The Cosy Club

The Corn Exchange, Manchester

As part of my cuisine cruise around Manchester’s Corn Exchange, the bustling restaurant plaza on the site of the old Triangle Shopping Centre, on Sunday I met a friend for lunch at The Cosy Club, the quaint, quirky and, funnily enough, cosy, restaurant and bar. The Cosy Club offers informal, casual dining with a hint of nostalgia from morning until night.

When you arrive, you are immersed in their welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere, something which they pride themselves on. It has a ‘vintage’ feel to it, with wooden panelled walls adorned with hanging pictures and tapestries, chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and a mish-mash of tables and chairs from all decades and eras. The restaurant and bar areas are separate, which I always like. The bar area is much more informal, with bar seating, stools and sofas to relax on.

The staff were attentive from the offset, asking for our food and drink orders before we’d even taken time out to stop gassing and peruse the menu. That said, we didn’t feel at all rushed, our waiter didn’t mind being sent away, even for a second time. 

The drinks menu itself is impressive. They have an extensive cocktail menu, as well as a fine selection of non-alcoholic alternatives, which, as a non-drinker, I appreciate. You’re often stuck when you’re not consuming alcohol, as many places don’t make the effort with ‘mocktails’. I had the Pink Lemonade, consisting of lemonade, pomegranate, lemon juice and ginger ale poured over a strawberry muddle (no, I’m not quite sure what a strawberry muddle could possibly be either). It was deliciously refreshing, reminiscent of a hot summer’s day, and was large enough to last me through my lunch, which in itself is somewhat of a novelty.

When it comes to the food, there are breakfast and light lunch options, as well as main courses and even tapas dishes; The Cosy Club really has got something to suit everyone and any time of the day. The fare is varied: there’s your traditional pub grub alongside a whole array of tapas dishes which can double up as starters, from pulled chicken and chorizo to garlic mushrooms. 

I opted for the light lunch option, and ordered The Cosy Club Sandwich, mainly because I really appreciate a good pun. There was nothing particularly unique about it; it was your bog-standard club sandwich, with buttermilk fried chicken, streaky bacon, lettuce and tomato, served with chipotle mayonnaise. All the sandwiches are served with fries, but I upgraded to the sweet potato alternative for an extra £1.25. The sandwich was tasty, although a little dry and sparse on the filling. To my mind, a club sandwich should be chunky, stacked high and difficult to get your mouth round to take a bite. The Cosy Club’s club was none of these things. I’ve made salad sandwiches at home with more filling. I dipped my way through the chipotle mayonnaise, as it was needed to help me munch through the three layers of white toast. The sweet potato fries were very nice. The only disadvantage to this healthier and somewhat tastier alternative is that they can often be soft, they don’t go crispy and you fail to get that satisfying crunch on the outside. These, however, were exactly as I would want them to be.

The Cosy Club Sandwich with sweet potato fries

Note the two plates in the photograph are different. Such is the quirkiness of The Cosy Club that, like with the chairs and tables, nothing matches. A touch of the twenty first century is added with the silver bucket in which the fries were served, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a generous portion, as the container was only half full. I felt like I’d been duped. 

Although the service was brilliant on arrival, it took a while for the food to arrive. It didn’t matter to us, as we had all day to sit and chat, as I was dining with a friend who I hadn’t seen for six months, but having to wait over half an hour for warm sandwiches is a little unnecessary, especially given that the place was only half full.

All in all, The Cosy Club makes for a relaxing, casual experience, ideal for daytime dining, be it a leisurely weekend breakfast or lunch and a few scoops with pals. The sandwiches were nothing to shout home about, but the tapas dishes and the fish and chips that we caught sight of looked very appetising indeed, so perhaps next time I’d try a main meal. 

Cast your eye over the menu at:

http://cosyclub.co.uk/clubs/manchester/