There’s something reassuringly dependable about Cosy Club Leicester. Tucked inside a beautifully restored former knitwear factory on Highcross Street, the venue has now been part of the city’s dining scene for more than a decade, yet still manages to feel both grand and relaxed at the same time. Exposed brickwork, soaring industrial windows and slightly eccentric décor we’ve come to expect from parent company, The Loungers Group, give it character without trying too hard, while a curated soundtrack that drifts between genres and eras keeps the atmosphere feeling warm, modern and easy-going.
On a sunny evening, the new summer menu felt like exactly the right excuse to settle in with a Prosecco while browsing the menu, swiftly followed by a very decent Espresso Martini and an equally solid Negroni. Cocktails are clearly something Cosy Club does well — balanced, unfussy and served without the theatrics some places lean too heavily on.
For us, the small plates were undoubtedly the stars of the evening. The Korean chicken arrived with a lovely crisp breadcrumb coating and enough crunch to stay satisfying right to the last bite. Pickled ginger added a welcome sharpness whilst finely sliced chilly added some heat to the sticky soy sauce. Delicious. Meanwhile, the halloumi with hot honey was exactly what you want from a comfort-sharing plate: golden, squeaky slabs of halloumi drenched in a sweet sticky glaze with the mizuna and pickled onion salad bringing balance to the dish. Generous too — two small plates and a side would easily make a satisfying lunch.
Mains were slightly more mixed. The Malvana curry with Iraqi laffa bread sounded intriguing on paper but never quite delivered the depth or identity you hoped for. It leaned heavily on cumin, felt a little thin in texture and just didn’t land due to a lack of a defining flavour profile to pull it together. The Laffa flatbread however was gobbled up thanks to the lashing of melted butter and generous sprinkling of rock salt.
The herb-crusted salmon fared much better. The fish itself was soft, flaky and well cooked, sitting on creamy crushed potatoes with a velvety sauce that made the dish feel more indulgent than expected. The only stumbling block was the crumb topping, which carried a noticeable horseradish punch despite it not containing any – a chat to our excellent server and it was ascertained that the combination of Dijon mustard and thyme must been the cause – no horses or radishes.
Sadly, we had to skip dessert thanks to some hot tickets waiting for us at the theatre, although there was more than enough on the menu to tempt us back for something sweet another time. That’s perhaps one of Cosy Club’s biggest strengths — it never feels overly formal or like somewhere reserved only for full three-course occasions. You could quite easily pop in for dessert and a cheeky cocktail after shopping, or squeeze in a quick drink before a show, and still feel completely at home.
What Cosy Club Leicester does particularly well is creating a place you genuinely want to spend time in. The staff strike that difficult balance between attentive and relaxed, the setting has real personality, and the menu — while not flawless — offers enough comfort and variety to keep people returning. It’s not trying to reinvent dining in Leicester, and honestly, that’s part of the appeal. Sometimes you simply want good drinks, lively surroundings and a few dishes that really hit the spot. On that front, Cosy Club still knows exactly what it’s doing.
Cosy Club is at Highcross Street Leicester with branches in Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln, Coventry, Birmingham and Stamford. Visit www.cosyclub.co.uk to book
