Review: COSMO Restaurant Manchester *

COSMO Restaurant Manchester

[Ad-gifted] How was your first week of April been? I hope you’ve had a good bout of sunshine and had enough sleep with the clocks going back. Last week was a busy weekend for us as kids had their music and football activities and it was Mothering Sunday here in the UK so we we headed out for a walk and spent some quality time in the garden enjoying the sunshine.

I have a tradition where my kitchen is closed twice a year, on my birthday and on Mother’s Day. We often head out for a meal to celebrate both these days as a family so I don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen cooking a meal.  This year was no exception, to celebrate Mother’s Day we decided to head to Manchester on a family day out and stop by COSMO Authentic World Kitchen for lunch.

If you are wondering, COSMO is an “All You Can Eat Buffet” that serves a variety of food freshly prepared in house as a buffet concept. There are separate sections for Asian cuisine, Japanese sushi and teppanyaki station as well as continental dishes. Those expecting a proper Sunday Roast need not worry as they also have a Carvery Buffet as well as a pizza station. The deli counters have an ample selection of salad and starters while the dessert selection is abundant. Do keep on reading to find out what we thought of the restaurant.

What did we think of the food at COSMO?

We are a foodie family and enjoy our food but we do have our own favourite cuisines so we often like to head to food courts or restaurants where we can order different dishes. COSMO is perfect as I love my seafood, and they had a selection of fresh prawns, squids and scallops which was grilled by teppanyaki experts while I waited. There was also cooked mussels, fish and tofu dishes, a wide selection of vegetarian dishes ample as well as a variety platter of starters like olives, cheese etc.

My husband loves Chinese food so indulged in the stir fried noodles, fried rice, sticky pork ribs as well as other dishes under the World of Asia section. My daughter is quite adventurous when it comes to food so started with the dim sum baos, then had rice and curry and tried other things which she would not have otherwise.  My son loves his sushi, so he got a selection of sushi as well as rice, poppadum’s and tandoori chicken from the House of Spice section. He also helped himself with a couple of pizzas and also tried new dishes.

The dessert section was definitely a hit! My husband loved the banana pudding while kids had everything from sweets to cakes and waffles. There was even gelatos, a chocolate fountain and a selection of fresh fruits.  I think it is a great idea that the cakes were bite-sized which means we could try a selection of cakes without feeling too full. The chocolate fountain was not flowing this time, but we could still dip the marshmallows and fruits in it.

We got there early and the restaurant was just starting to get busy, it was certainly buzzing when we left.  Although the restaurant is just 5 minutes walking distance from Arndale Shopping Mall, you need to look out for the signages on the first floor of the building as it is not clearly visible.

I was told that the restaurant can accommodate a maximum of 350 people but we did not feel like we had to que long for the food as the seating place was well designed and the buffet area well spread to accommodate the busy lunch period.

We pre-booked our seat, and were given a time period of one and a half-hour. But we did not feel rushed at all and left past the time indicated. I found the staff every so attentive, discretely removing our plate when we went to top up our food and they even offered me water when they heard me coughing without me requesting it. There are around 75 staff on duty, both in the kitchen and the front of house hence the food was constantly topped up.

COSMO is a great place for families to come together to chat and try new food without the worry of not liking the dish, as you can try it first to see if you like something and then go for seconds or thirds. There was a huge variety of food and the kitchen was open concept so you can see it being prepared. I love places like this as it allows my children to expand their taste buds to try new cuisine and not just keep ordering the same dishes every time we go out.  At COSMO it was almost like we were on a world tour of the most loved dishes around the word but all under one roof and at a reasonable price.

As for drinks, COSMO offers free-flow soft drinks, a selection of beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and mocktails. We each had something different to try. My husband went for a cup of English Breakfast Tea priced at £2.25, while my son ordered the Bottomless Soft Drink priced at £3.95, my daughter tried the Passion Tropic Mocktail priced at £4.50 which was super tasty and I had one of their newest summer cocktails, the Raspberry Mojito priced at £6.95 which was ace!

They also provide free drinks water if you prefer that.  We found the price very reasonable looking at the quality of the food we are getting and the variety topped with how many servings we had.

Where is COSMO?

We visited their Manchester Outlet but they have over 20 restaurants all over the UK and Ireland.

48-58 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 2EG
0161 989 1388

How Much Does it Cost to Dine There?

Adults are charged £19.99-£22.99 per person while children under 155cm are charged £10.99 and this includes free-flow soft drinks.  Infants under five years are charged a fee of £2.99.

Last entrance is 30 minutes prior to closing. Dishes will be removed 15 minutes prior to closing. Times and prices may differ during school holidays and festive seasons.

What are their opening hours?

Monday to Thursday – 1pm to 9.30pm
Friday – 1pm to 10.30pm
Saturday – 12 to 10.30pm
Sunday – 12 to 9.30pm

Things to Note

• COSMO offers 10% NHS discount.
• Children under 155cm are charged kids rate
• Do make reservations in advance as they get busy and waiting times can go up to 2 hours. They will hold your table for up to 15 minutes
• Their dinner menu caters to a wider selection of meals and has the live cooking stations available
• Allergen labels are clearly displayed next to the dishes. But do note that the Ingredients used in the dishes can be manufactured in factories which handle other allergens.
• Vegetarian meal options are available, please check with staff
• Their food is not halal certified
• Reservations for 6-people or more requires a deposit
• Some restaurants have an allocated seating time of 1 hour and 30 minutes depending on how busy they are
• There is no limit to the food but please try not to waste the food
• If your child is a fussy eater or if you have a specific food requirements, do let the staff know and the chef will be happy to cook you something if they are not too busy

About

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.

Watch as teppanyaki experts grill steaks and fresh seafood right in front of your eyes and chefs lay on a never-ending array of dishes. This isn’t a world buffet as you know it: this is food theatre that creates a sociable and buzzing atmosphere.

But don’t forget to leave room for dessert. Enjoy bite-sized morsels of homemade cakes, comforting puddings, creamy profiteroles, fresh fruit and gelato galore. And then there’s the stuff that dreams are made of: the legendary chocolate fountain, featuring cascading Swiss milk chocolate and a selection of fresh fruit and marshmallows waiting to be dunked.

Wash all this down with free-flow soft drinks or try our beers, wines, spirits and cocktails.

Since opening in 2003, COSMO has expanded throughout the UK and Ireland as customers embrace global dining and flavours from all corners of the world. From families and foodies to couples on a date night and big groups, COSMO has something for everyone.

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*We were invited to review the food, all opinions are our own.