Review: Christmas dining at Cosy Club in Bournemouth

Cosy Club has launched its brand new Christmas dining menu, so I thought I'd visit their restaurant in Old Christchurch Road to give it a try.

I have eaten at Cosy Club on many occasions, and frequently sing the praises of its breakfasts and brunches, vibrant cocktails, and quirky interior, but I was interested to see how the popular restaurant celebrates Christmas.

• Read more: Dragon Palace in Christchurch review

I booked a table for 6pm a Sunday evening, and asked my partner to come along to share the occasion with me.

On arrival, we were impressed to see the festive transformation Cosy Club had undergone. The Bournemouth venue stretches across three floors, with the top floor used predominantly for private hire, and all three had been decorated with festive garlands, baubles, wreathes and lights.

Festive decorations at Cosy Club (Image: NQ)

This, partnered with Christmas music, and the restaurant’s warm interior, made it feel like the perfect place to ‘get cosy’ on a cold winter evening.

The manger, Ethan, showed us to a well presented table tucked away by the Christmas tree- and introduced us to our server, Caris.

She gave us both one of Cosy Club’s new E-Cracker’s and encouraged us to scan a QR code which would let us pull them virtually on our phones, with prizes up for grabs. This is a fun little game which guests are being given over the festive period.

Caris then gave us time to look through the extensive drinks menu and make our choices from the restaurants new Christmas dining menu.

The Christmas dining menu is available until December 24 and has the option of either two or three course meals. Of course, me and my partner went for the three.

First for the starter- these were advertised as being served to share, but I didn’t quite expect what came out. 

The starter platter (Image: NQ)

We were presented with a huge silver platter, with generous servings of Asian fried chicken, pigs in blankets, tender stem broccoli, sourdough bread and fried halloumi.

It really was as incredible as it looked, and my partner described it as the “best starter” he’d ever had. My favourite bit of the platter was the broccoli, which had been seasoned with tahina and lemon, harissa, cranberry pearls and toasted winter seeds- it was delicious.

Next up was the main, for which we both chose the roast turkey and ham hock pie. There other options on the menu were slow-roasted pork belly, pan-fried seabass fillet and a brie, beetroot and squash tarte tatin, but we were keen for a real hearty dish.

The roast turkey and ham hock pies (Image: NQ)

The pie was served with creamy mash, maple roast carrots, sprouts, parsnips, stuffing, pigs in blankets and red wine gravy. Whilst we thought the starter couldn’t be topped, the main was just as impressive. Everything was extremely tasty and cooked to perfection.

Finally, and what I was most looking forward to, was the pudding. I chose the lemon posset, and my partner chose the rich chocolate cheesecake, but we planned to share them both. The other options on the set menu were a traditional Christmas pudding and a cheese board. 

The lemon posset was served with raspberries and shortbread, and accompanied by decorations of mint leaves and petals. The lemon was burried under a raspberry layer, and the two flavours combined made for a delightfully refreshing dessert.

The lemon posset (Image: NQ)

The chocolate cheesecake was a more straight forward serving, but was as equally tasty, and perfectly rich. We both particularly enjoyed the salted caramel sauce that drenched the cake.

We left feeling very impressed with all three courses, as well as the service, which remained prompt and friendly throughout the entire evening. 

In my opinion, Cosy Club’s Christmas dining experience will be difficult to top.

Cosy Club can be found at 34 Old Christchurch Road in Bournemouth.

For more information, or to book a table, visit https://cosyclub.co.uk/location/bournemouth/