You don’t have to be staying at The Prince to dine at Circa. Thank goodness, otherwise we’d really be missing out. Owners John and Lisa van Haandel did a good thing when they revamped Circa for more casual dinning clientele (think bar food and share plates) in 2010. And while then head chef Matt Wilkinson has left the building (for his own venture Pope Joan, it wasn’t without good foundations for current head chef Jake Nicolson to crack on with.

There’s been a lot of to-do about the refurbishment, with its Wonderland-kooky-mushroom vibe, stacked wall of kitchen herbs by Joost Bakker and kitchen-garden rooftop ideals, but there’s more to Circa than just great re-design.

The service is flawless, with knowledgeable staff checking in just often enough, and with its view to the bustling kitchen a seat in the glass-roofed atrium is certainly pleasant. But the main event is still the food. Circa has a diverse menu. From breakfasts of fluffy buttermilk pancakes with downy citrus fromage to bar nibbles of whipped duck parfait with spiced wafers, from dinners of black truffle risotto, ‘our vegetables’ with tuber crisps and parmesan yoghurt to share dishes of 48-hour mutton shoulder, there’s no excuse not to see what all the fuss is about. And it’s executed with a style that has become Circa’s reputation.