Restaurant The Cosy Club T
When the food is this good, you don’t need gimmicks, says SARAH FEELEY
he talented trio behind one of Exeter’s newest and most exciting eateries represent a West Country success story. A decade ago, three Bristol
friends (Alex Reilley, Jake Bishop and Dave Reid) decided to create a welcoming informal local bar for their friends and family to use. At the last minute, they decided to serve
food too, and their good-quality meals served all day in a relaxed setting was an instant hit. Called Lounge, it’s still running in Bristol
today. They went on to open more Lounges across the city, and later the country. And now, after winning a staggering £16
million worth of investment, there are 29 Lounges across the country (including Seco Lounge in Plymouth’s Royal William Yard), still run by the original trio of friends along exactly the same lines as the first. In 2010 they launched The Cosy Club concept, which they describe as “a quirky, homely environment with interiors that are eccentric, playful and very eclectic – think gents club meets village hall meets cricket pavilion”. There are now six Cosy Clubs, in Taunton, Bath, Cardiff, Salisbury, Stamford, and Exeter. That last one opened in April of this year, breathing new life into the former Dean Clarke House hospital landmark Georgian building in Exeter city centre which also houses über-swish Dean Clarke Lofts.
“It was delectable – deeply flavoursome”
In fact, charmingly on its website the
eaterie’s address is listed as ‘Halford Wing, Dean Clarke House, Southernhay Gardens…’. Inside, it’s a cavernous space divided into
two, with a surprisingly-spacious outdoor terrace and a ‘snug’ for private dining. There are hints of its medical past, such
as operating theatre lighting above the bar, lifesize illustrations of things like the human skeleton and the central nervous system,
26 Exeter Living
www.mediaclash.co.uk
chunky industrial radiators, use of ‘plus’ and ‘heart’ motifs and a vast blood-red ceiling. And they weren’t kidding when they said
“quirky”. There are taxidermy animal heads and skulls mounted on the wall next to giant paintings depicting the likes of Lenin and Stalin and history-book kings dressed in royal regalia, there’s ‘ironic chintz’ such as frilly net curtains, mismatched wooden tables, chairs and cushions, fringed lampshades hanging in clusters, the walls are raw and unfinished with cracked plaster . . . you get the picture. It’s over-the-top bonkers, as if someone’s
done a trolley-dash at a car boot sale. It’s fun and tongue-in-cheek – but a bit
much for me. ‘Shabby chic’ is all well and good, but it does make me wince a bit where food is concerned (although this place looked spotlessly clean). And I didn’t enjoy looking at medical diagrams while eating, or dining facing six animal skulls and a taxidermy wild boar head, fox head (and tail) and two deer heads mounted on the wall. It put me off my food, and I don’t know what vegetarians would make of it. In the snug, the coat rack with ‘pegs’ made of animal hooves. made me feel rather queasy. Hope it’s a fake. Decor aside, the good news is the food is seriously fab! And if the food’s great, who cares what’s on the walls, right? Right?
Food is served every day from 9am
to 10pm, so you’ll never be turned away famished with those soul-crushing words “sorry, we’ve stopped serving”. The menu features comfort classics like
beer-battered cod, steak and chips, macaroni cheese, pork belly and sticky toffee pudding (albeit chic-looking versions, cooked with care and flair using quality ingredients), gorgeous-sounding burgers, paninis and sandwiches, brunch dishes (served until 6pm), sharing starters (meat, fish and shellfish, veggie and cheese), plus things like cod cheeks with tartare sauce, ham hock terrine and salt-roasted beetroot, goat’s cheese and lentil salad, and quirky ‘tapas’ dishes including toad in the hole, mini fish fingers, prawn cocktail and balsamic onions with stilton and broken Bath Oliver biscuits. I ordered balsamic-glazed Sussex ham
with bubble and squeak and a fried duck egg (£9.95). It was delectable – deeply flavoursome, with a generous portion of ham and a gorgeous sauce. I could have lived without the B&S – I’d have liked another egg. For pud, I chose the salted caramel chocolate pot with rum punch fruit (£5.50). It comes in a little cup and looks like a small portion – but it’s so rich you’ll be lucky to finish it. I have a real sweet tooth (OK, I’m greedy), so I demolished it, rewarded at the bottom with a pool of runny caramel. Lush. The decor may be wild, but the food is
truly special – and that’s what counts. (I’ll just choose my seat more carefully next time). EL
Visiting details Opening hours Food served every day 9am to 10pm
Prices Burgers from £7.95, tapas £3.50 or three for £9.95, puds from £5.25 Child-friendly? Yes, and there’s a kids’ menu Vegetarian choice Tempting options Disabled access Really good, with a huge WC Service/atmosphere Friendly service, relaxed atmos
The Cosy Club, Halford Wing,
Dean Clarke House, 1 Southernhay Gardens, Exeter tel: 01392 848744
www.cosyclub.co.uk
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