Review: Circa1924
For many years Harry’s grill bar has been hailed as the best steakhouse in Exeter, and firmly cemented it’s reputation in the centre of the city. It was to my surprise when I heard that it was no more, being replaced by Circa1924; I was intrigued to try it out! Circa1924 was created by two local guys, James and Rob. According to the website they "both love good food and a great drink" - Definitely something that I can relate to!
"After both spending time living away from the area, we couldn't help but notice that our hometown needs to recapture it's culinary soul. There are too many chains and not enough good independents. We want to be the place to eat in Exeter. Our Exeter restaurant is a 1920s inspired steak & seafood house with a rustic speakeasy cocktail bar. Being based in Devon, we are lucky to be inundated with fantastic local produce - we pride ourselves on serving a simple, seasonal menu with the best ingredients available."
We arrived and were greeted by one of the mixologists at the bar. I really liked the atmosphere from
the minute we walked in; relaxed and really in keeping with the rustic speakeasy cocktail bar theme. There was plenty of bare wood and bulbs and plenty of seating downstairs in a really relaxing environment. We decided to go for some cocktails to start, after much deliberation! I went for a SEXY G & T - Plymouth Gin, Benedictine, Lavender Syrup, and Fever Tree Tonic where Nick chose a GRAPEFRUIT COSMO - Stolichnaya Citros vodka, Cointreau, Lime Juice, and Grapefruit Juice. Both were presented incredibly and I loved the sprig of lavender pegged to my glass! I have had many many G&Ts in my time and it was great to have a twist on a classic. Nick enjoyed his, so much that he had a 2nd!
After enjoying our drinks we set off upstairs to sample their food. Sadly we are not great fans of fish so couldn't test it as much as I feel we should have! There is a big selection of Oysters, mussels and prawns as well as a fish of the day. There are some great sharing bowls that are perfect for fish
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Ceaser Salad with prawns |
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Peanut chicken Skewers |
For main I couldn’t resist trying the Duck & Mac- crispy local duck breast in a spicy glaze served with mac & cheese and pak choi. Duck isn't usually something that I would go for as I always worry that it will be too fatty for my taste but I decided to put them to the test! The breast itself was cooked beautifully, crispy skin and rare in the middle. The mac & cheese was incredible- nice to see a restaurant apparently make it themselves instead of using a packet! I really enjoyed the whole dish and would definitely come back to eat here again based just on that!
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Delicious Mac 'n Cheese! |
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Nick's Steak |
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Crab side for a surf & turf |
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