It’s been a long time coming, but after over 19 months of closure, Cosmo World Buffet is finally reopening next week.
Like most businesses across the country, the Manchester city centre branch of the ever-popular buffet restaurant chain decided to temporarily close its doors all the way back in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic first began to take hold, explaining in a post on Facebook at the time that the decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution, and concern for the health and well-being of the community”
Yet, when the hospitality industry steadily started to get back on its feet once restrictions began the lift, doors to the Deansgate-based restaurant continued to stay closed, and has remained shut ever since.
Although the reasons for the restaurant remaining closed were unconfirmed, speculation came after there were concerns and queries raised nationally over how buffet, carvery, and ‘self serve’-style restaurants would reopen safely post-COVID.
Given how popular the restaurant was on the Manchester food scene when it was open, it’s understandable that foodies were disappointed at the thought of it closing down for good.
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But now, the day has finally come – Cosmo World Buffet is reopening on Wednesday 10 November.
Cosmo World Buffet is reopening on Wednesday 10 November / Credit: Cosmo Restaurants
Announcing its long-awaited return and grand reopening to fans in a social media post last month, Cosmo Manchester said: “It’s been a long time coming but it’s finally official – our doors will be re-opening on Wednesday 10th November [and] we’re so excited to see you all again.
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“It’s time to get together and enjoy an unlimited COSMO feast with us.”
If you’ve never been to Cosmo World Buffet and you’re not sure what all the hype is about, then it’s an all-you-can-eat restaurant that’s said to be inspired by the best five-star hotels in the world that are known for bringing a choice of fresh food all under the same roof to “elevate the buffet concept to new levels”.
The best of Asian, Indian, continental, Teppanyaki, carvery, and deli cuisines are all on the menu to choose from, as well as a mouth-watering selection of desserts, and endless drinks.
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The restaurant offers a choice of fresh food all under the same roof to “elevate the buffet concept to new levels” / Credit: Cosmo Restaurants
To celebrate the reopening, Cosmo Manchester is hosting a couple of unmissable competitions over on its Facebook page – including a £50 voucher giveaway, and the chance for 25 people to win a free dinner for four people.
Blue Light Card Holders are also invited to enjoy a trial dinner at the Deansgate restaurant too, which you can find out more about here.
Bookings from Wednesday 10 November are now available here.
Featured Image – COSMO Restaurants
Food & Drink
A tiny new train station pub has opened at Manchester Oxford Road
Daisy Jackson
A tiny craft beer pub has opened at Manchester Oxford Road, making all those inevitable train cancellations a little sweeter.
The new boozer comes from the same team behind some of the UK’s best train station pubs, who already have bars at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria.
The Oxford Road Tap has plenty of charming nods to its proximity to the great British rail network.
There’s the big red National Rail sign that they’ve restored and turned into a beer tap, an arch over the bar that mimics the shape of the station, and even a departures board so you can work out how many more pints you can squeeze in.
You’ll find plenty of British craft beers behind the bar as well as a great selection of European lagers, plus spirits and wines.
The bar from Bloomsbury Leisure Holdings Limited has taken over the former cycle hub at Manchester Oxford Road.
The small building is directly opposite the entrance to the busy train station on the southern side of the city centre.
The Oxford Road Tap pub is now open in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
This will be the third site for the pub group in Manchester.
They already operate the Piccadilly Tap, that two-storey beer bar on Piccadilly Approach with a heated rooftop space and outdoor patio.
The team are also responsible for the more recently-opened Victoria Tap, which took over the former bin store at Manchester Victoria.
That particular pub has a heated beer garden constructed just inches away from where the trams tootle past and has a departures board where time is measured by pints (got 10 mins til your train leaves? That’s one pint, sir!)
Enormous Manchester venue set to open (again) after brief rebrand
Daisy Jackson
A huge, glamorous restaurant and bar space looks set to reopen just months after it closed down and attempted to rebrand.
SakkuSamba announced back in June that it was closing for a short while to undergo a refurbishment.
That news came after two years hosting all-you-can-eat sushi dinners and star-studded parties in Spinningfields, like an afterparty with Ne-Yo following his show at the AO Arena.
They wrote at the time: “Exciting News! We will be closing our doors on June 2nd for an exciting refurbishment and upgrade. We’re sorry to be closing for a little while, but stay tuned for updates over the next couple of weeks as we begin this transition!
“We can’t wait to show you what’s coming next soon!”
But then SakkuSamba never reopened and the space instead became Raft, essentially Manchester’s most boujie buffet.
Raft had a huge dining room upstairs, a hidden club room, a ‘toilet disco’, 360-degree DJ booths, and a ‘coastal boozer’ on the ground floor.
The restaurant when it was previously SakkuSamba. Credit: The Manc GroupVs when it was Raft. Credit: The Manc Group
Raft was only open for three months when it was suddenly bolted shut, with a forteiture notice in the window that was apparently linked to a ‘historic dispute’.
And now, in an unexpected twist in events, SakkuSamba has shared that it’s coming back to Manchester.
Keeping up okay? Let’s continue.
In the first post since announcing the temporary closure and refurbishment of both of its restaurants (in Manchester and in Bradford), SakkuSamba wrote: “SakkuSamba 2025. Manchester keep your eyes peeled, major announcement coming soon.”
If it follows the same format it took previously, that means a fusion of Brazilian and Japanese cuisine together in a swanky all-you-can-eat setting.
And hopefully it’ll last longer than poor Raft did…
Emily Sergeant -
5th November 2021 
