Café Royal Circle Bar

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £13 (lunch)
   £13 (evening meal)
• House wine: £9.55 per bottle

• Hitlisted
• High point: Specials that actually feel special
• Low point: The draught blowing in the back door
• Food served: Mon-Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 12.30-10pm
• Bar open: Mon-Wed 11am-11pm; Thu 11am-midnight; Fri/Sat 11am-1am; Sun 12.30-11pm
• Open since: 1862

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

In this fickle, post-modern age, traditions are too often cast aside in the name of progress or mimicked without any real acknowledgement of their value. There are places where traditions are upheld, and done so in with class. The Café Royal Circle Bar is one such spot. The décor of detailed, tiled floors, highly polished dark wood and lustrous brass fittings hasn't changed all that much since the place opened in 1862, establishing a relaxed atmosphere that manages to be both earthy and elegant. The fine hand-pulled cask ales and malt whiskies on show at the Circle Bar don't deserve to be necked with microwaved lasagne, so it helps that the food here comes from the same kitchens as the adjacent Oyster Bar. Specials include baked sea bass with a caper dressing and crushed new potatoes, or you can stick to something from the regular menu: there's a kilo of mussels in tomato, chilli, red onion and coriander, or half a dozen oysters wrapped in bacon and grilled. In truth, even old standards such as steak and ale pie are a bit special. You suspect that if all pub grub was this good there would be barely enough time for any drinking.