Nice restaurant and food. We frequently visit the restaurant. The crew is always helpful and energetic.

Great atmosphere, great tapas, great service. For two people we paid about $55 (including drinks). Also, it wasn't crazy busy on a Friday night which was nice. We will definitely be visiting again! read more

Best place we have eaten for a long time! We are from Europe and really miss the quality of the food there. This food tastes great, looks amazing and service is perfect. Like the pace too. No hamburgers and fries but something different. Smaller portions (tapas) that enables you to try different things. We had the seared scallops, lamb chops, Brie in pastry, dades with chèvre. All delicious! And on top of that the best home made key lime pie we've ever had! We have tried many restaurants in the area but this is definitely our favorite! read more

Delicious fresh food, fantastic cocktails, nice atmosphere. Had the calamari, very good, and the salad with seared tuna - very good! P

It was my first time here and it was not that good. The server seemed too busy to be that attentive to us. Waited almost ten mins to be greeted. Waited another ten mins for our sangria to arrive. She put in my order wrong so had to wait another ten mins or so on that to come out... understandable as I know things happen in the restaurant business but I was a little annoyed by that point. I ordered the circa French toast and after it came out finally, it was super dry. Maybe if it had more of that syrup on it then it would be better but it wasn't that good. The home fries were honestly the best part about it besides the pitcher of sangria of course for $10. I would have said something to the server about my food but I honestly just wanted to leave at that point. She seemed to have a lot of tables and maybe that's what caused the mistake but nonetheless if it's that busy maybe they shouldn't give so many tables to one person because I genuinely felt bad for her. I still left a good tip as I always do and I might come back to try something for lunch or dinner but prob will skip brunch because I was not impressed with it at all. read more

She crab soup was awesome. My sesame tuna was overcooked but still delicious. The portion sizes are just perfect!

I love Circa 81. Great food and great service. And although the menu qualifies as "fine dining" you can eat there without spending a fortune -- especially if you share some of the tapas dishes. They do serve full dinners as well as tapas. Great lunches too! read more

We were first time visitors to Circa 81, and are glad we went. We enjoyed everything we had - esp. the she-crab soup and sweet potato quesadillas. Our waiter was very attentive without being intrusive. We would definitely recommend! read more

My family and I came across this restaurant after looking for a new place to eat other than the local restaurants we had been eating at all week. Although it was about a half hour drive from where we were staying, it was completely worth it! First, the staff was so attentive, polite, and friendly. It's not a big restaurant, but this added to its cozy atmosphere. In addition, the contemporary music (most of which I knew and loved) did not overpower or interfere with our dining experience. While it is family friendly, it may not be suitable for younger kids because of its quieter setting. Now, onto the food... The food was phenomenal! You could choose either the tapa style dining or a large entrée. I chose the Pappardelle Pasta with Greentail Shrimp, a large entrée. The creamy sauce was rich in flavors and the shrimp and vegetables were cooked to perfection. Luckily, my family members got different entrees and tapas, so I was able to taste theirs (whether they allowed me to or not). I was not disappointed. From the spinach salad to the crab cakes, I thought all of the dishes were very tasty and reasonably priced (check out their menu on their website). What I liked most was that their main entrees contained flavors that I had never tasted before. My cousin had the roasted duck special with tortellini that was so delicious that I'd be willing to drive the 9 hours from my home to the restaurant just to have it again. We even took advantage of their $10 pitcher of sangria on Sundays! Overall, it was a fantastic dinner to end our vacation in the Outer Banks with and I can't wait to go back again and try the rest of their menu! read more

Disappointed... Had Chef's Tour...over priced, some of the cheeses were nice but not good with the stale crackers.

Wonderful Sunday brunch! Seafood Mac was incredible and so was the stuffed Brie. Serving sizes were great for our party of 5. Also had the Circa Eggs Benedict with grits instead of home fries. Let me just say, those grits are better than anything I've ever had in my life. Everyone at the table gave mine a taste and then all ordered their own. Will be returning...especially for the grits! The only reason I rate this place as a 4 and not a 5 is because the Circa French Toast was not that great. The bread was dense and gooey, not crisp and fluffy like fresh toast should be. The serving size was very small and just the look of it was unappetizing. Other than that, all was fabulous! read more

Huge menu. Fabulous flavors, fresh, and nicely presented. Compliments to the chef. Appreciative service. A true find. We had lunch and will return for brunch and take away dinner. read more

It's always a treat to stop in at Circa81. I never had a dish I didn't like. We've done brunch, Tapas and dinner. The service is friendly the food tasty. Reservations are recommended. read more

Nice upscale atmosphere. Pricey. Pretty good food. My wife had she-crab cup of soup (bisque) and 1/2 soft shell sandwich ($8). I had a cheeseburger and chips ($9). Burger patty was thick. Served with mixed greens instead of lettuce, tomato, and red onions on kaiser roll. They do not offer fries...had choice of broccoli salad, pasta salad, or chips as side. For $9 I wanted big ol' steak fries. At least the chips were the thick, crunchy ones. Wife loved the bisque and 1/2 sandwich. She said burgers at Buffalo Wild Wings are better. With a beer and ice tea, total price was $27+ (including tip). read more

My wife and i ate at Circa-81 tonight.(12-12-12) This was by far the best tasting food i've ever eaten in any resturant. Service was great and the food Rocked! Local caught Maui and crab. Try it and you will agree! Wow is right! read more

Truly enjoyed the small plates and the mojitos. Certainly would return any day of the week. Good for date night, small groups or to stop in by yourself for a quick bite. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed our brunch experience on Valentine's Day. Food, drinks, service and atmosphere were amazing. A special thank you to Janet and Alex for making the day fun and keeping us entertained from behind the bar. Strongly recommend everyone give this place a try. read more

we walked in mid-afternoon, and had the place almost to ourselves; the staff were very friendly and the food was excellent; the seafood mac and cheese is now off the menu but the Medjool Dates with bacon, almond, chevre, sunchoke made up for it! read more

Inconsistent??? We've been here several times over the last six months. The first 2 times the food and service were excellent, however, this past time both were poor. Maybe this was because it's the off season. We had to repeatedly ask for water refills. My Hatteras burger was made incorrectly when it was first brought out, and when it was brought out the second time the egg was solid (over cooked) and the sweet potato fries were cold (I assume both were from the original plate). If I wasn't starving by that point I would have sent it back again. My wife's fish was good, but her pasta salad was under cooked (raw). The waiter claimed it was "al dente", a phrase that can be abused by people who are not familiar with real Italian food. This was absolutely undercooked by any definition. Since I'm already complaining about this visit, I'll mention the overpriced kids meal too. Six dollars for a half order (really a side) of mac n cheese with no sides or a drink? Overall the expectations for food and service at this higher end / pricier restaurant were not at all met on this last visit. We might give it one more shot and I'll update the yelp post if so. For now I'm giving 3 stars to average our 2 great visits and one really poor one. read more