We were greeted upon entering the restaurant and seated at a small table in the bar that was by the windows. The bartender was busy working and singing in between taking orders as she prepared drinks for customers. Our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and offered the specials before we placed our order. We love to sample the menu when we travel and the vast menu of tapas gave us the perfect opportunity to try just about everything. They had a smaller wine selection, but there was something for just about everyone. Our waiter was very attentive and offered suggestions on what to try if we were torn between several menu options. The Spanish lamb meatballs, truffle honey pork belly and rosemary beef were the tapas that stood out as the most flavorful and making us each want just one more bite. The Spanish meatballs were glazed with sriracha which caused me to pause before ordering. However, I'm so happy that we gave them a try. They had a bold flavor, but the whipped feta and cilantro were enough to balance the heat. The truffle honey pork belly was sliced differently. We have only had this cut into cubes at other restaurants in the past. The way that they slice the pork belly is so much better. The pork belly was served with cheese grits. We don't even like cheese grits, but could not get enough of these smoked Gouda grits. The rosemary beef with asparagus and mashed potatoes was perfect. The beef was tender, the asparagus cooked to perfection and who doesn't love mashed potatoes. We visit the crystal coast about twice a year and always try a couple of new places. We look forward to coming back to Circa 81 each time that we visit! read more

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We went to discover the place. It is a nice set up. We like very much the big number of the small plates going from $11 to $25. Diversified and well presented. - Crabe cake: pretty good but missing citrus coleslaw so a 7/10 - Brie with pepper jolly: probably the one we appreciate the most of the 3. Could have more toast though. - sesame seed seared tuna : good, 8/10 Overall the idea of trying many dishes is probably the most valuable option here. A little remark about our waiter is that we were not cared for but we were at the bar so that might be the reason. read more

Circa 81 - Crabe cake - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

Circa 81 is such a hidden gem. It doesn't feel overly fancy or stuffy, just really thoughtful food in a relaxed, cool space. We ordered the Half Chef's Tour, which is their charcuterie, and it was honestly one of my favorite parts of the night. Great variety, really well balanced, and perfect for sharing. It set the tone for the whole meal. The scallop nightly special was perfectly cooked with that golden sear and super tender inside. The rosemary steak had so much flavor and was cooked exactly right. The Brussels were crispy and savory, and even the potstickers were a standout. Nothing felt like an afterthought. Service was perfect for the tapas setting too. Not rushed, we didn't feel over bothered, but not neglected either. Overall, it felt elevated but still comfortable. A great experience without feeling over the top. We'll definitely be back. read more

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Circa 81 quickly became one of my most memorable meals along North Carolina's Crystal Coast: a restaurant that understands both timing and tone. We arrived with a reservation (always a wise move), though we were seated immediately, greeted by a gracious host who set our lunch off on the right note. Once settled, we were welcomed by Philip, whose ease and genuine enthusiasm made the experience feel less transactional and more personal. He spoke about the menu with confidence and curiosity, the mark of someone who truly enjoys being there. Drinks came first: my husband ordered a Painkiller easily one of the best we had during our time on the coast while our son stuck with a classic Coke, and I opted for water. As we ordered, it became clear we were leaning fully into the small plates philosophy. When Philip smiled and dubbed us "tapas aficionados," it felt like an acknowledgment rather than a joke and in that moment, we felt perfectly at home. The table filled quickly. Spanish lamb meatballs arrived first, glazed with sriracha and paired with whipped feta and cilantro bold, balanced, and deeply satisfying. Pork pot stickers followed, tender and flavorful, with a soy-ginger dipping sauce and sweet Thai chili providing just the right contrast. The Gambas al Ajillo shrimp bathed in extra-virgin olive oil and garlic, served with crostini, was classic and comforting. But the standout was the Potatoes Bravas: sliced potatoes grilled to a crisp and finished with a spicy brava aioli. They were addictive in the best way, the kind of dish you keep thinking about long after the table is cleared. Circa 81 is polished yet relaxed, clean, and thoughtfully maintained, a place where the food arrives hot, the service feels human, and the atmosphere invites you to linger. It's a restaurant I would happily return to, and one that earned its place among my favorites on the Crystal Coast. read more

Circa 81 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

The tapas is wonderful. Great choices. Sitting table of six is difficult because seating is spacious but taking care to speak to all takes care of that. The tapas opens up conversations very well. Wines, partial to gris's, was wonderful. Take your special person and even better. Service is good and attentive. I'm asking to go back again. read more

The food and ambience were great. On the other hand in the middle, my server disappeared, my silverware was never changed. My wife went to the bar to get her a drink, and I had to go to the bar to order my drink. read more

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. read more

Circa 81 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

Our group has been to Circa 81 several times now. The tapas are varied and very tasty, be sure to get a large table, you'll need the space. The service has always been top notch. Highly recommended. read more

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! read more

Circa 81 - Tapas! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

I like to have Sunday brunch here. I have been going when I am in Morehead City and have never had a bad meal. It is quaint and a little small but they go out of their way to make you feel welcome. I recommend making reservations but they can usually get you in if you can wait. read more

When we vacation each year in Emerald Isle, we love to dine here. It has the best GLUTEN FREE menu!!! Most restaurants only offer a bun less burger or a steak for my husband who has Celiac disease. The food is delicious here, along with a friendly and great staff. And they play the best background music. A perfect score of 10! read more

My friend is in from NY. Out of all the amazing restaurants in the area we chose Circa 81 because we loved it last year. The food was fabulous. The service was horrible. Other staff dropped off our food. Our waiter never checked on us. We completed our first round of plates and no one came and checked on us or asked what we wanted next. When he did come over he asked if we wanted dessert. We did order dessert. Someone else delivered it and before we were done eating he dropped off the check. We were so disappointed. We expected to try so much more. read more

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

Circa 81 - Salmon - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

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. read more

Circa 81 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

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I rarely give 5 star reviews but this was well earned. Atmosphere was very relaxing; appointed with interesting artwork and rounded out with pleasant music. Service was great: prompt, knowledgeable, and friendly. Food was incredible. The menu had a variety of interesting dishes ; our selections were delicious and visually appealing. Highly recommended this restaurant. read more

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. read more

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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! read more

Circa 81 - Seared scallop with puff pastry - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

The food is amazing, and the service couldn't be better. Wish I could go more often!

We have been driving by this restaurant for years saying each time we need to go there. Well it finally happened and we were so happy we finally made it. The staff, the food, drinks, were all excellent! We only wish we had gone sooner! It's now on our very favorite list! Friends are coming into town this weekend and we can't wait to take them. read more

I've eaten at Circa 81 for well over a decade, probably two decades. Pre-Covid we had a bad experience and didn't return until 2024, but it's now one of our favorite restaurants. We liked their previous beef tapas option more than the current one, but being a senior citizen I like tapas options because I don't eat as much as I used to and the prices for tapas are reasonable. Their cream brûlée is very good too! read more

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 read more

Circa 81 - Potstickers & Sesame Tuna Salad - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

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. read more

Circa 81 - Crème Brulee - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

Everything went well. Give them a try. Amazing menu, experienced chef and fair prices.

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. read more

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COVID review: Outdoor seating available, alternating tables indoors are blocked off. All staff is masked. Food review, dinner: An interesting combination of traditional Spanish tapas and Southern-inflected small plates with an emphasis on regional ingredients . Gotta love any place that has Benton's ham in multiple places on the menu. Layered flavors, mostly nuanced, occasionally less so but well thought-out and nicely executed. Good wine selections and some of the worst coffee I've had in recent memory. Friendly and competent service. read more

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Nice quiet venue, at least for a Wednesday lunch. The waiter was polite but took a bit long at times for only a couple tables. The pot stickers were very good with the Thai chili sauce. The chicken had a good sauce but half of it was tough and the asparagus was mediocre. The whole plate seemed to need salt. I called ahead to try and make a reservation but apparently that doesn't work. I'd recommend doing it through their website(P.S. you will need to leave your card info to place a reservation). read more

This was an unexpected surprise, sunburned and in my room looking for dinner found Circa 81 on Yelp.The pictures of the food caught my attention especially the charcuterie board which I am a total sucker for. Upon walking in was asked if I had a reservation? The restaurant was about half full, double check the hours before arriving they close at eight pm. Having a window seat was helpful the lighting is low inside. I forgot my readers and asked to see the bottles of red wine at the bar the server obliged. A bottle of Conundrum was ordered knowing it would go well with two of three items that would be ordered. Know if you order a bottle of wine it can be taken with you should it not be finished at dinner. I was trying to put together a menu in my head and the server was patient with me having lots of questions he answered as best he could (newish). First course was the Rosemary Beef with mash potatoes and asparagus. The beef was ordered medium rare. It was seared and sliced and topped with a jus. The beef was super tender and the asparagus tasted like it had been grilled. Second course chose Pork belly with grits topped with arugula. Grits were creamy the pork belly was tender but had a bit to much charr on it leaving it a bit dry. The arugula would have been nice wilted or even seasoned. Third and final course was duck. Prior to arrival saw this on the menu knew this would be my dessert for the evening. The plating was beautiful the table next to me even took notice of it. I asked about the dish and was told it was sugar beets, kumquats and a peppadew puree on what looked to be a slate plate. Already planning another trip and look forward to eating here again in the fall. read more

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All went well for us! The Ambiance, service and the food was fantastic! Our waiter Jared checked on us to make sure that we were pleased with our seats and food. We will be back here in the future. It's a little pricey $$$ but worth it! read more

Unusual fine dining experience. Quaint and elegant serving small delectable dishes and offering a few regular sized meals as well but if u go you'll get to try more by sharing w a small Group or couple several small plates read more

We tried several tapas plates so that we could sample a lot of flavors. Everything was delicious. Cocktails were on point. The wait staff was impeccable! Very attentive and accommodating. It's more of an adult atmosphere than a family with kids kinda place. Highly recommend. read more

Service was great but the food was terrible I had an eggplant sandwich with one little skinny piece of eggplant on this big bread with no taste or flavor at all the mozzarella had no flavor either it was horrible I would not recommend it to anybody read more

Phenomenal tapas restaurant. We visited off season and on a Thursday evening so they were able to seat our party of 4 immediately without reservations. The service was amazing and Obviously the chef knows what he is doing. The taste of every dish we tried was excellent. We had the pork belly, shrimp and grits, crab dip, black bean quesadillas add chicken, and the chef specials which were oysters Rockefeller and the Thai curry shrimp and fried lobster tail. We had several of the martinis as they were on special as well. We ended the meal with the chocolate creme brûlée. I felt that the cost was extremely reasonable as we split the tab in half and our part was just $100 with a 20-% tip. One of the best meals we have had in a long time. We will be returning. read more

Well, this tapas restaurant is one of the best we have ever been to. It was spot on tonight. Our server, Kira, was great. The food was great! We had the Chef's tour charcuterie plate, prosciutto wrapped figs, pork belly with grits, seared tuna, she crab soup and the crab cake. When we come back to the Crystal Coast we will definitely visit this place again. read more

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Love the food & staff! It is always a great experience when visiting. The friendly staff & great food is top notch!

Excellent food, service and cost. Went for lunch on Saturday, and atmosphere was calming, comfortable, and overall unexpected for mid day. Had dessert and rarely do anywhere... but Wow ... thank you for this great option locally. read more

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We've visited this restaurant a number of times, whether just my husband and I or with a larger party - the wait has been average. The food & menu is fantastic! The charcuterie board was enormous and we couldn't possibly finish it with 4 people giving it their best. It may have been partially due to the fact that we ordered 3 or 4 others items as well. We have loved everything we tried and hope to get through the entire menu! Delicious and absolutely worth the drive. read more

So much more than what I was expecting! Since I would only be in town a few days I called ahead to check if they would be open since I was visiting over the Thanksgiving holiday. I was happy to hear from Paul that they were going to be open the Wednesday before the holiday- lucky me! Paul also greeted us at the door as we arrived and waited on us as well. As we started to glance at the menus Paul went over a few specials they had that day. My ears perked up when I heard "Wine Down Wednesday" wine specials. He helped me chose which red wine I wanted, I went with the Shannon Ridge Zinfandel and it was awesome. Paired nicely with everything. And I feel like we almost ordered everything! There were so many things I wanted to try, I feel we got a good range of items. Had to do the She crab soup. It was so light and fresh, I'm used to she crab being a very heavy and thick soup- there's is a delight, delicate and full of flavor without being super heavy or too rich. We also got the crab dip as I told my friend to order all the things she couldn't get when she went out with the kiddos- so crab we did! The dip was very good, nicely presented with toasted pita points. Perfect size for sharing. Then I saw the dates and the pork belly... what next? Ok, let's try the pork belly. I admit, I almost grabbed the whole plate and ran away after the first bite but I shared like a good friend. Perfectly cooked, nice and crispy with a tender melty center. Those grits are really really good and a perfect pair to the crispy bacon. Next, we need to eat a vegetable so bring on the asparagus! Beautiful, almost too pretty to eat. A lovely Parmesan crisp created in such a way to cradle the asparagus and perfectly poached egg (see pic). The combination of flavors and textures made this my favorite, a slight edge over the pork belly. No more room so with a little more help from Paul I chose a bottle of wine to bring home for holiday dinner. But then we realized we had forgotten dessert- the horror! So we decided dates could be considered a dessert, they're sweet right? Oh my goodness, wrapped in bacon served with chèvre, almonds and plated on a spread of sunchoke this was a wonderful savory-sweet dessert and a way for me to work the dates in. We also shared the creme brûlée. Outstanding. I do must mention how great the service was. Paul was always there when we needed him but didn't seem like he was hovering over us. The entire feel of the restaurant is classy, comfortable and not too full of itself. Great experience all around. I completely and whole heartedly recommend Circa 81 to all my friend and followers in the Carteret County area. I can't wait to come back and try dinner. Oh and brunch! Check out that brunch menu, I want everything on there! Please do yourself a favor and treat yourself at least once at Circa 81. You deserve it. read more

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Your biggest challenge will be deciding what to eat from the abundant menu! I started with the Sesame seared tuna, it was so good I forgot to take a picture. Seared to the perfection and coated in sesame seeds. I then ordered the shrimp and grits. Let me tell you that fried grit patty was life changing! It was so delicious balanced with a little heat and cream sauce! I would have licked the bowl it was so good. Now the atmosphere is awesome, music is cool and staff is fantastic! Sean and Jamie rock! Only disappoint was being to full to try anything else. Definitely coming back. read more

Circa 81 - Organize Basil Mojito - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Morehead City, North Carolina

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So good! Yummy! Great service. Get reservations if you can, but we got seated pretty quickly for brunch.

My wife and I ate at the bar on Sunday. Sonja was our bartender. Absolutely fantastic service!! I had a martini my wife had wine. Sonja made my martini exactly as I asked. That doesnt happen often. My wifa and I both had salads with chicked and i had the mustard basil honey dressing recommended by Sonja. it was delicious. We ended with the maple bacon bourbon cheese cake and it was to die for. A great meal and a great bartender!!!!! read more