The restaurant chain opened in Cornmarket Street in 2023, and recently revealed its take on a great British classic – the Sunday roast.

Situated on the first floor of the Jesus College-owned Cheng Yu Tung building, Cosy Club Oxford occupies a vast space, with room for a large number of tables.

Although the restaurant occupies such a lengthy space, it still manages to retain a cosy feel, with its tasteful artwork, subdued lighting, and comfortable seating areas.

We requested a table right at the back, close to the corner window overlooking Market Street – a great position to watch what’s going on in the restaurant itself, and to keep an occasional eye on the weather.

After giving us a warm welcome, staff were happy to help, and switched us to the empty corner table we selected.

Cosy Club Oxford has now launched its new spring–summer menu, with new dishes, an expanded Margarita menu and a dedicated Martini section – apparently built for the kind of long afternoon that has no fixed end point.

Roasted salmon at Cosy Club (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The new menu embraces the season with fresh flavours, and while there is perhaps nothing on the spring-summer menu quite as filling as a Sunday roast, our party of diners found the seasonal dishes equally satisfying.

I selected the herb-crusted roast salmon, which came with crushed baby potatoes, garden peas, broad beans and sugar snaps, finished with a pea and tarragon velouté (£19.50). The salmon was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was absolutely delicious.

My fellow diners enjoyed the Cosy Butcher’s Brunch (£17.25), and the Garden Brunch (£14.75), plus the Malvani chicken curry (£18.50).

A vegetarian brunch (Image: Andy Ffrench)

All the main courses arrived very promptly, and while we waited, we enjoyed some Teetotal Tipples, including a delicious Raspberry and Orange Blossom Tonic (£8.75).

I still had room for dessert, and chose a light and fluffy Mascarpone and Madagascan Vanilla cheesecake made with Somerset mascarpone, topped with macerated strawberries and white chocolate shards £8.95).

Cosy Club is always a fun place to spend the afternoon or evening. The waiters are friendly and helpful, and the food always arrives swiftly and is expertly cooked, in my experience.

Inside Cosy Club in Oxford (Image: Andy Ffrench)

We weren’t able to sample all the dishes on the spring-summer menu, and will definitely return to sample some of those we missed out on.

These include the Buttermilk Chicken Milanese topped with a free-range fried egg, Gran Levanto cheese and a truffle and black garlic aioli, served with fries or a green salad.

We could also have tried the Open Norfolk Smoked Salmon Sandwich layers smoked salmon with honey-whipped ricotta, courgette ribbons, smashed cucumber and toasted pine nuts on malt rye, with a preserved lemon vinaigrette, or the Chicken and Smoked Bacon Caesar – roasted chicken breast, smoked bacon, gem lettuce, focaccia croutons, and a soft-boiled free-range egg.

Inside Cosy Club in Oxford (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Another fun addition was the Monkey Bread, made for Cosy Club by Baker Tom in Cornwall with clotted cream and a miso glaze.

If you aren’t driving you could sample the Martini Menu – the Classic, the Dirty and the Gibson, each available with Tanqueray Gin or Ketel One Vodka.

Margaritas get their own dedicated section this season – the Classic, Spicy Pear, Picante and The Flirt each crafted with premium tequila, fresh citrus and bold, summery flavours.

Lucy Knowles, managing director at Cosy Club, said: “We’ve worked really hard to create the kind of menu we want to eat ourselves – the sort of food that works for long, balmy afternoons with friends, where nobody’s in a hurry.”

I really enjoyed the new Sunday roasts, and the dishes on the spring-summer menu are definitely worth a try.

Andy Ffrench

Parent firm Fulham Shore shared last month that it planned to shut sites as part of a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) process.

Franco Manca currently runs 70 restaurants but said it has been knocked by “disproportionately high” UK taxes and a lack of business rates relief for restaurants.

The affected restaurants were “no longer sustainable” as a result.

Franco Manca’s CVA proposal received backing from more than 90% of voting creditors.

A CVA is an insolvency procedure that allows a struggling company to strike a deal with its creditors to pay back its debts while still trading.

Which Franco Manca stores will be shutting?

The following Franco Manca sites will shut:

• Battersea
• Bishops Stortford
• Brixton
• Broadway Market
• Bromley
• Cheltenham
• Chiswick
• Didsbury
• Glasgow
• Hove
• Kilburn
• Lincoln
• New Oxford Street
• Plymouth
• Stoke Newington
• Tottenham Court Road

Marcel Khan, chief executive of Fulham Shore, said: “We are grateful for the support shown by our creditors today.

“Franco Manca is a fantastic brand with a strong heritage and loyal customer base.

“With this agreement in place, we will put the business back on a firm footing and press ahead with strengthening our customer offer and performance.”

Paul Berkovi, managing director of Alvarez & Marsal, said: “Today’s vote saw a significant majority of the company’s creditors support the CVA, reflecting constructive engagement across stakeholders.

“Against a challenging backdrop for the sector, this is an important step for Franco Manca, enabling the business to complete its financial restructuring and secure the platform for its operational transformation.”

The Real Greek announces it will be closing down 9 restaurants

Franco Manca is not the only restaurant chain that has announced closures recently, as The Real Greek will be stopping operations at nine of its sites.

A sister restaurant brand to the pizza chain, Fulham Shore, placed The Real Greek into administration.

It was immediately snapped up by Cote owner Karali Group, but announced the closure of nine of its 28 restaurants.

Although more than 100 jobs will be lost, the new owner said it will secure the future of 358 workers.

Paul Berkovi, managing director at administrators Alvarez & Marsal, said: “We have worked closely with The Real Greek’s management team and are pleased to have completed a transaction that secures a future for a restaurant group enjoyed by diners over many years.

“Our immediate focus as administrators will be to provide a smooth transition for the business and to support employees affected by site closures.

“We are grateful to all stakeholders for their constructive engagement throughout this process.”

Are you sad to see Franca Manca shutting down some of its restaurants? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments.

Danny Isaacs, aged 41, of Sambourne Road, Minety, Malmesbury, admitted taking a rabbit during a night-time trespass on land at Middle Aston Road, North Aston, on October 28 last year.

He pleaded guilty to four offences, including night poaching, possession of articles for killing game, and hunting a wild mammal with dogs.

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On the night of the incident, a constable found Isaacs in possession of a rabbit, hunting lamps, and a thermal scope.

Oxford Magistrates’ Court imposed a £400 fine, along with an £85 contribution towards prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £160.

Isaacs was ordered to pay the full amount by May 27, 2026.

His guilty plea was taken into account during sentencing.