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    Cosmo

    3.5 (38 reviews)
    InexpensiveBuffets
    Open 12:00 pm - 3:00 PM, 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM

    Cosmo Photos

    COSMO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Cosmo

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    Reviews With Photos

    Linda V.

    We saw that this restaurant always had a line to get in; before we even wiggled up to the front and asked how long a wait and it was 45-60 minutes-so we passed . Tonight we got there before 6:30 pm on a Tuesday and were able to get right in! We THOUGHT this was an Asian restaurant and it was but also others... it is a buffet restaurant of Indian, Thai, Chinese, Teriyaki station, Italian and little American food (hamburgers, fries but fries are popular here). (I'm sure I missed some other nationality) Then a row of fruits and little desserts! I noticed there was a lot of nice shrimp... really everything seemed to be a cut above! We don't usually go the buffets but this one tasted good! They even had s chocolate fountain if one wanted it. Cost was 14.99£ including a soda drink.

    Entrance
    B L.

    Despite being turned away last time, I had faith in the Edinburgh branch of Cosmo and decided to go on to see if I could bag a table. Unsurprisingly, the place was packed and there was a huge queue to get your name on the waiting list. As we were in a party of four, we didn't have to wait long and within 20 minutes, we were at our table ready to eat. I had a Diet Pepsi to drink and it was just as you would expect it to be - sweet with no calories. I ended up going to refill my plate three or four times with their korma, rice, chips, pizza, chicken satays and sushi. I disliked the sushi, so I only ate half a piece. It is a bit too chewy for me. The korma was lovely. Creamy, and not too spicy. Just the way I like it. The pizza wasn't really too great but it seemed popular because the chefs were constantly refilling it. The chicken satays were a bit chewy as well, so I probably wouldn't have them again. For dessert, I tried the chocolate mousse with vanilla ice cream and the toffee apple cake with profiteroles. I was a little bit annoyed because the chocolate fountain was not turned on but it was quite near the end of lunch when we visited, so I guess they were getting ready to pack up. The toilets were a bit gross. The floor in the gents was really sticky. I would come back here - there was a good atmosphere. I just hope that they turn the chocolate fountain on and clean up the toilets. And I will be avoiding the sushi and chicken satays.

    Cosmo Bufets!
    Deryck W.

    Just coming up for air! Food overload from Italy, Japan, China and India. Incredible selection for all buffets and very reasonably priced. Very busy so not the best for an intimate dinner, but an experience to be sure. Only draw back is you're not going to get threw everything in one visit.

    nice looking buffet area
    Rex J.

    I want to start off my saying its one of the most aesthetically pleasing buffets I've been too. Service was fine, pretty irrelevant since it's a buffet. I'd say no particular choices were super impressive. A lot of the meats have sat out a bit (it could depend on the time of day since we went late on a Monday night). My favorite was the hibachi grill since food obviously is most fresh and is served to order. Something about the high temperatures of the grill gives meats and noodles a nice char flavor (the best). I'm a big lamb guy, and the lamb is just so so. Once again, it was a bit dry having sat out for awhile. (I attached a picture) Finally, dessert was probably the best. The banoffee cake was unlike anything I've ever had being from America. I really enjoyed this. I'm sure you could find it better at a fresh bakery, still good tho. Overall, not quite as nice as it looks. Slightly pricy for dinner but lunch is a bargain. I think it's worth a try since this is my own personal account. I attached a few photos to help you make your decision.

    Best variety of foods for everyone at good prices. One tip get there early you want a seat.

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    8 years ago

    Great place for a family. Everyone can find food they would like among different cuisines. Great tasting food and good service.

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    8 years ago

    Great price for tourist to have an all you can eat meal. Food is buffet food so you get what you pay for. It fills the tummy.

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    Review Highlights - Cosmo

    Try the Indian food for sure and don't forget about the chocolate fountain.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    China Red

    China Red

    4.1(17 reviews)
    1.0 miOld Town
    ££

    Why you dont expect luxury fine dining food quality this place exceeded expectations even of my…read moreJapanese wife! Probably largest selection of meats of any Chinese buffet we've been to globally Not as greasy as we are used to Very cool modern classy atmosphere Huge election of fresh salads Very reasonable price- just 10 pounds for lunch all u can eat

    China Red is quite the blessing in a city like Edinburgh. The price, quality, and variety make this…read moreplace absolutely worth it, especially for lunch time. I came on a Saturday afternoon with two friends for £10.99 per person. For this price, we were able to eat to our hearts' content from all the noodles, meats, veggies. The food ranges from Chinese dishes to Western fried goods to Japanese sushi. There is even a crepe station where they make chinese savory crepes or chocolate banana crepes right in front of you! It is safe to say that I was very pleased with the selection. The only thing is that there was not much seafood items and the sushi rolls were pretty cheaply made with minimal fillings. Nonetheless, it was still satisfactory due to all the other options available. I was pleasantly surprised by the peking duck wraps as well, which is quite the treat in Chinese culture. There are a few cakes, fruits, and ice cream for dessert although I do think this could be improved. I even saw a waffle bubble wrap station, but no one was there to make them unfortunately. Overall, this is the place for your Asian cravings or when you're feeling really hungry. As someone who grew up eating Asian food all of my life, China Red does a good job with the Chinese food and more. Come here for lunch to really make it worthwhile.

    Photos
    China Red
    China Red
    China Red

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    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Crown Of Slow Cooked Beef Shoulder With A Rich Horseradish Infused Gravy

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar

    4.8(522 reviews)
    0.6 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    ££

    I was a solo traveler so I did not make a reservation and just stood outside for opening for…read moredinner! I was able to put in my name and about 45 min later I got in. It is like the bar sitting area in a small room but it is perfect. Nicely decorated and cozy. The server and receptionist are both very friendly! I ordered lamb shank with bacon green onion mashed potatoes and an elder flower cider! It did not take too long for the food to show up and I did not have lunch so this was perfect and just right to the spot! Lamb shank was soft and tender and full of flavors! It was so so good. Mash potatoes is also very yummy and flavorful! The elder flower cider is very floral and I really like that!

    We were a group of 6 and waiting time was less than an hour on a busy Monday at 2pm. Notification…read morewas via text or through a link which you can monitor your table's availability. We had a lovely meal here at Makars Mash Bar (technically called The Makar's Rest) We ordered the following: - Coke & Ginger Kombucha - Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg (deliciousness to share and a great way to begin a meal) - Home Grown Lion's Mane pan-fried bites, served with vegan aioli wasn't a hit with the group but I really liked it. - Slow Cooked Lamb (rich and full of flavor) - Crown Of Slow Cooked Beef Shoulder (incredibly tender and literally fell apart) - Makars Wild Boar Sausage With Beef Dripping Gravy (got a bite in and it didn't taste gamey) - Sides of Black pudding mash and Scottish cheddar cheese & onion mash which we really enjoyed. - Sticky Toffee Pudding was a perfect end to the meal. Great comfort food, generous portions, and a really enjoyable experience overall. Would definitely recommend. Atmosphere outside in the chilly air was a challenge at first. Outdoor heaters would have been a plus. At least we were seated.

    Photos
    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Downstairs inside the restaurant

    Downstairs inside the restaurant

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Homemade Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg

    Homemade Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Makars Wild Boar Sausage With Beef Dripping Gravy

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    Makars Wild Boar Sausage With Beef Dripping Gravy

    Red Fort

    Red Fort

    3.9(38 reviews)
    0.7 miNewington
    ££

    In previous reviews I have mentioned my predisposition to buffet restaurants, given my gargantuan…read moreappetite. Well here it is playing a part again. So many buffets are greasy, salty, cheapest meat, bland options. This can turn off even me. Indian restaurant Red Fort isn't like this. The food at Red Fort isn't maybe connoisseur curry but it's still pretty good and not the cheap quality I was expecting. Needless to say this makes their lunch time buffet an even more attractive option. For students this will only cost you £6, otherwise £6.85 or £3.50 for children under ten. One of the strengths of Indian restaurants for me is there usually better than average vegetarian selection. Indeed Red Fort's buffet offers a very good vegetarian selection. The only draw back I can see from Red Fort might be that it can get a bit busy, at least during term time or festival weekends. For some reason it attracts quite large groups. So you might want to avoid these busiest times.

    Everyone I know raves about this place, so I didn't mind at all when I heard we were heading there…read morefor a meal before a recent night out. When we got there though, the place was full of Uni sports teams filling themselves up on as much curry and beer as was humanly possibly, and they were making sure that the whole restaurant knew it! The food wasn't bad, although with it being a Saturday night they were quite busy, and so service wasn't the best or the fastest. When the food came, it had obviously been waiting under a heat lamp because my curry had formed a skin on the top of it. That said, I've done my fair share of part-time waitressing jobs so I know how horrible it can be when you have so many big groups in, and when i'd scraped that off the underneath part was gorgeous. The spice level was just right, and unlike lamb dishes in a lot of cheaper curry places the meat wasn't at all chewy or fatty. Everyone tells me I just had a rare one-off bad experience. I'm going to go back and try their lunch buffet and see if that's true. Watch this space...

    Photos
    Red Fort
    Red Fort - Image courtesy of http://www.redfortedinburgh.co.uk/

    Image courtesy of http://www.redfortedinburgh.co.uk/

    Red Fort

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    Cosmo - buffets - Updated May 2026

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