentioned for its breakfast, so decided to book with 9 friends for a Sunday. In one word- terrible. It was so bad from woe to go that I was constantly looking over my shoulder to see if we were being filmed for a new series of candid camera.
First, table not ready, even though there were only 2 other occupied tables there. Next waited 10 minutes for a coffee order, and then only got one because I called out to one of the very disinterested staff. Next problem - no menus. Again had to ask. Then some received their coffees, some did not. Some received their juices, some did not.
Then the food. Awful, overpriced, small serves and only warm. For example, my dish of scrambled eggs with truss tomatoes and pancetta, came out as a small fist of scrambled eggs, 3, I repeat 3 cherry tomatoes and one mouthful of pancetta. I was done in about 2 minutes.
It was so bad, I am writing this review which I have never done. I also decided to speak to the Manager to make a complaint and he merely said, " what do you want me to do?". Another classic comment- " we are not a breakfast place so if you want a true breakfast experience maybe you should go to our competitor below?" Again I looked around for the hidden camera. Do not go. Ever. Awful.
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Josephine La -
See my reviews 1, 20 October 2008
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 9 |
Service 8 |
Value 10 |
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This was our 4th or 5th visit here so that says something in itself. This time we tried the degustation matched with wine and whilst it seems to be pricey, the experience is well worth it.
The food was exceptional, particularly loved the smoked eel plate, the wine was very well matched to each plate. This is "special occasion" stuff but if you are looking to splash out on a big night, this would be one restaurant to definitely consider.
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melrich -
See my reviews 28, 01 August 2008
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| Overall |
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Below Average |
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Food 4 |
Ambience 5 |
Service 1 |
Value 3 |
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Very disappointing. The restaurant staff was charmless and surly, and we were completely ignored on arrival despite staying in one of the attached hotel suites.
Food was utterly average despite a 45 minutes wait for the first course. Wine menu appears to be chosen for size. The restaurant claims to be "one of Melbournes finest". It is not even close.
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hanpowell -
See my reviews 1, 15 June 2008
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| Overall |
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Recommended |
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Food 6 |
Ambience 8 |
Service 8 |
Value 5 |
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Having had a very enjoyable evening at The Prince a couple of years ago, I was keen to seek it out again on my next visit to Melbourne. The opportunity arose yesterday to take advantage of the set lunch menu for $65. The first course was a chestnut soup. A large dish arrived with some perfectly cooked garlic slices. The soup arrived in individual ceramic ladles, barely covered the bottom of the plate and was cold.
Not an auspicious start. The wait staff never enquired as to how the meal was going, so we were on to the next course... a sampler dish including a parmesan custard in a shot glass with a topping of pea mousse. Nice idea, perhaps, and looked good, but the flavour was nothing to write home about. The overall dish was mediocre. The main of rabbit shared with my friend was particularly unimaginative.
My King fish, however, was beautifully cooked, but again, didn't stir the imagination. The white foam on top may be de rigeur, but it looked revolting and tasted not much better... sorry! Desserts were completely forgettable. On the positive side, it is a beautiful room and the service whirrs like a well oiled machine. The wine list is formidable and both the wines we tried were superb. In essence, the kitchen staff needs to get back to basics and stop trying so hard to show off. 6/10
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aussiepiper -
See my reviews 38, 28 April 2008
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| Overall |
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Average |
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Food 6 |
Ambience 7 |
Service 6 |
Value 2 |
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Circa is a very stylish establishment, however food is overated and not particularly imaginative. Portions small given the exorbitant prices charged. Wait staff were quite pleasant. Wouldn't return. Bit disappointing.
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livvyi -
See my reviews 1, 30 November 2007
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| Overall |
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Average |
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Food 4 |
Ambience 8 |
Service 8 |
Value 2 |
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Spacious dining room, with comfortable chairs. Courses are not hurried, which makes for an enjoyable evening out. Tremendous wine list (with tremendous markups to match), some guidance is valuable. The food? Small selection, uninspiring and not particularly savoury entree/main. Superb desserts. Sorry, but despite all the praise here and elsewhere, I can't recommend a restaurant with such bland food.
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merlot -
See my reviews 92, 05 November 2007
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 9 |
Ambience 10 |
Service 10 |
Value 9 |
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We have eaten here 3 times since opening. Each time I enjoyed myself considerably. The food and wine choices are wonderul. I love this restaurant.
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slowcoach -
See my reviews 8, 04 September 2007
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| Overall |
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Highly Recommended |
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Food 8 |
Ambience 9 |
Service 9 |
Value 8 |
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A group of 4 of us had dinner at Circa last night. Highlights of the experience were the service (polite, efficient and friendly) and the spaciousness of the restaurant - there were tables of reasonably large groups but it wasn't noisey at all.
I found the choice a little limited, but had we chosen from the tasting menu, there was ample variety. Presentation was excellent, quality of ingredients was good. Some interesting combinations - some of the mains sounded very rich, which almost limited choices to seafood if you didn't want anything too heavy.
The timing of the courses was excellent - from start to finish (cocktails, 3 courses + coffee) ended up taking around 3 hours which made it a lovely evening of dining.
Certainly not cheap, but in terms of value, I think it was quite good.
Not somewhere I would dine every night, but would definitely go back.
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justinb100 -
See my reviews 5, 01 March 2007
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