CIRCA, THE PRINCE

2 Acland St, St Kilda - ph: (03) 9536 1122
This is my first visit to Circa, the Prince after their renovation early last year.
The space has been completely redesigned. The former dining room is now reserved for functions, the bar has been expanded (along with the bar menu) and the former open courtyard has been transformed into main dining area.
I love how airy the dining room feels with a huge glass ceiling. The atmosphere is definitely more laid back in the new setting.
We had made a reservation for the restaurant, but hubby couldn't resist taking a look at the bar menu. As result, he ordered the Circa burger for entree.
The presentation was so cute with the burger wrapped in a small paper bag. Hubby really liked it and the house made ketchup.

Circa burger, special fries and house made ketchup ($18)

I was a bit more traditional and ordered an entree of tuna tartare from the dining menu. The tuna was very fresh and I absolutely loved the crispy oysters. The combination of crisp and soft textures was wonderful.

Yellow fin tuna tartare, crispy oysters, radish ($24)

There are a few options of main dishes designed for sharing. We chose the mutton shoulder to try something different - you don't see it in a menu very often.

Our main course was brought to the table in its own pan to keep warm. It was a huge serve, easily fit for 3 people in my opinion. Mutton can be really tough, but this one was cooked to perfection over 48h! The broccolini was cooked al dente and the stuffed peppers were a wonderful, simple addition to the dish.

48 hour mutton shoulder, piquillo peppers stuffed with green olives and crushed kipfler potato, broccolini ($75 for two pp)

We didn't have any space for dessert after such a large meal unfortunately. Pity because the dessert menu did look great; maybe the next time.

My verdict is that Circa, the Prince remains one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne. Not only is the food always good, service is attentive and knowledgeable. Their attention to every detail, from decor to cutlery truly transforms dining into a memorable experience.