On 13 February COSMO in Norwich reopened after a brief hiatus for refurbishment and I was kindly invited to attend to sample the relaunched menu. I have to say the timing was excellent and gave my husband and I the perfect pre-Valentines night out where we whispered those 4 little magic words to one another: all you can eat. Having been encouraged to bring some guests, my sister and her partner dropped their kids into the custody of the grandparents and I was able to live out my Carrie Bradshaw dreams by getting us all in under ‘press’ status.
What are they offering:
In their own words, ‘COSMO Authentic World Kitchen is inspired by the best five-star hotels in the world, which bring a choice of fresh food under the same roof and elevate the buffet concept to new levels’. Time to test the theory.
What are you getting:
First tip try not to be late. I am fully aware it’s bad form any way (I unashamedly blame the traffic on the A47) and our tardiness was compounded when we finally rocked up to find a queue round the leather clad waiting area. To say, it was busy is an understatement. However, it didn’t take long before we were ushered up the escalator to the bustling restaurant floor, where we were greeted with an open plan buffet space interspersed with individual chef stations serving everything from fresh sushi, to steamed bao buns, carvery meats, American hot dogs and Italian pizzas. My eyes immediately knew they were bigger than my belly, but I was committed to my research.
The recently refurbed restaurant area is clean and well-appointed with ample seating space and cosy lighting. Now, this is not a silver service dining experience, but the team were well-versed in what they are offering. We were quickly greeted for a drinks order and talked through how the service works. Which is essentially, grab a plate and have at it. Not their exact words, but the sentiment is pretty on point. The drinks arrived quickly but there was already a dust outline where my husband had been sitting.
As the host advised, Cosmo is a marathon, not a sprint and my husband’s methodical approach of collecting a separate plate of food from each section, had me questioning why he doesn’t apply this level of multi-tasking to household chores. I, on the other hand, wandered lost for at least 10 minutes before returning to the table with a handful of nachos and a disproportionate amount of cheese from the cheese fountain. I didn’t think they worked in real life, having seen that viral video of the kid who tries it at home, only to have it spiral out of control and nearly rip his face off. Thankfully, no such issues here. If you are a fan of liquefied foodstuff, Cosmo has you covered for savoury and sweet, thanks to the aforementioned cheese fountain at the nacho station and chocolate fountain on the dessert section. The latter of which I considered putting my head in, ala the Vicar of Dibley but I was thankfully distracted by bread pudding just before I let my intrusive thoughts win.
By the time I returned to the table, the drinks had arrived. I had opted for a Strawberry Daiquiri, a risky move for me on a school night but I had justified to myself that I needed to try everything. The daiquiri slid down far too easy for a Thursday so I ordered a long drink in the hope the implied longevity of the beverage would stop me from trying to talk everyone into going to Popworld after dinner.
My second time round the floor, I tailed my sister like an overzealous bodyguard. As a vegan, it took a hot second to work out the labelling system for her. Having sought out all the dishes marked ‘vegetarian’, she diligently checked the allergens listed under the dish descriptions like a plant-based Jessica Fletcher. The host did advise that we could have asked the chefs present, but such common sense had evaded us. We were momentarily waylaid by the crab claws that she said looked like they were wearing fingerless gloves before working our way back to the table to find our partners inhaling their third platefuls. Our server, Luis, was on hand like a conscientious tableware Womble, collecting the empties and refreshing the cutlery. The restaurant atmosphere was relaxed and friendly with a pleasant hum of conversation and laughter floating across from other tables, much like an agreeable Richard Curtis movie.
The desert selection included an ice cream station, hot puddings, a variety of bite sized cakes, and a fruit platter so extensive I hadn’t heard of several items on it. I dared to shoehorn in a bowl of Eton mess, but I was keen to use the photo booth which had a group of gen Z-ers gathered around it like moths on a flame. Having started a rumour that Harry Styles had been seen on the marketplace, we were able to get in for a quick selfie and left with a strip of pics to remember the evening, just in time to relieve an exhausted Nan from her babysitting duties.
Verdict:
At £22.99 per adult during peak times, it is great value for money, as you actually can eat all you like within the table booking time. If anything, I felt encouraged to indulge, like I was Bruce Bogtrotter with a chocolate cake. The layout of the restaurant allows for all party sizes from couples to large groups and with up to 150 dishes on offer, there is something for everyone. If food is your love language, Cosmo is bilingual. Grab a plate and have at it.