Dinner At The Newly Opened Cosy Club In Sheffield
Published On Sunday 11 Aug 2024 by Sticky Beak
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The Man Bird and I are huge fans of the Cosy Club guys, so we were thrilled to be invited along to check out the Sheffield site that is joining its Derby and Nottingham cousins. Located next to the City Hall in the steel city, it is in a great spot with other eateries and bars, so there was a real buzz in the area. Glorious sunshine meant that plenty of folks were taking the opportunity to eat and drink alfresco, and there is certainly a large outside seating area at Cosy Club; replete with planters full of colourful blooms.
In keeping with other Cosy venues, the Sheffield one is in a huge, 2 storey building – the lower one houses the massive bar. Running Sunday-Friday is the ‘Teatime Tipple’ offer, where you can enjoy any 2 cocktails for £12.95, 4-8pm. His Nibs and I decided to have the ‘English Garden’ minx, £10.50, which is a pairing of Hendrick’s Gin, Elderflower, Cucumber and Cloudy Lemonade. Our weighty, cut-glass vessels were beautifully decorated with Mint and slices of Cucumber, and I’m pleased to say that it tasted every bit as marvellous as it looked.
As we were shown to our upstairs table, I took the opportunity to have a gleg at the décor. There was no mistaking that we were inside a Cosy venue; heavily patterned wallpaper and upholstery, tasselled lampshades galore, and the ubiquitous, random framed prints festooning the walls! Upbeat music and super-friendly staff lifted our already [it’s the weekend] good mood even further.
A wide selection of small plate dishes gives you plenty of choice as to how you want your dining experience to go: choose more of them, and you’ve got a great get-together scenario; choose less and you get the more traditional starter option. The Man and I went with a couple of the small plates for a sharing starter: Treacle-cured Pork Belly Bites (£8.50) and Pulled Beef Croquettes (£7.75). Whilst we waited for our choices to arrive, we looked down from our perch, from where we could admire the quartet of brass ‘wagon wheel’ pendant lights that provide a focal point on the lower level… and I could indulge in some people-watching.
Both dishes were nicely presented, and we eagerly tucked in. Luscious pieces of sticky-glazed Pork were soon melting in our mouths, and we savoured the balance of Cider and Mustard notes of the glaze. In fact, the glaze was so good, the little drizzle of it on the side of the plate nearly had us coming to blows over it! Partnered with the Pork bites was a rather magnificent, homemade Potato and Chive Rosti; the crisp outer was a gorgeous caramel shade and the softer inner had a beautiful herby tone on the palate. This was a very tasty morsel.
Contrasting with the relatively mild, sweet Pork Bites was the richer, deeper character of the Pulled Beef Croquettes. The pulled beef was beautifully soft in the mouth, the croquettes’ outers gentle crunch bringing harmony to the dish; also balanced perfectly was the soft creaminess of Black Garlic Aioli and wonderfully crispy shoestring Leeks. Again, another banging dish. Our server had been over to check that we were enjoying our food and, when our plates were squeaky clean, was left in no doubt just how much we’d enjoyed our small plates selection.
In in the interval between starter and mains, our server brought out a chilled carafe of water for us, pouring some out into the chunky cut-class tumblers. For mains, we went for Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Frisee and Green Bean salad, accompanied by Fries (£16.25, His Nibs) and Moroccan Chicken with Wholewheat Cous Cous and Lemon and Cumin Yoghurt (£17.95, my choice). The Man upgraded his Fries to Truffle and Parmesan ones for an extra £1.50.
As with our starters, the food was nicely presented. The Buttermilk Chicken was ridiculously tender, and moreishly sweet and succulent and the fine crumb outer elicited a smashing sound when cut into. A charred wedge of lemon added a zip of sharpness, its tang popping against the mild poultry. Crunch was in abundance from the Frisee and squeaky green beans, making this a really well balanced dish. You can’t beat liberally dusted Parmesan Fries, and when they have Truffle’s distinctive richness as well, they are sublime.
Not to be outdone by the upgraded Fries, I ordered a Parmesan, Rocket and Pine Nut Salad (£3.95) to accompany my Moroccan Chicken and, ooh, the peppery brightness, tang of Parm and crunch of Pine Nuts was mesmerising. The butter-roasted Chicken Breast was super-soft in my mouth, its creamy taste in opposition to the spiced confidence of Aubergine that was partnered with plump, sweet Raisins. There was a good amount of Cous Cous to tuck into, which was skilfully seasoned – no bland grains here! I was smitten with the Lemon and Cumin Yoghurt and I would’ve liked to have seen more of this in the dish.
Throughout our mains, our lovely server had been checking on our progress and ascertaining that we were enjoying our meal. Nothing had been too much trouble for this very polite young lady, and I have to say that the staff at venues really do make all the difference to a diners’ experience.
Sheffield, your Cosy Club is every bit as marvellous as its peers and I’m happy to give it the Hot Wings seal of approval. To discover the latest offers, head to www.cosyclub.co.uk and hit ‘Sheffield’; to book a table either call 0114 2044820 or go to sheffieldbookings@cosyclub.co.uk. This venue is open Sunday-Weds 9am-11pm, Thurs 9am-Midnight, and Fri-Sat 9am-1am.
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