Review: Cosmo Buffet

We visited this Oxford buffet on a Thursday evening, arriving just before opening at 4:30pm – and were surprised to find a queue already forming outside. It wasn’t long before we understood why. The food had just been laid out, fresh and visually appealing, with staff carefully arranging everything before the rush. While the dishes were regularly replenished throughout the night, that first wave is definitely when things look their best.

As a family, buffets can be a great go-to option and this one genuinely works for kids.

Allergy labels were clearly displayed, which gave us confidence straight away as my partner is egg and nut allergic. But more than that, the selection struck a great balance between adventurous and familiar. My 14 month old tried seaweed and crispy duck, but also snaffled the more familiar noodles, tomatoes, mac and cheese, and pizza too.

One thing that really stood out was the variety in the dishes – I tried all of the chicken dishes and was pleasantly surprised to find not just different names on the same product (as you sometimes get in Chinese buffets), but genuinely distinct flavours.

Some were sticky and sweet, others spicy or chargrilled. The Indian and Chinese selections were the strongest overall, with rich curries, fried rice, and stir-fries that tasted fresher than we expected. The sushi, by comparison, felt more supermarket-quality, not bad, but not worth booking just for this. The English/American dishes were forgettable, but filled a gap if needed.

The dessert section, unsurprisingly, was a highlight for me and my child.

There’s a chocolate fountain with marshmallows and fruit, soft-serve ice cream, jelly pots, cakes, and more. We were in heaven. We were also impressed by how quickly the staff cleared tables and tidied up – it’s clearly a place used to handling excited children and minor chaos without fuss.

None of the dishes are going to win awards, but they don’t need to. This buffet is about variety, value, and making mealtimes easier with kids. It gives them the freedom to try new things without pressure – and without you paying £14 for a plate of pasta they might leave untouched.

It’s worth noting the venue got busy quickly – there were around 50 diners by 5:15pm and as we left a whole tour group of around another 50 people trooped in – and that the salt content was quite high. We all needed plenty of water afterwards. There’s also visible food waste, which is hard to avoid with this format.

At £19.99 per adult and £10.99 for kids, it’s competitively priced. Compare that to chain restaurants where two courses start at £21.45 and you get far less flexibility. For birthdays, treat nights, or simply a fun family dinner where everyone leaves full, it hits the spot.