Situated on the beautiful thoroughfare that links two of Bath’s most Iconic architectural landmarks (that’ll be The Circus and The Royal Crescent, then), The Circus has, for some 15+ years, maintained an upper-eschelon foothold on the Best Independent Restaurants in Bath charts for multiple reasons.
Some might call it a bistro, others may liken it to a classic brasserie and, when the sun comes out to play, alfresco tables on the wide, historic pavement offer a distinctly Parisian street cafe vibe. It’s subtly glamorous and effortlessly chic, but whether you choose to rock up in your comfort zone jeans or slide into a little black dress, you’ll feel right at home here from the moment you walk through the door.
The restaurant’s head chef/proprietor Matthew Lisanti menus work sheer, joyful magic with locally-sourced ingredients that are more right here, right now bang on this season’s trends than Cara Delevingne’s latest red carpet outfit, the resulting dishes rooted in classic technique rather than flash-in-the-pan fads and each and every element beautifully presented without pretension, conceit or charade. The uniquely characterful wine list, meanwhile, is a joy to behold in its own right,
A starter of baked red mullet came escorted by earthy nduja and herbaceous olive gremolata crumb, both of which were fascinating but neither detracting from the magnificent fish in the spotlight. A second starter of Cheese Choux Bun — actually, three little sacks of crisp, savoury profiteroles — came with velvety fondue leeks infused with a clean uplift of distinctively aromatic tarragon that gave an intrinsically playful dish a polished, grown-up edge.
For mains, the accompaniments to my moist, sweet Chicken Suprême were satisfying superstars in their own right: a chorizo and pea succotash (a corn-based medley with Native American origins, nudged and tweaked in this instance to create Matthew’s own distinctive take on the combo), an elegant sweetcorn velouté and smoky charred corn ribs all combining to create a fresh, modern take on a winning chicken dinner indeed. But if you, like my partner, find it hard to move past ribeye steak on any menu you won’t miss out on Matthew’s magic, evident as clearly in the perfectly-cooked steak as it is in the generous slab of rich, glossy, deeply umami Café de Paris butter that melted into it. A massive grilled mushroom? The fat chips of your dreams? Tick, tick, tickety-boo.
A creamy Crème Brulée topped with the kind of caramelised lid you’d imagine a fairy to take great delight in skating on before I smashed it with my spoon and a zesty/floral Lemon and Elderflower Posset offered a memorable finale for our trip to the Circus, albeit with a little bit of clowning around thrown in when both of us tried to claim a neat slab of super-frangible Blondie as their own (it was definitely mine; it came with the Crème Brulée).
But The Circus is about even more than ‘just’ that food: it’s a timely reminder that, despite ongoing challenges, bold, tasty, tasteful independence continues to thrive in the heart of Bath; roll up and support it at your earliest opportunity.
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