I didn’t know much about Cosmo before they invited Mumbler to review their Norwich restaurant, but after posting on FB/Instagram asking if anyone had questions about the visit that they’d like me to include in my review, it became clear that Cosmo is the Marmite of the Norwich restaurant scene. People either love it or they hate it.
I get it, it is not the place for everyone, but (as always) here are my honest thoughts on Cosmo for families…
The Food
When you’re invited to try an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant, you know the deal; try and eat as many of the different foods as you can so you can report back.
Whilst I didn’t get to try absolutely everything (I couldn’t fit in anything from the Teppanyaki or the roast dinner sections), I think I did pretty well at trying as much as I could. I wasn’t a big fan of having all the different cuisines on one plate, so I had different plates for different foods. It doesn’t matter though as you can go up as many times as you like!
In all honesty, the quality of some of the foods wasn’t as good as you would expect from individual restaurants but some things were really delicious and there were more than enough things to choose from that I feel everyone would be able to find something they really enjoyed. They seem to have all of the main foods covered, especially for kids; pizza, chips, nuggets feature but there’s also a salad bar, rice, noodles etc.
My personal favourites were the Thai spicy pork, sweet and sour chicken, Chinese noodles and the chocolate fountain (obvs).
See the menu descriptions HERE.
Prices (pp)
Mon to Thurs – £19.99
Fri – £20.99
Sat – £21.99
Sun/Bank hol – £20.99
Kids under 155cm – £10.99
Under 5yrs – £2.99
I think this is fair value considering you can help yourself to as much as you like and have as many ‘courses’ as your tummy will allow! Also, if the kids don’t like something they can simply try something else, which is a winner with my Mini Mumblers as they are fussy and rarely like the same things.
Key info
Children under 155cm are charged kids price. There is a small charge for infants under five years dining at the restaurant: £2.99. Discretionary service charge of 3% will apply. 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.
Check out their offers page as they do free meal/free bottle prosecco if you go on your birthday! *conditions apply*
Overall
Whilst Cosmo isn’t going to be for everyone and an all-you-can-eat buffet might not make the most romantic setting for a date night (unless you’re so comfortable with each other that you’re fine with seeing the other person trying to eat the most amount of food ever 😂), I definitely see the benefit of going as a family to somewhere that the children have free rein over what they can choose to eat and that everyone can try as much or as little of the food that they fancy. AND the fact that under 5s are only £2.99 is a big plus!
Mumbler Questions
Here are the questions people asked on Mumbler FB & Instagram:
Is it worth it?
I love a buffet, so really enjoyed the experience of trying all of the food. I probably wouldn’t want to go regularly as there are heaps of amazing restaurants in Norwich and I want to try them ALL. I guess in terms of value for money it all depends on how much food you can consume 😆 If you only want to eat pizza, then go to a pizzeria. If you only want to eat Indian food, go to an Indian restaurant. If you love eating all types of food in one go, this is the place for you.
Did you see if there were any/many gluten free options?
I didn’t look for this specifically, but it might be worth ringing to chat with a member of staff to make sure there are enough foods you can eat.
Was all the food labelled with allergen information?
Every dish was labelled with allergen information but if you do suffer from allergies I would exercise caution as the Anaphylaxis UK website says ‘avoid buffet/self-serve style restaurants as there’s likely to be a high risk of cross-contamination.’
Is it true that you get in for free if it’s your birthday that day?
Yes! But there are terms and conditions that say how many people need to be dining for the offers to apply. I popped the link above but here it is again as there’s also an offer for free prosecco if it’s your birthday. NHS, Emergency Services and Armed forces also get 10% off their food bills.
Would it be a good option for an older kid’s birthday party?
If you’re talking 9/10/11 years and they are all under 155cm I would say, absolutely! I reckon they’d love that they can serve themselves and all choose whatever they want.
Is the selection of ‘plain’ items good for fussy kids and fussy 37-year-old husbands?
This is definitely the benefit of going somewhere like Cosmo! From what I remember, there were lots of different ‘plain’ choices like pizza, chips, nuggets etc but there was also the carvery station, if they are happy with meat/veg/potatoes, the Teppanyaki station, if they will eat steak or salmon, and lots of different pastas to choose from. Plus, a popcorn machine and the chocolate fountain with ice-cream, sweets and marshmallows – always winners, right??
Where to find Cosmo Norwich:
25 London St,
Norwich
NR2 1JE
01603 677777
*The all-you-can-eat meals were gifted but, as always, no amount of free food would ever mean I would write anything but 100% honest opinions*
