The Cosy Club, Southernhay Gardens, Exeter

visited on the 23^rd July 2014, for a new job celebration.

Surrounded by the Estate Agents and Solicitors of Exeter, the Cosy Club is in an unusual location away from the bustle of the City Centre, but walkable if you know where it is. I had heard (tummy) rumblings of their vegan menu on various social media groups and when asked by a lactose intolerant comrade where I'd prefer to dine to celebrate leaving employment, it came straight to mind as the ideal venue. 

 

Inside, the building is absolutely beautiful and quite unique; very roomy despite having that 'bric-a-braccy' vintage feel. The mismatched furniture and lampshades really give the place a quirk, making it feel more relaxed, yet retaining an air of poshness that makes you feel a bit special for the evening.  You might say it's, well, cosy.

I had booked online a few days in advance, being very careful to mention our dietary requirements, so was pleased that a vegan menu was presented to me without having to ask. Annoyingly, by the time I'd realised that the Mains were 'please ask the server for details', she had vanished. Upon her return, I asked the inevitable and she scurried off to the kitchen to get the low-down. Exciting stuff!

The waitress soon reappeared and told me that there was “stuffed peppers on a bed of new potato and string bean salad.” Nice, but I waited for the second option. Alas, the poor girl looked at me in desperation, willing me to accept her offer; it was obvious that there was nothing else unless I wanted to look like one of those demanding, unappeasable vegans.

I ordered the rather odd main and it arrived. It was a perfectly good meal and it was clear that no dairy had been used.... However. Yes, there sadly is a however. The combination of stuffed peppers and new potatoes was unusual, and I suspect that the lack of sauce was because gravy or some kind of tomato relish would have clashed with one of the other components on the plate. As a result it was fairly dry and uninteresting. The red peppers were tasty, but I felt that the stuffing lacked some love; they were filled with quite a conservative portion of plain couscous and chives, with an unseasoned baked tomato perched on top.  The potatoes and beans were somewhat  al dente, but since they were the 'salad', I guess it made sense, right?

Vegan Main; Stuffed peppers on a bed of new potato and bean salad

Soul food is supposed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This food made me feel disappointed and slightly cheated, like I had been an inconvenience to the chef and s/he had thrown the dish together randomly with whatever was left over in the kitchen. There was also no beans/lentils/tofu/tempeh/seitan/vegan cheese/alternative which I would have expected from a restaurant that advertises vegan food as a speciality .

I was glad that I had room saved for dessert; the chocolate orange torte was creamy and rich, though I still felt that it lacked that extra garnish that would have made it pretty as well as delicious. A slither of orange rind and a sprig of mint would have made all the difference.


Whilst waiting to pay, I asked the server whether the vegan main was changed regularly in case I came back (there's a restaurant in Torquay that's had the same veggie option for 15 years...). His response was that chefs do in fact make it up on the night and it depended who was working.  It's a shame that this is so obvious; talented, experienced chefs should be able to knock something delicious up for any dietary requirement, let alone one which is specified on the menu as being catered for.
The following day I received an e-mail offering me a chance to win £50 for my feedback. I gladly took them up on this and what transpired will follow in the next article.  Spoiler: I did not win £50, but they get 10/10 for customer service.