I am not usually a fan of buffet or all you can eat restaurants but as soon as a new one opens I like to at least try it once before never returning! Cosmo Authentic World Kitchen is a Pan Asia World Banquet style buffet restaurant meaning they have food from all over the world in different sections throughout the restaurant, so there should be something for everyone. Cosmo's philosophy is to offer casual dining with a banquet of freshly prepared food in stunning restaurants (according to their website). They first launched in 2003 with their first restaurant in Eastbourne and over the years have introduced Sushi and Teppanyaki, Live Cooking and Global Cuisine after establishing their brand and opening their first branded restaurant of the chain in 2008.
The Cosmo in Nottingham has only been open a month or two and I thought what better time to try it then straight away! After finishing University and having to say goodbye to a friend who was going back home a group of us thought we would visit Cosmo as a farewell dinner and also an opportunity for me to blog and review the place!
It is tucked away through a door and up some stairs on Milton Street in the city centre, upon entering you are immediately aware of how glam they have tried to make a buffet restaurant - much better then a rushed cheap eatery that you do not feel comfortable in (I won't mention where I am thinking of). Inside the theme is bright lights with slate grey walls and floor and satin booths with diamante style buttons - very Footballers Wives I personally think. Sometimes it can all just be a bit too much!
The food is sectioned into different cuisines with live cooking in different parts for example fresh cooked pasta or Teppanyaki. There is Italian, Indian, British, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican and Greek...there could be more but there is a lot of food to put it simply. I saw rice, noodles, fried chicken, sushi, roast pork, curry and even pizza - the list is endless.
I made my way around the buffet trying a few new things and drooling at the selection of desserts. I have never been to a buffet restaurant that has "grown up" desserts as well as the usual ice cream machine for children. At Cosmo you have gelato, creme brûlée and apple crumble to name a few but there is also a kids station with the ice cream machine and sweets for toppings. Oh and the flavours of the gelato are heavenly; vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, hazelnut, chocolate chip, coconut and pistachio! I had coffee and hazelnut which are amazing and full of flavour.
Unlimited soft drinks and amazing cocktails... I didn't have high expectations for my Margarita when I ordered it but was so surprised when it arrived and was probably one of then best one's I have ever had, so good in fact I had two...maybe three! Prices are also really reasonable with the evening buffet being between £13.99 and £15.99 and cocktails only around £5 it will not burn a hole in your pocket at all.
Although I am still not a converted buffet or world dining restaurant lover I wouldn't close the door on Cosmo forever as I definitely did like the food even if the decor was a bit over the top. As it is a new restaurant you can tell the staff are inexperienced and are loving their walkie talkie and ear pieces which they like to listen to more than the customers at times. If you are in Nottingham and want something along the lines of quick and buffet style I would definitely recommend this one over the others though as it seems to be the best so far. Maybe I will revisit again in the future to see if it changes at all.
Let me know if you have been yet or if you have suggestions for other buffet style restaurants I should try! x
Cosmo Nottingham, Trinity Square, 29A Milton Street NG1 3EN Tel: (0115) 9507755
Twitter: CosmoNottingham
I was looking into the beta
reader hashtag on Twitter one day when I came across Zoe’s request for someone
to read her book before it gets released on the 19th June. As an
avid reader I couldn’t help but jump at the chance to beta read for her up-and-coming romantic comedy novel which sounded just up my street. After a few emails I was set to go with a copy of the book in my
inbox and a cup of tea in my hand.
Written in first person from the
view of Bailey, a struggling actress working in a restaurant and sharing a
flat with a student, I was hooked from page one. There are funny and relatable
moments and also shocking page turner moments where you are left screaming at
the characters to open their eyes and just fall in love. This is definitely a
book for the 18-30 age group where everyone can relate to something and have
an easy read of the hardships of romance, working life and actually trying to
have a life all at the same time.
Bailey struggles with the notion that she may not make it as a successful actress and may have to work in the diner for the rest of her life. Her best friend Mark is also her manager and he tries his best to find her the perfect roles that will keep her hopes up. As the story progresses readers are introduced to Bailey's family and friends and their opinions of how she lives her life; things soon start to look up for Bailey when she lands an under-study part in a play. She hates being around her cheating ex-boyfriend who is somehow trying to get back into her life and she wants a relationship with someone she can trust but believes she just hasn't found him yet. Think He's Just Not That Into You meets Made of Honour meets The Ugly Truth and you get the idea of where this story is going.
I presumed at first this book was
going to be for a younger audience but soon realised it fell right in with the
readers of Sophie Kinsella and Jodi Picoult – this book is definitely for the
romantic girl in all of us that is wanting to get hooked by a gritty storyline
and a deep romance that we all wish would happen but realise it actually might not. The
characters are believable and as a beta reader I had practically no criticism
to give to Zoe.
As her first novel Zoe has really
captured the life of a fast paced single girl who wants more. This is a book
you can read all year round – on the beach, by the fire at Christmas or maybe
on the bus as a distraction from your own fast paced hardworking life.
Until It Doesn't is currently available
to pre-order from Amazon as an e-Book for £1.99 but if you prefer the actual thing then paperback copies will be available to order from the release date.
Zoe is currently living in
California and writing a second novel with a young adult fantasy theme after
finding her love for all things romantic and dark. I would definitely recommend
her first book to anyone looking for a new author to get attached to or a group
of characters to fall in love with. If you want to keep up to date with all of the latest news from Zoe then follow her on Twitter or Facebook.
Let me know if you have ever been
a beta reader or what books you have waiting on your bookshelf to get lost in! xx
Until It Doesn't will be released on June 19th 2015. As a beta reader I was sent a digital copy of the book for review purposes.
I was on a Twitter chat around a month or two ago when it became apparent that there are quite a few of us East Midlands based bloggers. This chat seemed to be full of us and it sparked an idea to create a Facebook page and Twitter profile for us all to chat together (the credit goes to Dee who set both of these up!). The conversations quickly grew and the first East Midlands Blogger Meet Up was born!
At this meet up we had myself, Emmie, Rachael, Hannah, Kirsty, Samantha and Chelsea (all of their lovely blogs are linked!). We decided to meet at the Nottingham Castle for a picnic and exploration of the gardens and museum as a way to break the ice. We didn't need to worry at all though because as soon as we met at the Train Station we were chatting and discussing our favourite bloggers and YouTubers and who we would (and wouldn't) like to meet.
We each brought something for the picnic and ended up with a giant feast which we couldn't finish, there was a mixture of homemade cakes and sandwiches, sushi and cocktail sausages and jam tarts and strawberries. After the picnic had finished and we had stopped laughing at the awkward engagement shoot that was happening next to us, we packed up and took a stroll around the grounds for pictures and to see the sights. This was a great way to show the city to the girls who hadn't visited Nottingham before and for me to show off the gorgeous views you get from behind The Castle and over The Park Estate.
After all the wondering and chatting we were in need of a drink so decided to visit The Castle Pub for a cheeky tipple before each going our own ways. This also was a way to get to know each other as you can tell a lot from the drink someone chooses at 2 O'Clock in the afternoon!
This was a great first meet up with the girls and fellow bloggers and I look forward to the next one!
If you want to join in or contribute to the next meet up in Leicester on the 4th July follow @EMidBloggers and use the hashtag #eastmidsmeetup on Twitter, join the Facebook Group or email me at elliekathleen01@gmail.com
I was recently contacted by Good Times Homestore to review one of their handmade soaps. The blogger in us all cannot resist a good smelling bath product (am I right?) and so I couldn't help but instantly browse their website to decide which soap I would like to try.
I went for their Rose Geranium and Pink Clay bar which looked so pretty online and the ingredients had me craving to smell it straight away. It arrived only a week or two later and I was not disappointed by it at all. Their soaps are all hand made and only include good things - here is the list of ingredients for the one I received;
Sodium Olivate - basically the salts of fatty acids from Olive Oil
Water (no surprise there)
Sodium Cocoate - the salts of fatty acids from Coconut Oil
Sodium Shea Butterate - the salts of fatty acids from Shea Butter
Kaolin and Red Iron Oxide - Pink Clay
Pelargonium Graveolens - Rose Geranium
Essential Oil
GSE Citrus Grandis Seed Extract - Grapefruit
As you can see, no artificial products are used and the soap has an amazing rose smell and cleansing feel on the skin. To me it smells just like Rose Turkish Delight and even though I am not the biggest of fans of Turkish Delight I definitely like the smell of this!
Other soaps they make include Rosemary and French Green Clay, Mandarin and Kaolin Clay and Sandalwood and Rhassoul Clay and they are all £6.00 RRP. I would recommend the Rosemary soap for the relief of muscle tension and Mandarin soap for a morning pick me up - although I haven't tried these ones just yet!
Let me know if you have tried their soaps or any of their other products! xx
This soap was sent to me as a gift but all opinions are my own.
I know, I know it has been a while but I thought why not come back to blogging with an introduction to my new blog series, Afternoon Tea Tour! My friend and I have been wanting to try loads of afternoon tea delights lately and thought what better way than to blog about them as a tour....with tea and cake!
First up on the tour is Hart's Hotel, an independent hotel bordering the City Centre of Nottingham and The Park Estate. This hotel is still relatively new and was only built around 12-13 years ago which was years after the Hart's Restaurant opened in the old General Hospital on the same site. The restaurant is fine dining but Hart's host their afternoon tea in the Park Bar over in the hotel and it is served between 12pm and 6pm everyday. With the selection changing according to the seasons and Summer just around the corner we thought what better way to start our afternoon tea tour than with new Spring/Summer offerings.
Hart's serve their selection on a three tier stand, specifically designed for two people, that is full on each layer with delicious food. On the bottom layer we had two savoury Cheese and Spring Onion Scones, two Ham and Mustard Sandwhiches, two Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Sandwhiches and two Cucumber Sandwhiches, finger size of course.
I almost forgot to mention that Hart's have a sister bakery named Hambleton Bakery who supply them with fresh baked bread and delicious cakes everyday, the scones for the afternoon tea are baked fresh everyday and the tea has unlimited refills - everything really is fresh and delicious. On sunny days they also serve lunch and afternoon tea in their courtyard and it can be ordered with Prosecco or Champagne for those special occasions!
The second tier of the stand had two Lemon Tarts, two Chocolate Brownies, two Tea Cakes, two Macarons and two Mini-Eton Mess Desserts. The lemon tarts were just lemon enough, the chocolate brownies had a gorgeous coffee note and the Eton Mess desserts were just enough to not feel guilty about afterwards!
Oh wow, finally the third tier - each tier gets a little smaller which is perfect for a mid-afternoon treat too. The last tier had two more Macarons, two Sweet Scones and some fresh berries. On the table was Jam, Butter and Clotted Cream so we could be as decadent as we wanted to be and with a wide range of teas on offer we could easily have sat there until dinner time.
We really enjoyed our afternoon and can't wait to continue the tour! Thank you to all the staff at Hart's! Let me know if there is anywhere you suggest I visit on the Afternoon Tea Tour xx
Afternoon Tea is £21.95 per person however we were treated to 20% off.
I have been browsing the new arrivals of loads of websites wanting to update my wardrobe so I thought I would put together a wish list of the items I am lusting over this Spring!
- Flamingo Candle - Rose and Marshmallow Scent Classic Jar
- H&M Rose Gold Bracelets
- Warehouse D Frame Sunglasses
- No7 Match Made Stay Perfect Lipstick
- Pink Floral Cup With Straw
- New York Couture Jumper
- Flora by Gucci Eau De Toilette
- Pink Slim Cigarette Pants
- Lace-Up Blutcher Flat Shoes
- Max Factor Creme Puff Blush
- The Redchurch Handbag
- Enamel Triangle Studs
Let me know if you have your eye on anything! I especially love those flats, the floral cup and I have seen a lot of people talking about the Max Factor blushes. Now I just need to stop myself from buying everything...
The Adams Restaurant is located in the Adams building in the Lace Market area of Nottingham City Centre. It is housed in a stunning building that was previously a factory but is now one of the buildings which New College Nottingham operate in. The restaurant is open Monday - Friday for lunch and coffee and in the evenings on Wednesday and Thursday for dinner. Each week the menu changes according to the seasons and to fit in with any special events such as, St Patricks Day. The menu's range from 3 courses for £15.95 to a 5 course tasting menu for £19.95.
The great thing about Adams restaurant though is that it is ran by students who are currently studying at the college, whether that be doing an NVQ or helping out in-between their studies for their degree. Assisted by a supervising teacher in front of house and also in the kitchen the students aren't completely alone but have the opportunity to experience a real life restaurant whilst studying in the industry. I decided to book for their Vegetarian Themed Evening where the 5 course menu looked simple but sounded delicious.
We had already looked over the menu before we got there (otherwise it would have taken an hour to decide what we want!) and therefore had an idea of what to order. The wine list is varied and there is definitely something for everyone. We chose a lovely bottle of red and enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere before our first course arrived. The restaurant wasn't busy but we had indirectly been made aware of this because of the half price offer they advertised on social media during the day! This was fine by us though as we were in the mood for a quiet evening and fast paced service.
First up was the Amuse Bouche of "Watercress and spring onion soup finished with truffle oil". This was the perfect starter and was full of flavour, accompanied with this was your choice of a white or brown homemade bread roll - again the bread was warm, soft and so tasty! Then came the starter of "Moroccan spiced vegetable kebabs, red onion salad and coriander dressing" this was pleasant but I felt like the kebab was laking in vegetables funnily enough. A really nice spice and dressing but there could have been just a little bit more.
For the third out of five dishes came the intermediate small palette cleanser - "Cucumber and mint sorbet". I can definitely see how this would have been a lovely cleanser before the main course however, there was definitely too much sugar used to make this and therefore it was more like a sweet dessert than a refreshing sorbet. Main course for me was the "Vegetable thai curry, coconut milk, pak choi, jasmine rice and shaved coconut". I was so glad I chose this as my main as the rice was full of flavour the curry was creamy but had a lovely thai spiced taste and the vegetables were cooked to perfection.
Finally, dessert - who can say no to a "Chocolate and hazelnut cheesecake, dark chocolate ice-cream and hazelnut praline"?? After 4 other courses this could have been the perfect finish but unfortunately didn't quite make it. The cheesecake mixture was just plain cheesecake on top of a hazelnut base and topped with a very hard chocolate ganache. I ended up, and from looking around the room so did others, separating each element of the cheesecake as I just couldn't get my fork through the chocolate. The ice-cream was delicious and the praline was lovely but the cheesecake could have been better.
An overall decadent and satisfying meal and I would be happy to return to try another themed taster menu! The waiter we had was obviously quite new but served us so well and was very generous and a great host for the evening. Well done to the team for the night and I would recommend everyone to go and try their lunch or dinner menu!
Adams Restaurant, The Adams Building, Stoney Street NG1 1NG - Tel: (0115) 910 4510
Twitter: @ncn_Adams
It was Jensen's birthday last month so I decided to treat him to a night away somewhere not too far but that felt far enough to enjoy some time together. After searching through websites for independent hotels I came across Langar Hall, I had heard some good things previously and I don't know why it took me so long to think of staying here. They had a Dinner, Bed and Breakfast offer available and it was just too tempting to pass on!
Pulling up to the hotel down the tree lined road we were greeted by a gorgeous honey coloured country house and some welcoming receptionists. It seemed we were the first guests checking in so far that day right on time at 2pm; unfortunately there was a wake due to start within the next hour and we were advised to stay in the room until around 5pm whilst the 200 or so guests were there. A little disappointing as this meant we were almost imprisoned in the room and couldn't take a leisurely walk around the hotel to see what it had to offer. We didn't mind too much as the bed was so comfortable we made ourselves some tea and got cozy until the event had finished.
To our delight a couple of hours later we were given a small complimentary afternoon tea (food from the wake but absolutely lovely) and this tied us over until our evening meal. This offer included the best available room also and we were not disappointed by the lovely Lilac Room they allocated us. The room had all of the essentials and was decorated beautifully with white walls and accents of green and lilac. Our room was on the second floor and the view out of the window was of lovely peaceful greenland and the tree lined road that leads to the hotel.
Time went by and we were ready for our dinner! We got changed and headed down to the restaurant where we were given some Prosecco (courtesy of Imogen the owner) and some popcorn to snack on whilst we looked over the menus in the lounge area next to a beautiful log burning fire. We finally decided what to have and were taken to our lovely table in the restaurant to enjoy our evening.
After having a wonderful nights sleep in the huge comfortable bed we got ready and headed down for breakfast. Imogen, the owner, was there once again and it made me think she must never leave for the day except to sleep. She greeted us on arrival, was there at dinner and came to say 'Hello' to us at breakfast. Service was incredible again and the breakfast was lovely with fresh baked croissants and local produce we definitely appreciated the delicious food. I opted for Poached Eggs, Black Pudding and Mushroom whilst Jensen went for the Full English. With a pot of Green Tea and some lovely continental items the breakfast room was truly heavenly.
Overall, we really enjoyed our time but were a little disappointed by the lack of communication before we arrived that the wake was being held, it would have been nice to look around the communal area. I would definitely recommend the hotel and the food really made our evening special.
Dinner Bed and Breakfast was £185 for 2 people sharing. Although the afternoon tea and prosecco was complimentary everything else was paid for and all views are my own.
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