5 reasons why I'm not a fan of Vicious Circle:
5. Their menu is really wheat-heavy. I'm pretty sure the only thing to eat on the menu that is gluten-free is nachos. I appreciate that they do some stuff really well (both the samosas and the mac+cheese w/sausage added in are supposedly top drawer), but I feel a little left out when I go to order.
4. The space feels really cold and the art is painful to look at. Art is totally a personal taste thing, so you may disagree with me, but I have an Art History degree...so I'm probably right on this one.
3. The metal stools are uncomfortable and the couches are too soft for eating with dignity (granted, I'm a bit of a disaster here and need all the help I can get).
2. The staff aren't really engaged. They have this ridiculous drink menu, yet the staff don't really seem to be interested in playing it up. I mean, if you're going to say martinis are your thing, you should probably be willing to give me advice if I ask for some help.
1. The martinis are pretty gross. I think they have 100 of them, how can this be? Well, the menu never changes, there's nothing fresh about them, and most of them are syrupy sweet concoctions your 15-year-old sister would like. Mix it up a bit! BE a martini lounge. I would love to see even a feature menu of 5 - 10 martinis, that change every quarter, that use fresh seasonal ingredients.
Overly harsh? I'm not sure. But people can tell when you care and it just seems the Vicious Circle are happy with adequate.