Circo

What a horrid place. Hardly any AC and it’s NY in the summer? How is that enjoyable? And then charging so much money for food that was disgusting, could not eat it so we left. Health department should close this place down.

Stopped by for a quick drink and appetizer. The service was a tad slow at first (took awhile to get water and oil for the bread). However, the manager made up for it by being so personable and charming.
There was a mix up in communication, though. I met a friend there who had already eaten. When I ordered my food, two entrees came to us. Good thing my friend was still hungry after our glasses of wine because he ate his. But under any other circumstance we would’ve sent it back. And I did emphasis we only wanted one dish. Mind you, he just had the same thing before I got there!
Anyway… When my food arrived, Carpaccio di Manzo, it was delicious. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I had the Italian donuts, which were a nice balance of sweet and creamy, but just okay. Service was a bit like pulling teeth, I shouldn’t have to stretch my neck around constantly looking for the server.
I would go back and try other items on the menu, but for now my review remains a solid 3.5.

Went here and got the 4 course tasting menu. The second course, a seafood ravioli, was so bad that my girlfriend pushed it away. I soldiered on and spent the next day with food poisoning. The food itself was quite bland.
I got a glass of red wine which I told them was bad; tried a different kind of wine and I think they just gave me the same one — also bad. My girlfriend’s white wine was also bad.
Service was fine but it was very stuffy inside and when I get sick from the food it really doesn’t pay to spend $ 200 on dinner.

My boyfriend and I went using a groupon for 4 course tasting meal. Generally the experience was good. Having gone to Le Cirque, it is a smaller a slightly less casual version of the place. The ambience is still hard to describe as casual and the service is formal. I think everything we had was good. But not extraordinary. If you are looking to eat at a good new american cuisine, this place is good. This is a kind of place that you would want to take your significant other’s parents visiting from the midwest to impress them. Nothing in the menu jumped out at me but everything they served were done well.

Just finished a great lunch here and the service, décor and food was excellent. I’m going to keep my review short and sweet because i have to get back to work:). Homemade pasta and bombolini — Italian donuts for dessert. With a glass of wine and a perfect espresso this just hit the spot.

Wondering into a random restaurant in NYC, especially midtown, is never a good idea, but when you are too hunger to spend 30 minutes on Unilocal,what can you do?
After we wondered in, someone nicely took our coats and asked if we had a reservation. No, we responded, but considering it was a Monday night at 7pm and only two tables were occupied, it seemed like we were ok. She took our coats and disappeared to the coat area. Next we were asked again if we had a reservation and we responded no, once again but now by someone else. «We will find you a table» the new person said, as if they had to go searching for a table in the Serengeti because we were so audacious as to try to dine without a reservation.
Anyway, we were seated and asked what we wanted to drink. Off he went, then someone else came and asked what we want to drink. I guess with the restaurant so empty we got two waiters? Just kidding, we only had one, but he was very attentive and also a little pushy about ordering an appetizer. If I say I don’t want an appetizer is it necessary to push the zucchini chips?
That said, the zucchini chips were very good so that’s a plus. My major course was a squash ravioli which was delicious but also tiny. My friend visiting from London also remarked it was tiny and when a non-​American remarks a portion is tiny, it’s really tiny. It was on the sweeter side which I enjoyed emmensely. I just wish there was more of it. Maybe that’s why there was such a hard sell on the zucchini chips.
Besides the food, the staff was very attentive and my water glass was seamless refilled. The sweets plate at the end was a nice touch. When we left the restaurant had not increased in occupancy thus suggesting they weren’t reserved tables being held.
UPDATE: It appears on reading some other reviews that this restaurant is the traditional Italian Pasta course then main dish set up. If so, labeling the courses «first and second» would be helpful.

Stoped by here with some friends for restaurant week and had a great time.
The décor is really cute, a light cirque de soliel feel. The food was very savory and light… and small, but very good. The service was great, I must say we had a great waiter (I think his name was Jeremy) and the maitre d was super accommodating.
Glancing at the regular menu, I don’t find the prices too pricey and would definitely come back on a non-​restaurant week in the near future.

The man and I came here on a Groupon (2 tasting menus w. wine pairings) and really really enjoyed it. Since there were two choices per course, we just got one of everything (except dessert since you pick off the normal dessert menu for this course). The Wine pourings were not full glasses, but it was nice to have the added something with the meal as I believe the cheapest glass of wine is $ 9 out of all their wines by the glass).
First they brought a tasty bread basket to the table with oil and salt and pepper on the table. I love a good bread basket.
The first course: I think I liked the seafood salad better, though the beet salad was very tasty. I am just a sucker for grilled octopus.
2^nd: Both pastas tasted fresh and homemade. I really liked the ravioli, though it was a bit sweet and I would have loved a little parm on top to cut the sweetness. The Squid ink pasta was super tasty and the first time I had tried such a pasta.
3^rd: The lamb was good, though I wish there had been a *little* more meat on the chops. The fish was tasty with whatever that sauce they poured on top was. Both came with root veggies which were very nicely done.
Dessert: I chose the chocolate cake and it was AMAZING. I definitely won this round. The man got a pistachio (i think) torte thing with a coffee gelato. I liked his gelato.
All in all, I think it was definitely worth the groupon. I don’t know that I would have wanted to spend the full price, but the food was very tasty. Get the groupon!

Came here on a Friday night to use our Groupon and had a great dining experience!
The restaurant is very spacious and decorated with circus-​related items, but it’s done in a tasteful way. The hostesses and waitstaff were also very friendly and attentive.
The Groupon deal was a 4 course tasting menu.
–1^st course–
Insalata di Barbabietole (beet salad, goat cheese, pistachios): Refreshing and light. Loved the goat cheese. A nice way to start the meal. The presentation was also very pretty.
Mare Nostrum (octopus, calamari, shrimp, clam, arugula): A good variety of seafood and prepared well.
–2^nd course–
Mezzaluna di Zucca (butternut squash ravioli): Slightly sweet, and the squash filling wasn’t too heavy. The pasta was also nicely cooked.
Garganelli al Nero di Seppia (squid ink pasta, ragu, calamari): Loved this. The ragu was the perfect complement for the squid ink pasta. A blend of hearty, sour, and salty flavors. Probably one of my favorites of the night. Also a generous portion.
–3^rd course–
Carre d’Agnello al Forno (roasted lamb, artichokes, potatoes): Very savory and satisfying. If you are a carnivore, you will love this. Was sad there were only two pieces.
Branzino (sea bass): Not as good as the lamb, but a nice lighter option. The waiter showed us the shell of the fish before they brought it out, which was kinda random/​cool.
–4^th course–
Bomboloncini (donuts with chocolate marmalade and cappuccino cream cup): More like cream puffs than donuts, but not too sweet. I really enjoyed the adorable mini cappuccino cream cup.
Torta della Nonna (sable tart with pinoli nuts and caffe-​latte gelato): Reminded me of a cookie from a traditional Italian bakery. Also not too sweet and had an airy texture.
They also gave a few cookies with our dessert.
Overall, I would highly recommend Circo for a nice dinner or special occasion. Only thing I couldn’t understand was why it wasn’t more crowded on a Friday night, but guess that helped to keep the noise level down.

Reserved dinner here before attending a theatre around the corner. The whimsical decorations around the restaurants was fun and interesting, while the lighting and tone kept the atmosphere intimate and cosy.
I wish I could have gotten the prix fixe menu but I was too full from eating my way around the city. However, my friends really liked the Garganelli Al Nero Di Seppia as the appetizer. I jumped right into an entrée of Cacciucco alla Livornese. It was the most favorful succulent dish I’ve had in a while. It was complex and rich, with all the seafood cooked to perfection. I will probably dream of this dish from now on. A perfect start to the evening, from the service to the food and the ambience.

If I could hide this place 10 *‘s I would. From starter to main to desert this place was lights out. Get the back room. Romantic. Raised fireplace on back wall (14 of us sat right under it). Place was swanky. Happy BDay Mitchell.

It is the first time I am writing a review about a restaurant, but this place with the staff they have, definitely deserves one.
From the moment we were greeted by the charismatic Maitre’d to the end of our meal when we got our coats back, it was a a fantastic experience.
Very good variety of wines, delicious food and excellent dessert will definitely make me go back to this place.
Keep up the good job guys.

The best Italian option in NYC.
The amusement starts in the arrival with the best sympathetic host, Bruno is always a delight. The food is constantly good and up to the standards. The timing is great and waiters are also very helpful.
Circo it’s a life wondrous experience that everyone should have.

The Maccioni family’s casual offspring (Sirio is from Le Cirque) has a fun circus atmosphere with seriously old school roots in its menu. A $ 25 lunch prix fixe menu is a bargain for a midtown restaurant with this kind of quality.
The lunch menu was more than I could eat, so I chose the Cacciucco Alla Livornese, one of their signature dishes, with monkfish, prawns, calamari, octopus, mussels, and clams for $ 29. It was everything a hearty rustic seafood should should be, with earthy aromas and depth of flavor. My companion ordered the arugula salad for $ 14 and added chicken $ 7.
Even though neither of us had room for dessert, a plate of little bites was offered with espresso, a sweet way to start the afternoon.

Went with a friend for a quick bite before the opera. We were the first table seated at 5:30pm but it quickly filled up. Bruno checked in on us and made sure all was well.
I had the Caesar salad and it was delicious. Full long romaine lettuce leaves with light dressing with anchovies and freshly grated cheese. It was accompanied by a very thin slice of toast with an egg in the middle– delicious.
No time for dessert since we chatted the time away before I had to dash to the Opera. They brought a dish of assorted cookies with my friends coffee and the bill– mini biscotti, chocolate chip, and meringues. There were also jellied candies that burst with flavor– obviously homemade.
Love the location and the amusing décor. Would like to come back for a full dinner.

Yikes. I went here last year and at least it was OK. This time around was pretty awful at every turn.
Service was awkward and not very helpful.
The Mare Nostrum ($ 26 Octopus​carpaccio, seared calamari, shrimp, clam crostino) was bland and uninspired, though the plating was interesting. The «bed» of thin sliced octopus carpaccio held together in some sort of aspic was neat but not tasty.
I’m not sure if my $ 39 Veal Parmesan was supposed to look like a round elementary school pizza (to be cute?) but blech. Not very good. Also, how about a different accompanying salad/​garnish rather than the exact salad/​garnish that came with the app?
My partners Gamberoni Pietrasanta ($ 34 Pan seared prawns, chestnut honey, peperoncino calabrese, artichokes, zucchini) sounds like a winner but was cloyingly sweet and desperately could have used more spice/​pepper (anything).
My dessert (when they finally brought the correct one) was awful. Torta della Nonna con Gelato ($ 11 Sable tart filled with vanilla cream with toasted pinoli nuts and café-​latte gelato). It was dry and stale tasting and was markedly missing any «filling» of vanilla cream and I didn’t see any pine nuts.
Honestly 2 stars is being very generous (especially for a $ 250 dinner).

I recently learned that Circo is the sister restaurant to the French restaurant, Le Cirque. The décor is whimsical meets cirque du soleil. I recently dined during restaurant week’s summer menu and the food was exceptionally good though I found the serving size to be petite.
I selected the Garganelli al Nero di Seppia which is Squid ink garganelli, shrimp, calamari in a ragù chili tomato sauce as an appetizer selection; followed by my entrée of Tagliata Skirt steak, sweet chili pepper, cippoline onions, roasted mushrooms, pink peppercorns. The serving size of the entrée consisted of four slices of skirt steak, two halved potatoes and one onion. The best dessert option was the Blueberry Tart served with a side of ice-​cream which was delectable.
The patrons seem to be all business men and women peppered with a few casual diners. There’s no cocktails specials at the bar but the wine menu encourages you to purchase a bottle before contemplating wine by the glass.

It was only an OK place, nothing special, nothing excitingly…
The pizza was very wet, to much grave… The pasta wasn’t «el Dante» and when we asked the waiter– why? He said– you have to ask for it…

Invited here for a business dinner for 6 on a Sunday night at 7:30pm. Upon arrival, the rest of the party was already there seated, and we immediately joined them.
Ambiance: it was interesting. Think circus colors. Water served in cobalt blue goblets, orangey colored walls, circus tent segments hanging from ceiling and steel stick figure sculptures. Clientele was older (50’s-70’s); several large groups (one large business group took up a section of restaurant).
Started with a bottle of Chianti which was very good.
Food:
Caesar salad-​Very Good. 3 anchovies on top, lots of fresh Parmesan, and interesting twists of sunny side up egg on side.
Eggplant Parmesan: I wasn’t a fan. Looked like lasagna with layers of eggplant & cheese.
Cheese plate: was more bland than expected.
Service: Very good. Attentive and felt no pressure to leave despite being there past closing.

Went in for $ 25 Restaurant Week lunch.
Great selection of dishes, awesome tasting food, and good portions.
Service was very professional
Food took a bit long 5o come out
Complement bread basket is amazing.
Perfectly crispy loaf of bread and warm garlic bread. Load up on it.
Recommended:
Veal Agnolotti appetizer — nice pasta app, like stuffed shells with veal inside.
Guancia Di Manzo Brasata — nice chunk of braised beef, super tender. Flavor and texture reminded me of the meat in a beef stew. I thought it was a great portion size.
Apple Tart — nice little tart with gelato