Located just outside of Liverpool One, COSMO boasts cuisine from all around the world, including Chinese, Indian and American. Although Liverpool is not shy of buffet-style restaurants, I had never been an all-you-can-eat that served both pasta and had a sushi station.
On arrival, my friend and I were greeted by a friendly member of staff, who sat us in a corner booth of the huge restaurant. The first thing I noticed was the cleanliness of the food area. Although the food is spread out like a large canteen, there were staff attentively checking and wiping any spillages. Once seated, our waitress talked us through the menu before we were let loose on the buffet.
Picture by Lydia Potter (MaJ)
The soft drinks in COSMO are also part of an ‘all you can drink’ system. We were given one glass and directed to a refillable station with offerings like Coke, Irn Bru and Fizzy Vimto.
Despite visiting on a busy Friday lunchtime, I was initially disappointed that some of the options advertised on the website were not available. Where I assume the carvery options normally sit was a switched off hotplate. COSMO is cheaper if you dine on a weekday before 3pm, but it also means there are less options available.
Photo by Lydia Potter (MaJ)
After doing a scan of what food was on offer, I opted for a light dish for my starter – quite a random concoction of soup and a slice of pepperoni pizza. My friend opted for nachos that she loaded herself.
When trying the chicken and sweetcorn soup I made a mental note to mention it in my review. Although hard to get wrong, COSMO had got it very right. I’ve always been sceptical of a restaurant that has such a large menu, but the soup was piping hot and really tasty. It was so good that I went back for seconds (the perks of a buffet restaurant).
Next, I headed for the salads and sushi bar. I only ate the vegetable options, which consisted of mostly cucumber rolls. My friend tried the fish options and commented that the quality could have been improved. The Caesar and Waldorf salads, however, were crisp and refreshing.
Photo by Lydia Potter (MaJ)
Then it was onto main courses. Although I’m not fully meat free, I did notice that COSMO had a wide range of vegetarian dishes that seemed more than just a compulsory offering. I tried the aubergine in soy sauce, which was definitely the highlight of the trip. Again, I went up to help myself to a second portion.
Photo by Lydia Potter (MaJ)
For my second main, I opted for one of the divided plates, meaning that I could try four dishes at once. I ventured over to the Indian section to take a look at the offerings. The curries I tried were creamy and filling, with my favourite being a classic chicken tikka masala.
My favourite part of a buffet restaurant is the option to try small portions of food that you would not normally try with no risk of ordering food you won’t enjoy. For me, this was a chickpea curry.
Coming back to the cleanliness of the restaurant, even the toilets in COSMO were immaculate, which I think indicates the hygiene of the whole restaurant. Alongside robot waiters, the staff were dotted around to ensure that guests were enjoying their lunch and clean up any finished plates.
One of the main features of COSMO is the stacked dessert station, which includes a giant chocolate fountain. Unfortunately, the whippy machine was out of order, meaning the only other ice cream was vanilla or chocolate pots. The other options included Eton mess, banana custard and jelly.
Photo by Lydia Potter (MaJ)
The dessert section personally felt a bit childish, which was confirmed by the crowd of kids dipping marshmallows in the chocolate fountain. Although the desserts were a nice end to the meal, none of them blew me away.
Some dishes shined brighter than others, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised by my visit to COSMO. It offers a range of food that I wouldn’t normally have tried. Prices range from £16.99 during weekday afternoons to £22.99 on a Saturday. They also offer a free meal for anyone visiting on their birthday.
COSMO is a perfect spot for anyone with a fussy diner in their party, as it offers a world-wide dining experience suitable for all different palates. The restaurant was clean and worked well as an all-you-can-eat style.