COSMO, Sheffield – Restaurant Review
By Joe Bartlett, February 2026
After what felt like an endless working week, my friend Ester and I agreed we deserved a to go out to mark ticking off another week of being closer to spring. We chose COSMO, conveniently located between our respective offices on the ground floor of City Lofts Tower on St Paul’s Place, Sheffield.
Since its redevelopment in the 2000s as part of Sheffield’s Heart of the City project, St Paul’s Place has become one of the city’s most polished, sophisticated areas of Sheffield. Since the demolition of the infamous 1970s “egg box” Town Hall extension the area has been revitalised into a vibrant district ideal for an after-work drink and bite to eat.
After being shown to our table, which had a fantastic view of Sheffield Winter Gardens, and congratulating each other on sticking to our New Years Resolutions of being healthy, it dawned on me an all you can eat buffet was not really the wisest choice when we were both trying to cling to our New Year health kicks. Could we actually stay healthy in a place offering 150 dishes from across the globe?
Our waitress introduced the drinks menu — an extensive selection of beers, wines, spirits, and mocktails. I hovered over the idea of an Elderflower Spritz but, given it was Friday, opted instead for a classic Cosmopolitan — an apt choice, I thought.
“Nice balance”
Fort starters we went for a seaweed and crab salad, edamame peas with fresh prawns from the Asian section, and a few deli staples. The seaweed salad was a pleasant surprise, crunchy with a nutty that complemented the king prawns beautifully. The were both juicy and firm and disappoint.
Feeling inspired by my healthy start, I made my way to the sushi bar. I’m a big fan of sushi, though it’s often a rare treat — usually too costly to indulge in freely. But that’s where COSMO excels. At £22.99 per adult on a Friday evening, it’s an absolute bargain, offering the freedom to sample endlessly without fear of breaking the bank.
My plate soon featured spicy chicken uramaki, a salmon roll, tuna mayo sushi, crab stick caviar, and a beautiful sesame vegetable uramaki. The California roll, though not strictly authentic, was delicious — rice on the outside, filled with creamy avocado, crisp cucumber, and kanikama (imitation crab), garnished with toasted sesame seeds.
Choosing a main course at COSMO can be overwhelming — there’s Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese teppanyaki, and even a traditional English carvery. Ester went for the latter: gammon with garlic broccoli and cauliflower. She resisted the crispy roast potatoes and praised the gammon’s sticky sweet crust and deep, savoury flavour.
I opted for Hong Kong noodles and Mongolian stir-fried lamb with mixed vegetables. The noodles struck a nice balance — crisp on the outside yet soft within — but the lamb dish lacked the depth of sweet-savoury flavour I had hoped for. I briefly considered heading back for some sizzling teppanyaki but decided to save room for dessert.
“Generous portions”
The dessert area is a showstopper. I began with virtuous intentions at the fresh fruit bar but couldn’t resist the call of the cake counter — a slice of rocky road, a few churros, and a dip (or two) in the chocolate fountain. It felt indulgent in all the right ways exactly what I wanted on a Friday night.
COSMO’s decor is sleek and moder. The restaurant was busy when we arrived and buzzing by the time we left — filled with an eclectic mix of couples, groups of friends, and families celebrating special occasions.
I chatted with Jayne at the table next to us, who was dining with her husband and two sons, aged 9 and 12. She told me she loves COSMO because her younger one is a picky eater but will give something new to try safe in the knowledge he can have chicken nuggets as well, while her husband and older son appreciate the generous portions — no one ever leaves hungry.
COSMO Sheffield delivers exactly what it promises — a fun, flavour-packed, global dining experience at a reasonable price. Whether you’re craving sushi, carvery, curry, or churros, there’s something to satisfy every palate.
It’s not fine dining, and some dishes shine brighter than others, but for variety, value, and atmosphere, Cosmo earns a recommendation. Perfect for groups, families, and anyone who enjoys dining without culinary boundaries.
COSMO, Sheffield
Unit 2,
City Lofts Tower,
St Paul’s Place,
Sheffield
S1 2PT
Opening times:
Lunch: Mon-Fri (12:30-15:30), Sat (12:00-16:00)
Dinner: Mon-Thurs (17:00-22:00), Fri (17:00-22:30), Sat (17:00-23:00)
Sundays & Bank Holidays (12:30-21:30)
All opening times and prices can be found at the COSMO Sheffield website here: cosmo-restaurants.co.uk/restaurants/sheffield
While working in the legal industry, Joe Bartlett spent years balancing his day job with a deep-rooted passion for music – playing in bands and attending gigs across the UK. In 2018, after finally laying to rest his (admittedly deluded) dreams of rock and roll stardom, he dipped his toe into the world of arts journalism. Since then, Joe has been on a mission to share his love of live music, art and culture with readers, offering insights, reflections and recommendations to inspire others to get out and experience the richness of the UK’s creative scene. Having performed and partied everywhere from Grimethorpe to Glastonbury, Whitby to Wembley, and countless places in between, Joe is perfectly placed to review all aspects of the arts – from the grassroots to the grandiose.
