More big flop than big top

Perhaps hoping to emulate the raging success of Galvin, Circus has decided to jump on to the bistro de luxe bandwagon. But it takes a lot more than a hasty refit and a Franco-porn menu to really cut the Dijon.

In any case, this is not bistro de luxe, more bistro de bog-standard: French onion soup, cod brandade, lamb steak with flageolets. Done well, I love this kind of stuff; here it was verging on the amateur - astonishing from an operation with renowned chef Rowley Leigh (Kensington Place) on board.

There's no use pouring the cooking liquid over moules marinière if all it tastes of is single cream and sea water. Or serving a mixed salad (with diced red pepper - how fabulously Harvester) without any dressing.

Duck rillettes, served terrine-style, tasted mostly of fat and cornichons and my minuscule sliver of halibut was almost raw. Only roast poulet de Bresse with rosemary and lemon delivered real bistro satisfaction.

We loved syrupy Alsatian Riesling (served too warm, though), rustic French bread and a generous plate of oozy cheeses - apart from a Cantal Deux (sic) which tasted like sweaty wax - but that was about it.

I remember when Circus was a hot meedja joint. Now it's populated with menopausal ad men hankering for the halcyon days of the unlimited expense account. Sorry guys, the glory days are over.