Circles Bistro

Not open when they say they are. Not open when they say they are. Not open when they say they are. Not open when they say they are.

Dining here for many years and always impressed. Dinner is always over the top! Chef Judy is amazing and so accommodating, Kenny is a great server and Michael has a great, great wine selection!!! Absolute must try in Carrollwood.

Been a long time customer from their south Tampa location. Same menu with some different specials and more desserts than I remember. Tiramisu has always been really great! Everything here is great from lobster bisque, spinach salad, any entrée (I got crispy duck with Jalapeño raspberry sauce tonight) to the dessert of tiramisu and chocolate walnut pound cake. Wow! The pound cake was excellent! I wouldn’t have gotten it but the waitress’s recommended it. WOW!
Great place for wines! Ask Michael for a recommendation.
A must eat place in Tampa. The menu has a good variety.
Everything was excellent. Service was really slow but that was ok. I wasn’t in a rush. Make reservations.

This place tonight was unusually busy. Had 7:30 reservations and nearly every table and all seats at the bar were filled. Either they were short on staff or did not anticipate a crowd this evening, their service was slow. Ken our waiter did a nice job under the circumstance.
I had the French Onion Soup, house salad with blue cheese dressing and the Veal Piccata. The soup was very good with the crunchy bread and gooey cheese. Not salty at all, rare for French Onion Soup.
The salad was very fresh, but bland. Lettuce, onion, green pepper and tomato. The blue cheese dressing was ok, no chunks of blue cheese. May not be home made.
The Veal Piccata was perfect. Tender and very flavorful. Side of pasta accompanied the dish.
The hard dishes they did very well. The simple salad was something I did not expect from Circles. I have been eating at Circles for many years including when they were in this area 15 + years ago in another location.
Lastly, they have a very nice outside area when the weather is warmer for not only outside dining but a nice place to go for coffee at the end of the evening.

Not knowing what kind of restaurant this was from the outside, no menu on the outside to preview, my 10 yr old daughter and I decided to be adventurous one Sunday after church… switching it up from our usual chain lunch of the typical chain like Panera’s or Chili’s. It turns out the menu was solely brunch and no kid’s menu. We decided on the Quiche Lorraine and pancakes. Both were good enough. My daughter was most impressed with the fruit compote butter. It was delicious. On the higher end of price points but, portions were a good size. Won’t likely return for brunch but, may try for another time. The menu looked interesting.

Great food, reasonably priced, Michael the owner is ‘foodie’ and a lot of fun, perfect dining atmosphere in the heart of Carrollwood Village, Tampa. A must restaurant for anyone who loves fine dinning be sure to try my personal favorite the Hunan Chicken with Peanuts, enjoy.

I went for lunch with my parents and an infant in a car seat. The owners were very accommodating in setting up the table with two chairs for me to put the car seat on and quickly getting the check when I sensed the infant was about to wake up.
Let me start with the drinks. A solid wine list and Germany beer on tap. Not just any German beer but Dunkel Weiss and Hefe on tap. Immediately I knew I was going to like this place. If you never had Dunkel Weiss you are missing out.
The food was fantastic. They provide bread for the table which is almost like a biscuit. It was warm and fresh. One of the dishes we order was nut encrusted cod with rice and veggies. The fish was cooked to perfection, the crust was tasty and the veggies were seasoned with a great pepper sauce.
Their menu has a slight Thai influence. I cannot wait to come back and sample more of their menu… and get a German beer!

Innovative menu, consistent quality, friendly and competent staff. The pear, arugula steak salad and small plate choices are
super for those times when you’re eating light. And yes, the lobster bisque is not to be missed!

Been following Mike & Judy around town for 20+ years. So glad they settled back close to their home in Carrollwood. This is a business that reflects the owners for better or worse. Yes, definately an unprofesional cluttered look at the door, but Judy is a great chef & master at various ethnic styles all done very well! The brunch as mentioned in other reviews is wonderful, the fresh fruit & strawberry butter are excellent. Don’t be afraid to glance at both the dinner & lunch menu’s no matter what meal you are there for. If Judy is not overwhelmed usually she is agreeable to make the dish off either menu. Naturally there are $ differences for portion size differences. The shrimp used in the shrimp dishes are very large. Never have had a bad meal there & rarely have had room to try out their homemade deserts. I go there for the chicken Czarina with eggplant. Czarina sauce on anything is exceptional! Service can sometimes suffer depending on staffing. Although, rarely closed except on stated days off, be reminded this IS a family business & they are the business so if other life issues arise they may have to be closed. Be safe & call ahead

Had dinner at Circles for the first time a couple of weeks ago. We stopped by without reservations early on a Saturday evening (we tried to call but their phone was out) and were seated right away. What a pleasant surprise! The servers were attentive and friendly, the owner helped us pick out a nice wine, and the food was really excellent. The lobster bisque was creamy but not heavy, with just the right amount of kick. The filet in wine sauce was excellent, and the lamb chops (a special that night) was even better. To top off the meal, we had a crème brûlée that was as good as any we’ve ever tasted.
The restaurant doesn’t do a very good job of getting its name and reputation out (they need a website), but based on our first experience, it is really a gem. We will return.

South Tampa’s loss is certainly Carrollwood’s gain, as this long-​time popular bistro along Azeele Street moved up north to set down some roots at the intersection of N. Dale Mabry Highway and South Village Drive. Circles Bistro now sits in the Carrollwood Village Shops shopping center along with Chili’s, World of Beer, Anthony’s Coal-​Fired Pizza, and Ocean Blue Sushi. Circles is on the very west end of this shopping plaza, facing South Village Drive.
Some of you might remember that Circles was a well-​known Carrollwood bistro with a disastrous parking problem, and that’s why they pulled up stakes and moved to South Tampa. Now some 13 years later, the Prodigal Son has returned to Carrollwood in a shopping center with lots of available parking spaces.
I was there for Sunday Brunch with my adorable girlfriend, and we were midway through a furniture assembly project of epic proportions when she suggested that we should find something to eat. A quick scan of my trusty Unilocal app, and we found ourselves at Circles Bistro which was near to our neighborhood Lowe’s.
The outside of Circles Bistro disguises the serene atmosphere inside, and that has always been one of Circles hidden charms. This is a place where you can walk inside and say hi to Michael and Judy. Judy is the chef, while Michael works the front of the house and tends to the bar. There are only about 12 — 15 tables in the restaurant, and about 15 barstools surrounding the bar. The tables all face out to the enclosed courtyard. There is no Wi-​Fi service inside the restaurant, and they recommend that their patrons converse with each other, or read through the Sunday paper.
I started my meal with a spicy Bloody Mary, and Brittany ordered a mimosa. After perusing the various breakfast & brunch options I selected a seafood omelet made with sautéed shrimp, scallops, lump crabmeat, and lobster meat with sweet onions and melted Monterey Jack cheese. Britt ordered the goat cheese, spinach & tomatoes omelet. Both omelets came with a choice of home fried potatoes or a fresh fruit medley, and we both opted for the fruit.
While Michael was mixing our drinks, Judy came out of the kitchen to deliver the homemade multi-​grain bread with a strawberry compound butter. Oh yum!!! The omelets arrived shortly thereafter, and they were delicious. In my case lots of very good seafood, covered with melted cheese inside of a fluffy omelet. The fresh fruit medley had a nice mix of apples, strawberries, blueberries, melon, and grapes. Very delicious meal for $ 12 a piece, plus the drinks.
The brunch menu at Circles has lots of traditional egg dishes and some lighter entrées. Even though seating is limited you are encouraged to relax and enjoy your meal without being made to feel rushed.
The traditional lunch and dinner menu lists a wider variety of casual multi-​cultural dining options including Italian, Asian, Cajun, Indonesian, and classic Americana meals. Prices for these meals are closer to $ 20, and that includes soup or salad. Rumor has it that their lobster bisque is legendary, so I’ll go back soon to give that a try.
Circles has a full bar and a rather-​large wine cellar, but precious little storage space for the cases of wine as they arrive. Expect to see the boxes lined up in the hallway as you walk back to their dining room.
Bottom line — a nice place for a quiet Sunday brunch where you can relax and enjoy your food and drink.

Everytime I go I am more impressed, just delicious freshly prepared food at its finest… Today I ordered the Rice Flour Dredged Calamari with Jalapeño Topping — fabulous…then I ordered 2 Asian entrees (to take home leftovers) – Hunan Chicken and Beef and Broccoli… both well done… my husband’s veal with gorgonzola was so tender and flavorful and of course the Lobster bisque is crucial if this is your first visit… love this place.

Looking at the restaurant from the outside & without knowing what we were stepping into, I was a little confused as to what type of cuisine this restaurant served as the name or the outside décor didn’t really have any indications of the type of cuisine inside. Guess the only way ever find out is to be adventurous and go in right ?
When we walked inside i was surprised to see wine cases lined up on the walls right by the entrance. Perhaps they just got their new shipments in? When you saw the wine cave from our seats, i could tell they had a nice selection at hand but we opted for a drink at their bar instead. I ordered a sazarac which was very good & strong … just the way i like my drinks!
For appetizers we ordered the circles dim sum & lobster bisque. I loved the lobster bisque as it was very creamy and tasty. The dim sum (pork, crab meat, and fresh herbs, steamed in wonton wraps, with browned garlic drizzles and chili soy dip) was also very flavorful and me and the misses finished each one in one bite. I only wish more was served as our portion only had about 4 pieces = $ 6.50
For our main course i ordered the Crispy Duck breast w/​Black cherry brandy sauce. The duck was very crispy which i liked alot and had just the right combination of sauces to balance out the taste. I finished my meal along with the rice. The misses ordered the Shrimp Paht Thai which was just ok as the noodles were a bit on the dry side. On the bright side they did include alot of shrimp! We ended up taking this home to go and ended up splitting it for lunch the next day.
All in all circles was a nice place to try if you are looking for a menu selection that can cater to a large audience, as they have pasta & asian dishes on the menu.

Circles serves some of the best food in Tampa. How many places in Tampa can you get a filet mignon that you can literally cut without a knife … just a fork?
We’ve been going to Circles since the original location first opened a few miles south of the current location (at least 15 or so years ago). Sure, the prices are not the very extreme value they once were, but the prices back then were so low that I actually felt almost like I was stealing by paying so little for such good food. I can certainly understand that no non-​corporate restaurant could stay afloat nowadays with the same extremely low $ 8 – 10 entrée prices that Circles had in the 1990s. Circles serves unique recipes of fresh ingredients prepared by a skilled chef, not pre-​packaged microwave food thrown on a plate by a fry cook, so I don’t expect fast-​food prices.
The service we receive is always very friendly and attentive. In fact, it’s especially nice to know that the owners care enough about their customers to spend most of their time in the dining room working along side the staff to ensure customers are happy.
The atmosphere is nice, but not opulent. That is perfectly fine with us since we go to a restaurant for good food, not overly pretentious décor. This is Tampa after all, not someplace like New York where people go to dinner in suits and evenings gowns.

Celebrating a birthday I recommended Circles as I had been a fan from years ago when it was located in the plaza just a short distance from its present location. Started with the Duck Confit and Egg Rolls. Crispy Duck, Veal Oscar, and Seafood Tortellini were our entrée choices. Portions were large, came out hot and delicious. Service attentive and friendly with the pace expected with the fare served. Perfect place for the diner who enjoys food that is classic with a creative touch. Looking forward to our return. Next time I will save room for desert!

I’m not sure which Circles restaurants are related to other ones, or if there is any relation at all. Seems like another Yummy House syndrome. This was ok, nothing special. It was pricey for what you get as my girlfriend’s veal scalopini was about 2 ounces of meat. My french onion soup was really good, but that doesn’t leave me craving anything from here.

When I went in, I was looking for a light meal and some dessert. So I ordered from their appetizer and small plates menu. It worked out perfectly. I was able to make a 3 course meal out of it without being ridiculously overfed. I ordered Lobster Bisque as an appetizer, braised short ribs with lobster mashed potatoes, and a chocolate walnut cake. Their Lobster bisque soup was a little watered down with very little lobster but it was still decent. The short ribs were a little salty but the mashed potatoes were just right. I almost wished I had a full sized order they were so delicious. The cake was not too sweet and just the right portion size. I always worry about that with desserts.
My complaints are the lay out of the place because of all the boxes piled up near the entrance. It almost seemed as if you are entering the place from the backdoor. Also, the bakery seemed to be hidden off to the side, I didn’t even know that they had their own bakery until the waiter pointed it out as I was getting ready to leave. Overall, the experience was good but not award winning.

Tried once again and unfortunately it was just as disappointing as the other tries. It is always discouraging when a local mom-​n-​pop bistro cannot seem to help themselves a little more. The décor has improved since our last visit and at least the front hallway held slightly endearing stacked wine cases instead of chairs — a bit tight to navigate to the door or restrooms though.
Our waiter was truly trying hard but did not meet expectations at all. As a foursome of ladies meeting for lunch we noticed a larger group of the red/​purple hat club, a few business lunches and a couple of single professional types dining at the bar. The croquet monsieur was rich and very tasty but quite too salty between the ham, bechemel and cheese. The menu said it was to come with a side of fries which never came– the waiter delivered a side salad to me instead and I asked why there weren’t fries and he said it didn’t come with it. Not in the mood to argue or point out the menu, I ignored the salad. Strangely though 2 of the other ladies ordered salads and their came out well ahead of the lunch entrees– so something was very amiss. One of them was supposed to get a salad with her yummy salmon and the other was not supposed to do she was charged.
The glass of wine I ordered had to be requested twice before it finally came with the meal. It is so disappointing that they cannot seem to get their act together, the place is so local and used to be here in the area years ago… maybe someday the owners will catch on. I would recommend going elsewhere… third time was Not a charm,

Although this location has low scores, I totally enjoyed it. The restaurant owner’s wife is the chef. There is a connection between the Circles in Apollo Beach and this location in the Carrollwood area… the owners are brothers who parted ways but no bridges were burned.
We ordered the calamari and it was pretty good; I appreciated receiving the rings versus the usual combo rings-​tentacles like other restaurants.

I visited Circles right before their south Tampa location closed and loved it. We were upset that such a good find was closing but were excited to find they were just moving to this new location. The menu choices are somewhat of a head scratcher at first (Asian dishes along with Italian dishes?), but it totally works. My favorite is the chicken scampi. Delicious! The bread they give you before each meal is fantastic. Great desserts such as crème brûlée and key lime pie also. The only thing that frustrates me about this place is that you cannot get lunch on the weekend.