The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Circa

Circa Article Lead - narrow
Circa Article Lead - narrowSupplied

Good Food hat15/20

It's been reinvented more times than the little black dress, and Circa's current incarnation sees St Kilda's premier dining room at its most rollicking and fun. Service standards are undiminished but the sense of occasion has relaxed into a buzzy bonhomie. The broad, flexible menu is built around the capabilities of a wood grill: there's smoke but no mirrors. The ideas are an on-trend Pacific Rim grab-bag relying on punchy flavour combinations and multiple condiments. Execution is straightforward but flawless. A Korean/LA taco mash-up with spicy slaw and short rib is a culinary cacophany that works beautifully. Soba noodles are dressed with a powerful assembly of bottarga, caviar and sea urchin. Main plates relax into easy elegance: rice-crusted chicken and herbed white sausage both dressed with immaculate shiitake broth. Yakitori skewers (bacon-wrapped prawns with spicy pineapple) are such button-pushing delights that Circa starts to feel like a high-class snack stop as well as a fine-dining restaurant. Perhaps that's the whole idea.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement