Le Cercle
our review
Almost invisible with its low-key, side street doorway leading to a surprisingly large underground set of rooms, Cercle’s advanced and stylish French cooking should come as no surprise to anyone that’s eaten at sister places Comptoir Gascon or Club Gascon. For lunches for ladies who like to eat light at lunch this is just the ticket. Executive Chef Thierry Beyris concept of French tapas, combined with a no-nonsense set price lunch menu, means you can explore a range of tastes without having trouble getting back up the stairs afterward.
The little booths and the staggered levels all contribute to an air of intimacy for diners, together with space for the solitary eater not to feel lonesome. The fact that it’s below ground level also means good privacy for those romantic assignations or business meetings.
White asparagus, much superior to the green stuff even when English asparagus is in season, came with a shivering blob of hollandaise held in shape by its own surface tension. The crisp asparagus spears dunked in the sauce made luxurious mouthful you could almost convince yourself was virtuous. The following dish Tuna confit and crispy melting pork with bernaise sauce was a bit richer but any excess calories had to be forgiven when confronted with the flavour. The pork was just as described, and the tuna flavour intense from the confit process. Another good dish that looked right and tasted better.
And then Boudin noir aux pommes, piment d’espelette, basically a fine French black pudding whose crispy skin split to let the crumbly and dense filling spill out to splash down in the apple. A classically simple dish that simply relies on good ingredients to work, and these all were. It’s the sort of thing you’d like to find in a small Parisian restaurant but so seldom manage to do these days.
Finally chocolate fondant and mint ice cream, with the minty sparkle of the ice cream working well with the rich chocolate that poured out from the centre. The petite portion meant once again that this wasn’t overpowering for lunch.
Service is swift, unobtrusive and friendly as to be expected from this group and prices are no worse than places that have far less skill in the kitchen. The lunch menu is a bargain and the evening menu not much more. Recommended.
N.H. - May 2007
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
A valentines dinner, 7.30pm sitting.
The restaurant looked beautiful and the staff were all extremely friendly. Service was slower than i would have liked, however, the manager did explain that they were trying a new valentine menu which they hadn't done before and therfore took off the service charge from the bill (only after i asked mind you!).
Some neighbouring tables had an absolute nightmare. Meat being served to Vegitarians, wrong wines, waiting 20 minutes before deserts and worst of all, the cheese course being served instead of the main course!
The food was exceptional, although a little overpriced at just under £10 per course for the 5 course set menu.
I would go back again, but i wouldn't go out of my way to make the trip across London again.
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Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Friday, February 15, 2008
A wonderful restaurant: the dining room is a gorgeous and good-looking space. Service is prompt, informal and pleasant, and the wine list is extensive. However, it’s the excellent food that sets Le Cercle apart.
Like its sister restaurants Club Gascon and Comptoir Gascon, this is not a “French restaurant” in the traditional sense (and those below criticising the sizes of the portions are really missing the point).
Dishes are small but the idea is that you order three or four of them, and then a dessert or cheeses if required. That said, we’re not talking nouvelle cuisine here; but instead well-sourced and beautifully prepared tapas-sized delicacies. It’s a tasting menu and one that – for the quality of the food – is very good value.
A really superb dining experience. I can’t wait to go back.
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ADL - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, January 28, 2008
My wife and I booked here for lunch after reading reviews in the Good Food guide and on this site, and very impressed we were. Excellent food, loved the tapas style dishes and thought it was good value for money for such quality. We also found the service to be excellent, attentive without being too intrusive, although the restaurant was far from full.
We would definitely go back again
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John Fox
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, January 17, 2008
A surprise find for dinner after a concert ar the Cadogan Hall in the next street. The most attentive service found in a London restaurant for ages. Decor very relaxing and pleasant with the tables well apart. Intimate booths for couples. Wine list excellent though as is usual in London, pricey. The menu is very novel and the food is both cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. The 'tapas' idea is novel for a French restaurant but it works perfectly for sharing. Highly recommended for those with fairly deep pockets
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allwol
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, August 26, 2007
This was supposed to be a birthday treat and it certainly wasn't that! Two of us waited 50 minutes to be served. Then the sommelier got the drinks order completely wrong. She then proceeded to try to put a bottle of red wine to chill until we stopped her.
The food took a further 40 minutes to get to our table. The food was certainly worth it, boudin noir especially.
Not worth going if it's busy for awful service but otherwise the food and wine are spectacular.
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contessa - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Saturday, July 07, 2007
I'm very fond of this place, and particularly like the booths as it's quieter. The only problem with being in a booth is the waiters tend to forget you and so service can become tiresomely slow. The food though is exquisite, beautifully cooked and presented, and if you are not in a hurry then I can't think of many other places that could beat this one. Bit on the pricey side, so save it for special occasions.
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Peebee - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
One can only assume that those reviews that said the portions were "too small" missed the point of Le Cercle or were American. Or both. It is a tasting menu. The portions are meant to be small.
The atmosphere is friendly and informal with a good buzz. The alcoves are cosy for couples or small groups, and the main tables are well spaced. Thankfully the over-bright lighting that afflicted the place for a period has gone.
The cocktails are epic, as well as being served in perhaps the best pre-meal bar in London - cleverly lit, semi-isolated from the diners, cosy and extremely chic, this is one of the few places where being stood up for an hour is actually a pleasure.
The food is exquisite. All the dishes are carefully and beautifully presented. The ingredients are obviously very carefully soucred, and the menu is very skilfully crafted. Every dish from the apparently mundane to the rather exotic has its own quirks. Simply outstanding.
The wine list is extensive and excellent, and although not cheap there are one or two bargains lurking.
Service is (usually) first class - relatively informal as befits somewhere with a pretty relaxed atmosphere, but not overly so.
Le Cercle is not cheap, but given the quality of the food, it is not at all expensive. In my opinion it is some of the best food in London, and well below the prices of its rivals on that basis.
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Henry Ward - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Each dish is about half the size of a normal entree, so although not filling, they are deliciously satisfying, especially when teamed with a wine recommended by the excellent sommelier. As you would expect for the price, the staff are well-educated and the service is swift and efficient.
Highly recommended
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Sam
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Managed to get a table on short notice a week ago. This was truly a great find, from both a culinary and experience perspective. Spectacular food, great, but overpriced wine list (champagne best bet) wonderfull service. A true must for a superb, different French meal. The veal, beef onglet, fois gras, sea bass etc. etc. all truly great.
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Melvyn
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
I went there with my girlfriend last night for the first time and it was a complete success. The room is beautiful and we sat by a big fireplace for a cocktail before they took us to our table.
there is a lovely buzz about the place and you feel the staff want to be there.
the food is amazing, straying far from the usual French fare. Small tasting portions are chosen and brought to the table in the order you chose them. We shared starters and enjoyed them all, the highlight being dish of French Ravioles filled with cheese and served with truffle. We then had delicious seabass and haddock, followed by beef onglet and veal shank. we then shared Venison and John Dory, a cheese slate and a lovely rhubarb crumble. We had a lovely bottle of red wine from the languedoc region and went home feeling thoroughly satisfied. Can't wait to go back!
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sebastien
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, March 02, 2007
