COSY should be called frenetic. Or massive. But branding being branding then Cosy it is.
The chef should be given a little more freedom of expression from the strictures of a menu that is clearly constructed in a boardroom
This is one of several Cosy Clubs around the country which are anything but cosy. There are Cosy bars too. We're talking roll-out. Spreading the word across the nation and in the process collecting an art gallery's worth of original works, some pure tat some surprisingly good. The fit-out budget must be vast for not only the physical works but also the menagerie of visual stimulus that is the walls.
The triple height bar space is the best place to get blasted by this excess of decor. The noise from this should be annoying but is engaging because of its sheer verve.
There seems to be a fashion at present for stuffed animals as part of the show and Cosy doesn't disappoint, there are some perky African antelopes and gazelles surveying the scene. From the bar you get a view into the gloriously airy former trading hall of the Corn Exchange - soon to fill with more food and drink operators.
Collector's pieces
Eyes to the left, eyes to the right
View into the old trading hall The bar area of Cosy looks like it might become the 'bar' for the Corn Exchange. The rest of the 140 plus cover Cosy is divided into dining areas, one taking over the former cafe space of Jigsaw. There's a charming tilescape of elaborate greens down to the gents which is all that remains of the original Corn Exchange interior.
The food is nothing special, all right, utterly predictable and certainly no match for the interest on the walls with all those pictures and artworks.
A starter of asparagus wrapped in Serrano with a poached egg (£6.50) was one of the better elements, with the asparagus having the right 'bite' and the egg pouring out its liquid gold.
Asparagus, egg, chorizoMains could be clumsy although they were always robust. The best two were the pork roast belly pork with a butterbean and chorizo broth and buttered greens (£10.95) and the seared yellowfin tuna, aloo gobi, onion baji, mint and cucumber raita (£14.95). The pork appeared overcooked at first but then broke into juiciness, the butterbean and chorizo broth it sat within looked a proper mess but was a good sturdy filler.
Belly porkThe tuna was nicely pink on the inside with a decent bit of India supplied by the curried elements such as the aloo gobi, the mint and the yoghurt, though the bajis were bitter balls free of flavour. This dish was fine in its own way but it was hard to understand why it had been put assembled in this mixed up fashion.
Tuna day The buttermilk fried chicken with triple cooked chips and chipotle sauce (£15.50) was a fail. The chicken was stodgy, dry, a difficult fight, the sauce fierce and the chips had a dust-like texture. Was it Heston Blumenthal who came up with the triple cooked chip idea? I wish somebody could tell me why. Give me chippy chips anytime, Wrights on Cross Street do good 'uns, though I'm not sure Cosy would let you bring in a bag.
CheesecakeThe salted caramel cheesecake with sweet and salty popcorn (£5.50) I really enjoyed in its crazy sweetness. A cheeseboard (£6.95) was a disaster, the cheeses still chill from the fridge, their flavours dampened to nothing. The Our Town pale from Brightside Brewery at £3.60 a pint was a cracker. A glass of Rioja at £4.90 was ok but maybe should come with more size options than merely a 175ml glass.
Service was a little wayward but then these are early days. A word of caution to Cosy about waiting-on intrusiveness. I still stand by this article concerning customer service.
The views from the windows, whether out to the Cathedral or into Exchange Square, add to the entertainment of a visit.
Cosy is a funny one.
The chef should be given more freedom of expression from the strictures of a menu that is clearly constructed in a boardroom to appeal to the everyman among us: three or four specials might make the food at Cosy a noticeable cut above chain-pub standard. Boardroom menus for chains always reek of a lack of love. The drinks and the decor in that big bar area are the real reason for a visit at present. The antelopes seem to be enjoying themselves already.
Busy interiorYou can follow Jonathan Schofield on Twitter @JonathSchofield or connect via Google+
Cosy Club, Corn Exchange, Exchange Square, City Centre, M4 3TR
Rating: 12/20 (remember venues are rated against the best examples of their type - see yellow box below)
Food: 6/10 (Asparagus 6.5, Pork Belly 6.5, Chicken 5, Tuna, 6.5, Cheesecake 6.5, Cheeseboard 4)
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 3/5
Keep that decor coming
Square views
