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    Updated 1 week ago

    Services - Circa 81

    Bartending services

    Catering services

    On-site management services

    Circa 81 Photos

    Business Info

    CIRCA 81 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Circa 81

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    JC G.

    Tapas: Don't get the Bread Service, balsamic vinegar (in olive oil) is too sweet. Nothing Italian about this. Truffle Honey Pork Belly- Asian inspired (with sesame seeds and all). Thinly-cut pork belly (like a thick-cut bacon). Quite too sweet (it's the freaking arugula salad we discovered. Bad dressing.). Skip. Gambas al Ajillo - talking about extremes, this one has too much cayenne pepper. The ordinary White American will probably think this is too hot. To me it's pretty good. Rosemary Beef- beef is blah. Served with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Shrimp & Grits - think Indian curry versus Cajun. Really good. Great ambience-- good music (it was "Chill" this visit); perfect lighting.

    Tapas!
    Tom S.

    This place has amazing food! We were surprised when we were able to get a reservation for a Saturday evening even though it was mid-afternoon so we weren't expecting what we got. When we got there for our 8pm reservation we were surprised again as it was maybe half full. We chalked that up to maybe people around here eat out early. But still there wasn't anyone for a second seating. So now we were skeptical. But we were relying on the outstanding Yelp reviews this place gets. We weren't disappointed. We chose to go the tapas route, a very good choice. The chef has an eclectic offering which was good. Although we had five different dishes, all of them delicious, the duck stood out high above the rest. We also had the beef, shrimp bruschetta, olives and crème brûlée for desert. Our waiter was helpful in our choices and a friendly guy. What a delicious evening!

    Salmon
    Lesley L.

    Yummy food and attentive service, nice atmosphere too! Also enjoyed the background music. We'll be back!

    Gail C.

    I have been impressed with service all weekend here at Atlantic Beach and area. This restaurant is no exception. Service was outstanding. The food was average. Eggs overcooked, the specials over sold. Meh.

    Duck-amazing! Best I've ever had.
    Caitlin R.

    We were here visiting the area for a few weeks. There didn't seem to be a lot of places that stood out to us as far as reviews go until we found this place. This is an excellent spot for outdoor dining or a date night. It's a bit small inside, so reservations are recommended. We grabbed a place at the bar instead of a table, even though we had a reservation. The bartender was friendly and thoroughly explained the concept and menu. They have full-size portions in addition to tapas and also several off-menu specials. It was hard to decide what to order since everything looked terrific. We got the duck, potstickers, scallops, pork belly, crab soup, and the flounder. Our favorite items were the pork belly with melt-in-your-mouth cheese grits, the duck, and the scallops. The chef took great care with the presentation, making each dish look like a work of art. They had an impressive wine list, many specialty cocktails, and local beer on tap. I highly recommend this place, and it is definitely on top of my list of excellent restaurants I'd like to return to someday.

    Seared scallop with puff pastry
    April R.

    We can't say enough good things about this restaurant! The food is always amazing. Love the regular menu, and the nightly specials are always so good, especially tonight's seared scallops with a puff pastry. Pete is always so attentive, and our server, Becca B. Could not have been any more attentive. Our favorite restaurant!

    Crème Brulee
    Karli S.

    Such a wonderful experience! My wife and I had a last minute change dinner reservation with another restaurant and they warmly welcomed us -- literally, they walked up to the table and greeted us. It's our honeymoon and they made the most delicious crème brûlée with cute little hearts. Our waitress Becca was generous and so caring. The food, well there's no words to describe how good...this is a MUST if you're in the area.

    Potstickers & Sesame Tuna Salad
    Alissa C.

    On yet another work trip... which means, find some healthy yet delicious eats! That's where circa 81 came in. They had a bunch of selections to choose from but to be honest if ahi tuna is on the menu, that's what I'm getting. Plop that on a salad and it's a picture of healthy eats. The salad dressing was so so delicious and added a lot of flavor. The potstickers are usually something I'll always get on a menu as well and while I thought these were yummy, I have high standards and these weren't my favorite I've had. Would I get them again though? Yes. In another positive note, it's next to a bakery

    Danae B.

    Pretty good place. Drinks are very reasonably priced- big picture of sangria for $24! Wasn't very strong but had great flavor. Most of the tapas we had were very good. Favorites were the asparagus, crab dip and Brie. Our waitress (who also seemed to be the bartender) was awesome and super friendly! The rosemary beef was our biggest complaint, we ordered it medium and it arrived well done- dry and tough. Didn't have much flavor. Only other complaint would be we overheard a worker telling the table behind us he needed their table for a reservation and nicely asked them to wrap it up... I've never heard that or had that happened to me and felt really cringe for those people. It seemed unprofessional. When we arrived they also looked at us like we had 4 heads when we said we didn't have reservations, but they seated us anyway. So maybe just make sure to make reservations before you go.

    Benton 's ham with country loaf

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Best place to eat in Morehead City! Great ambiance and the food is outstanding! Staff are wonderful

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Best brussel sprouts ever!!! Wonderful sauce that i wish i could emulate. Salmon is wonderful too.

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    2 years ago

    Great place to sit at the bar and have small plates and a drink. Staff is great and always professional and pleasant!

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    Clarke M.

    Thanks! We look forward to serving you again!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Clarke M.

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    3 years ago

    Always love Circa!! I have never been disappointed with any of the entrees. The wait staff are phenomenal!

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Food was excellent as was the service. We ordered multiple small plates and shared among the table. Will return again.

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great food, great wine and great service. Best Sunday Brunch in town. We always enjoy ourselves at Circa.

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    4 years ago

    Never a bad meal or cocktail. It's embarrassing how I lick the bowl of the vanilla crème brûlée

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    7 years ago

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    Clarke M.

    Thanks so much for the kind feedback!

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Clarke M.

    Thanks so much!

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    3 years ago

    We love this restaurant and have never had a disappointment. The food, drinks, and service are always on point.

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Clarke M.

    Many thanks!

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    4 years ago

    Love , Love Circa !!! Especially on Martini Night . Food is great ! Would love to see some new things on the menu soon.

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    Page 2 of 9

    Ask the Community - Circa 81

    What safety measures are being taken in regards to Covid-19?

    Hi! All of our staff maintain strict cleaning procedures, including sanitizing seating and menus between guests. We do not seat guests within 6’ of each other and are at limited capacity for indoor dining. Our staff all wear masks and do deep… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Circa 81 - tapasmallplates - Updated July 2026

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