A mixed bag of menu offering

January, in Uganda is possibly the worse time for anybody to think of opening a new joint, nevertheless this did not seem to be a deterrent for the owners of Café Cosmo. During this time of the year there is the general anticlimactic fever caused by the Christmas festivities. During this time of the month money seems to be at its lowest ebb and yet every parent is faced with the perennial duty of having to fork out school fees. Hence the last thing on any diner’s mind is dining out.

Location
The location that they have chosen is on Bombo Road and it is by all accounts large and spacious. One would suppose that the fact that it was formerly a restaurant did not escape us and is probably a positive aspect. There is nothing wrong with having a cosmopolitan menu as indeed they have chosen. In a multicultural city, such as London this sort of thing would work well on Oxford Street or even Lexington Avenue in the Big Apple.

Target and menu
Naturally before anyone thinks of opening an eatery first and foremost in one’s mind (location aside) is the target group. In this regard, Café Cosmos has chosen a mixed bag offering of African food such as chicken stew, beef stew, and peas served with local food and billed as African. The problem with labels is that once you say ‘African’ you open a wide Pandora’s box and some of us would be expecting Nigerian, Ethiopian, Kenyan but this was not the case. Okay so it was Ugandan then why not call a spade a spade? With the Indian section, there was no problem with all the usual expected runners such as paneer tikka, chicken lollipop and the chicken tandoori and I would be remiss in not mentioning the naans and rotis. Pizzas also appear on the menu as well as burgers, burritos, sandwiches and salads.

No punters
Sadly, despite the vast array of food mentioned from which to choose, when we dropped by on Sunday there were no punters. African food seemed to be problematic and it was sad seeing the waiting staff seated twiddling their thumbs. After discovering that various menu items were unavailable we made a hasty retreat and chose to eat elsewhere.

Hurdle
The challenge facing Café Cosmo is having a vast and ambitious menu requires having a wide variety of food stuff and then it presupposes that there will be takers for the food. In the area in which they are situated local food for a tenner is not on the cards. Indian food while they are considerably less expensive than the norm, (around shs 13,000 for the non-veg entrees and Shs12,000 for the veg) with parking on the street I don’t see many Indians flocking there in droves.
Last but not least, the area is deserted at night and so as far walk-ins are concerned these will be strictly during the day.

NOTE

RATING: Not to be missed, worth a visit, so so/ok, don’t waste your time
These views are the reviewer’s personal reaction with price being factored into consideration. The menu listings are subject to change without notice.

THE DETAIL

The place: Café Cosmos
Address: Plot 2 Kampala Road, opposite Sure House
The space: Spacious
The crowd: Difficult to ascertain
The menu: African, Indian and Continental food including pizzas and sandwiches
Beverages: Water, juice, soda and milk shakes
Recommended dishes: Their daily offers. Ask the waiters
The damage: Not expensive by Kampala standards, a couple can eat for less than Shs 30,000.
Sound level: Acceptable
Parking: Not available
Smoke free zone: Enforced
If you go: Daily
Rating: OK/so-so