- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Circa - CLOSED
Categories: [Add]
126 John StToronto, ON M5V 2E3
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 979-9346
16 reviews for Circa
16 reviews in English
-
Review from Joy S.
Woodbridge, ON
3/28/2010
I've been to Circa quite a few times and everytime I go I have a BLAST!
This is the best club in Toronto and im very picky about where I got.
The club its self is MASSIVE and a pain to get around in and you can get easily lost but thats kinda what makes it sooo great!
There are tones of rooms with lots of different sounds!
Lots of seating that you DONT have to pay for- which rocks! If you are a clubber and a girl that loves her heels.. but hates standing all night. Circa has comfy couches and seats!
Circas deco is awesome too!! Lots of interactive things there..
TAKE YOUR CAMERA!
The drinks are pricey.. drink before hand.
And Circa IS ALWAYS PACKED!! -
Review from Kat F.
Updated - 6/30/2009
It'd be cruel to not inform my fellow yelpers of yet two MORE Circa-related nuisances recently discovered at a private afterparty:
1. The ATM surcharge is $4.50. FOUR DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS! Not $2, not $3. Not even $4. Outrageous when you consider that your bank also separately charges you for after the fact for using a gypsy ATM. So whatever you do, make sure you have cash on hand (you'll need lots of it once you learn of the drink prices, plus you've likely just paid $20+ cover charge so you probably already knew you were in for an expensive night) before you enter the cavern, because Circa does not allow "ins & outs". Once you're in, you may not leave for any reason. So have cash on hand upon arrival!
2. After spending my hard-earned/withdrawn money on alcohol, I had my half finished drink lifted from me not once, but twice, by an overachieving busboy. When I alerted him to the fact, instead of apologizing or offering me another drink on the house (he had since piled the glass among the other dirty ones) he shrugged and kept walking. Word to the wise: do not set your glass down even for one nanosecond.Listed in: Bars That My Ex-Boyfriend…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
3/23/2009
Circa's made it onto my list of Toronto's least desirable concert venues. Seeing a Friday night show… Read more »
-
-
Review from Diana W.
Toronto, ON
1/21/2010 1 photo
I went to Circa for a bachelorette party, maybe that was the problem. Or maybe it was because none of us were between the ages of 19 and 21.
The decor was wicked fun. I felt like I was inside some freakish horror picture show. Or, you know, a Lady GaGa video.
The place was packed full of young drunken bodies but nobody really looked like they were having an awesome time, most people were just standing around observing the crowd. My assumption was they were anticipating the "culling of the herd" for later.
Unfortunately the bar staff by the dance floor treated us with disdain, so we made our way to the VIP section and sweet-talked our way to getting a table with bottle service upstairs. Unfortunately it took more convincing than it should have. I think they caved only based on the fact that: if we weren't young enough to require ID and dress half naked, at least we were old enough to look as though we had expendable cash.
Once upstairs, the service increased greatly and I do think the that those bar staff were genuinely nice and not just reaching for gratuity.
Overall, the music wasn't fantastic and the wild decor set an expectation that the establishment itself just couldn't pull off. -
Review from Martin S.
Toronto, ON
5/30/2009
I'm trying to compile a list of my favorite bars/clubs in Toronto, and I thought I should review this one sooner rather than later. It's always useful to have an idea of what the very bottom looks like, you know, for perspective.
First of all, in terms of architecture and interior design,
Circa is, without a doubt, the single most idiotic interior space I have ever experienced. Let's start with a design anecdote: why the FUCK would you put a roped off cheap-leather-couch bottle-service area directly ON the already idiotically small dance floor? WHY? Circa, aren't you supposed to be a place for dancing? Isn't that, like, your purpose?
No. No it is not.
Evidence: Idiotically placed 'VIP' section, floating glass cube of drunken idiots photographing themselves above the hapless band or DJ's for future myspace whoredom, staircases that WIDEN as soon as they reach the top level thus, to those below, seemingly suggesting bountiful goodness just out of reach, the '15 year old girl who loves sparkles and unicorns'-influenced stars and moons, ALSO spreading upward towards the nirvana of the upper floors.
Conclusion: Circa is not for dancing, it is for sitting in VIP booths, watching people dance and feeling superior for once in your sad life. Circa is for taking so many photographs of yourself against the shiny promise of a dense crowd that you forget that you are not having fun, and instead will yourself forward to the future "OMG girl, that looked like a crazy night' written on your Facebook wall.
Girl. Let me tell you. It was not a crazy night. You went to a shitty, ugly club, got hit on by forty-five year olds in striped blue shirts, packed into an ill designed and sweaty dance floor, and then ran upstairs where you took some pictures of yourself forcing out a smile. It sucked. Just like every night you have spent here.
Stop going to Circa. Support fun nights, not just nights containing moments that photograph as such. -
Review from Justin C.
7/27/2009 7 photos
I don't think this place is nearly as bad as many of the reviewers would make it out to be. Granted, there are much better clubs in Toronto, and many of them in the same area, but Circa still has a wide variety of club atmosphere to offer. For starters, the multiple levels provide a nice break from the usual monotony that exists in most clubs.
The biggest detractor for me in Circa was the over-adundance of just completely wierd ass people. I counted dozens of androgynous costumed freaks roaming around being generally creepy and seemingly serving no purpose other than to pose in the background of other peoples photos.
Drinks here are relatively cheap, and with so many bars there was rarely ever a wait. I get the feeling it's much different when they bring in the celebrity DJ's though, as there was just some wanna-be on the night we showed up. I was a little annoyed that there was a cover on a completely off night, and you still have to walk through the line like you're some kind of cattle waiting to be slaughtered.Listed in: Yo DJ Pump This Party, Traversing Through Toronto
-
Review from Zhina J.
Oakville, ON
8/30/2009
I scrambled through my wallet's change pocket for the last of my cash, the parking cost $20 and everyone pitched in.
During the drive from Hamilton, I envisioned the club to pulse with Toronto's fresh metropolis vibe. I wanted to be part of it fot just a few hours this Saturday night.
It took half a minute to ascend the dwindling line up where a friendly bouncer asked for my ID. Inside, we payed $10 for half priced tickets, the only perk of "ladies' night".
The first dance floor played house music with a decent amount of people bouncing from side to side, some with their eyes closed. Looking down from the second level, I could still see empty patches of pavement.
A few flights of stairs above the first, the R&B and Hip Hop dance floor buzzed with the latest in the genres. But even the pumping energy of the music coupled with the several shots of tequila didn't stop me from reminiscing awkward high school dances. The boys walked endlessly through clusters of dancing girls, circling the floor acting uninterested in both.
When my blistered feet couldn't uphold me anymore, I sat in a smoking-bunny themed lounge and bar area; the seat and bar decorations were cigarette-in-mouth bunnies!
My eyes saw too many Middle Eastern boys for their satisfaction. And let's admit it, clubs aren't the Orient's specialty, neither are club dancing, or getting sloshed, or picking up girls - generally.
If I go clubbing, it's mostly for the fun of dancing and flirting with--good looking--men, not for shy inebriates screaming "can I dance with you?" through the throb of Fire Burning.
Good venue, bad crowd. Circa, my first hello was my last goodbye. -
Review from Noel D.
9/2/2009
I don't really go to clubs very often and I avoid the Club District in Toronto like the plague, but I have somehow managed to be at Circa three times now. And to be honest it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
The bouncers were surprisingly courteous -- or at least the ones I encountered were. The bartenders were also very polite and friendly. The little area on the top floor for smaller events is pretty nice and the sound was good. Saw ?uestlove from the Roots DJ in that room and had the time of my life. Also saw Booka Shade there and also had a good time and was happy that everyone around me weren't total idiots, which is what I would have assumed on John Street.
There is apparently a DJ and bar in the washrooms but I never saw this. To be honest I would prefer to have a little quiet time while I take a piss. I mean, does this mean people are standing around drinking cocktails while you take a leak? Sounds like bathroom attendants on some next more-annoying level.
You have to go all the way down to the main floor and out some dodgy back alley to have a cigarette. Not cool if you ask me. The place is the size of a shopping mall and they don't have a patio? They also boast some escalators but in the three times I've been there they were never operational. Nice one.
They have some gadgets and toys and Kid Robot there, but I don't really need that in a venue. To me it just seems like Circa is too many ideas crammed into one spot. When I saw ?uestlove I never left that one part of the venue, so what does that tell you?
I heard they recently changed ownership and are trying to book more Top 40 Club Garbage so I guess I won't be returning. -
Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
9/1/2008 4 photos
I'd like to add to the current review of Circa a few points.
Everything that's been said is true. Circa is a mix mash of everything you'd ever want from a dreamy clubland adventure. It's enormous with four floors of wonder. Famed Japanese pop-artist, Kid Robot donated his work and designed one of the dozen or so bars. There's another, all white bar, that has a touch-sensitive surface that lights up like a Michael Jackson video when you touch it, there's even a bar and DJ booth in the bathroom. the places is a mix of art, culture and wonder much like famed New York club (also created and run by Peter Gaitien), The Tunnel back in the 90s club kid days.
Friday nights are the best! Hosted by A.D/D, this is where you'll find the most over the top themes as well as the most cutting edge DJs. they have concerts during the week and something for everyone as long as you're not looking for intimate.
Circa is the reason they invented slogans like, "go big or go home". -
Review from Margs L.
Toronto, ON
11/14/2008
I have been going to Circa since it's opening last year. SInce Day 1 I have been in love with this place. So many fun things to do and see. Lots of room to see the action (my favorite is the second floor balcony).
Granted, I do not go to clubs on their regular nights so my view of Circa is only from the special events that I go to there (including Victor Calderone, Carl Cox, Pablo Ceballos, etc). On these nights, this place is on fire.
The crowd sometimes is full of people that enjoy their booze but I don't let that bother me too much. Enjoying the music and decor is what I like to do at Circa.
The Ballroom is another bar within the whole Crica complex and it's where a great vibe can be found when it's a special house music event in there.
When you go there, make sure to explore all the rooms including the bathroom on the first floor where you can find a full bar and DJ inside the bathroom. Also explore all the art instalations which change periodically so there is always something fun to see. -
Review from Catherine M.
ON
12/7/2008
Circa's main point seems to be having the weirdest decorations in town. I am aware that they have gone through professional redesigns but every time I walk in I am blown away by the strange and wonderful furnishings inside. Everything from a bar covered in bunnies to classic carnival games to art installations to a "secret bar" in one of the restrooms. This bar is certainly on the bleeding edge when it comes to, well, being edgy.
Aesthetics aside, though, I'm not sure I will ever go to Circa just to dance. With its labyrinthine series of rooms and vast open dance areas, I find it a bit too overwhelming (whether it's packed full of people or nearly empty). The sound is always booming due to the huge area in which they are trying to fill up, and depending on the event the lighting might be anything to dim and smoky to epilepsy-inducing. Not really my style.
Still, though, whenever I get an invite to an event at Circa (whether it be a show, a film festival or other event party), I am usually interested enough to check it out, even if just to see if they still have the bunny chairs or not. -
Review from Greg P.
Toronto, ON
5/27/2009
This place can take a flying leap off a short pier. To compound the overcrowded insult of a concert there I had to deal with the staff over the phone a coupla days ago. Granted, if you're answering phones for a disco you probably haven't finished too many logic puzzles in your day, but the chick I was dealing with didn't want to help, didn't want to do her job, didn't want to do much of anything. And it just kinda summed up Circa for me. They don't give a flying damn. They don't care and their concerts suck -- no crowd control, poor visibility, all-out disorganization -- because of it. So lame. The place should forgo concerts and concentrate on entertaining monosyllabic, bottle-serviced suburban-types.
-
Review from Amy M.
Toronto, ON
4/19/2009
I've been to CiRCA a few times, but I think it really depends on who's playing as to what the club is like on any given night. Both times I've been it's been for electronic artists. Carl Cox was a highlight. It's nice to see that concept is still important, back in the Industry days it was always a show, it's nice to see that still exists on some level in Toronto.
-
Review from Kat T.
12/17/2008
Circa is owned by the 'former' King of NYC nightlife. I'm impressed. He got kicked out of the US and moved back to open a great Toronto event space. He has succeeded at opening a venue that is a destination for tourists. I think Clubland could use a few more venues that offer big name DJ's and have excellent resident DJ's as well. Fun place to go with friends. A little young if you want to meet people.
Listed in: Welcome to the neighborhood!
-
Review from Andrew M.
Toronto, ON
4/1/2009
Was here for a concert and have to say it was one of the worst concert venues I've ever been in. The stage is in front of the middle dance floor, which while large, is only a fraction of the space of the entire building. Needless to say, it was absurdly cramped and took 5 minutes just to cross the room. That being said, it is a cool space and could be very good for a regular night out - hard to say.
-
Review from Matty K.
Toronto, ON
8/15/2008
Incredible 4 floors of DJs and musical wonders - designed as a vast dancing emporium reminiscent of rave labyrinths. Clean and dirty club atmosphere. Popular tunes and DJs. 50-cent performed here. If, in this place, you can't find a beat to jig to, you should have stayed home. The only such place in Toronto. This is a review, not an opinion, as I personally dance elsewhere.
-
Review from Anonymous A.
11/9/2008
Saw Justice here, was a good all-ages show. Didn't make use of the 2nd floor at all, seemed a bit smaller than expected.
Completely packed, the bouncers did nothing when people tried to crowd-surf. The crowd-surfers just *fell* into the crowd because no one wanted them to do it. Some guy tried to start a fight or two and tried to trip me (thank god it was packed and I had nowhere to fall). Because of those crappy crowd-surfers, my friends and I got hit in the head a few times.
Bar service was quick quick.
I don't think you can get *any* cell phone service while inside. So if you lose your friends, you'll have to search or find them afterward outside.
The ticket to Justice was around $30. It was a Wednesday and it was still packed which is amazing.
