Cosmo Café

Have again: the chocolate pudding with chantilly cream was delicious and almost mousse-​like (one of my favorite desserts).
Not have again: the chopped salad with turkey, bacon, blue cheese, etc. was good but too much lettuce and just did not come together. Also, the New Zealand sea bass was just ok and not very interesting or tasty.

We had our Christmas party here in the back room «behind the curtain». It was a bit «wizard of ozish» being behind a curtain and all. The room itself was cool accept for they squeezed about 20 of us together around a table that our elbows were hitting the person next to us. Thing is. the room was a decent size! They could of easily stretched the tables out and made us comfy. The food: Eh! Just ok… they brought my honey a piece of fish that was as big as a fish stick from Tugboat however the person next to him got a small whale of a piece. WTF? The dessert was probably the only thing that was good unfortunately. The waitstaff was nice but it still did not make up for it. Maybe it was because we were in a big group. All in all not so good as a party place.

Best fish I’ve ever had? Maybe.
Great service, limited but great menu. I had the New Zealand sea bass and it was EXCELLENT. Before eating that, I enjoyed a great bowl of soup (creamy corn chowder… I think it was).
Also, cool 60s décor. I’d go back for sure!
A little pricey, but otherwise awesome. Why not 5 stars? Because I don’t give out 5 stars unless it’s just perfect and to me, a slightly wider menu selection with some less expensive entrée options would probably push me over the edge.

Great place to dine a bit pricey but, then again this place is amazing when it comes to décor: Very Chic Modern with a twist! It’s a bit more classy, great for lovely rendez vous. Drinks here are good and their happy hour menu are decent. I haven’t tried all of their menu items yet, so far what I had was delicious.
What I had so far…
AHI TUNA TARTARE– Yummy
OVEN-​ROASTED CALIFORNIA WHITE SEA BASS-​Yummy
SEARED TRI-​TIP STEAK– Pretty good, but I prefer a bit more flavor
FRIED GREEN TOMATO AND SHRIMP (Happy Hour Menu) Sounds a bit odd, but it was delicious!
Totally recommend and You’ll love the atmosphere there!

Their food was decent, the waitress was friendly; nothing really negative to say other than they no longer validate parking unless you purchase tickets to the theater and a meal. They provide you bread and butter, but I’m confused as to why they give you so little butter; it’s a thin slice on a plate for one loaf. They play a variety of decent music, but the booths are a little uncomfortable.
A few of my friends and I did their End of Summer Special 3-​Course meals for $ 20. My first course was the spinach salad that came with crispy pork bellies, sliced apples, grapes, and hazelnuts with a light dressing. It was yummy, a little sweet and salty. My next course was the grilled pork that came with a cornbread pudding (my favorite), string beans, drizzled with a maple jus. The meat was tender and the maple jus wasn’t too sweet, so it went well with the pork, but I tasted a bit of char every now and then, which wasn’t really appetizing. For dessert, I got the Stoned Fruit and Berry Crisp with a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream, the fruits were a bit tart, which wasn’t a big deal. I really loved the oat and almond streusel on top with the ice cream. Yum.
My friends tried the other dishes; the baby iceberg and oregon bay, sweet corn soup, white seabass, tri-​tip, and chocolate pudding cake. They seemed to have enjoyed their meals as well. The only negative things I heard throughout the meal from my friends were the amount of butter and bread and the tri-​tip being a little bland.

Steve the bartender always makes us feel welcome. He has amazing drink skills as well. I highly recommend The Connoisseur. We also have had dinner there. It was good. Not as good as the drinks. Oh, Steve also plays music some nights, once the Cabaret is out.
Tell them eric sent you… they won’t know what the hell you are talking about!

Stil fine. Still not great.
How do I keep ending up here? How do I end up buying a $ 20 lunch that is consistently mediocre and bland? It’s work people. This is one of those places that work people always suggest, and I haven’t developed the backbone to stand up agains thte mediocrity and high prices, because of the location. It’s surrounded by a bunch of other mediocre places near the capitol.

I’ve dropped in here for drinks a few times on the weekend, and I really like its vibe and atmosphere.
Maybe I’m just getting old, but the thought of standing in a block-​long line to get into a bar (especially when it is 30 degrees out) does not sound like a fun night on the town. After being unable to get dinner at Pizza Rock (2 ½ hour wait?!), we went to Pyramid (which is always disappointing) and decided to grab an after-​meal drink. Suddenly Dive Bar had a 30-​person long line, and Social was about the same. This is what led us to Cosmo, and we were all very pleased with our decision.
Dark, classy, mellow… and you can actually hear each other when you talk! They don’t have much of a beer list– nothing on tap– as they focus on mixed drinks and wine. There are seats along the bar and couches along the walls, which make for a great atmosphere to relax and laugh at the ridiculous mini-​dresses being worn by people waiting in line to get into the other bars.
It’s not the type of place you’d want to go to dance or find a drunken hook-​up. Those you gotta wait in line for. But if you’re just looking to have a few drinks and chat with friends, this place is perfect.

After a Saturday evening drink at the very-​crowded and very-​loud Dive Bar just around the corner, my friends and I decided to go somewhere we could actually hear one another. We came in and grabbed a table right in the front.
Their drink menu is really great — creative cocktails and a sizable amount of wine by the glass. My friends got salads and my boyfriend and I had the ahi tuna appetizer… Let’s just say that from the first bite I was wishing we ordered two! I’d go back for that appetizer alone. I had to try really hard not to drool and moan all at once… or I’d look clinically insane.
Our waitress was really nice. She didn’t hurry us along, which was good because they weren’t super busy. We sat for a good two hours and just enjoyed the décor, drinks, food, and company.
I guess I think it’s a liiiiitle bit tacky to make sure we’re ordering food as we take our seat at a table. I mean, if the restaurant was packed (which it wasn’t — not even a little bit), and we were just ordering cocktails and staying for a few hours, then of course we wouldn’t take a table. There was definitely the pressure to order lots of food. I would’ve thought that at that hour (10 PM on a Saturday), it would’ve been a given that we were interested in wine and some light food, not heavy entrees just before the kitchen closed.

I SO cannot get over how impressed I was with my dining experience at this place. The location of this restaurant is in the heart of midtown which translates into a long waiting time and terrible parking. However, I was fortunate enough to experience neither of those factors. There is a parking garage conveniently located right next door so that way you won’t have to search for days for parking.
Once I entered the restaurant, I was VERY much loving the décor. It is nice and spacious so you don’t feel like you’re rubbing elbows with the people sitting next to you. The walls are also adorned with classic art work as well as caricatures of notable California Congressman. Having worked in a legislative unit for a year and seeing those the names of those congressman on many, many overly written pieces of legislation, it was nice to see the restaurant make light of the situation.
The bread, though simple, was quite delicious and the hostess and food runner were both courteous and friendly. We picked from the iEat menu which is basically a three-​course prix fixe menu which only costs $ 20. VERY good deal in my book. I ordered the shrimp and grits which were EXCELLENT. Just the right amount of tang. Then for the dinner I ordered the Skirt Steak with a ginger-​soy marinade topped with tempura green beans. Man OH MAN was this delicious. Simple, not overwhelmingly large and grilled to perfection.
But just when I thought my mouth couldn’t handle any more deliciousness… DESSERT. I ordered the vanilla bread pudding in a brown sugar sauce topped with a small dollop of vanilla ice cream… HOLY MOLEY was this delicious. Again, fresh and not obscenely large. All for $ 20??? No effin’ way. PLUS, the service is top notch.
You SO cannot go wrong with this place :)

I’ve been to the Cosmo Café several times for lunch. Last night, I experienced dinner for the first time as per the «iEat» prix fixe menu. I did this with friend, which was ideal for sampling the special menu items our waiter said the chef was trying out. Today, I noticed the promotion was extended another week suggesting it was a success.
I’m always taken by the interior of the Cosmo. It’s like seeing a 1950’s post modern design go from a black and white memory to a modern day here and now reality with eye catching colors and finishes. It’s particularly beautiful during the holiday season and convenient for a pre or post-​performance meal per the next door theater.
Overall, every item that my guest and I had was delicious and unique in terms of its flavor. The three courses were appetizers, main course and dessert. There were three options to choose from in the first two courses and two in the last. For appetizers, there was New Orleans-​style shrimp and grits (we got this — just spicy enough to still taste the delicate flavor of the gulf shrimp), warm napa cabbage salad (a bit rich, the flavor reminding me and my guest of warm German potato salad), and sweet potato soup (we didn’t get this item).
For the main course, there was pan roasted chicken breast with white truffle and parmesan risotto with wild mushroom ragu (my guest and I shared this and it was very good, the sauce being a unique blend that I kept trying to figure out, and the chicken breast sliced and perfectly prepared), grilled skirt steak with sour cream-​chive mashed potatoes, tempura green beans and ginger soy glaze (this was very good with an enjoyable sweet/​barbecue taste that was addictive, good thing we were sharing), potato chip – crusted mahi mahi (well, I don’t like fish, though I would have tried this if my guest had chosen this).
The dessert menu had two choices. The chocolate mousse crunch cake was presented as a small square with visible layers on a slender white plate with a sauce (chocolate and vanilla anglaise) on each side. This was an enjoyable blend of different flavors, the crunchy base giving it more of fine chocolate/​perfection consistency. The square was a bit small by my chocolate loving standard. It seemed okay at the time as it was part of the fixed menu. Had I selected this dessert from normal menu, I would have been disappointed by its small portion and thought I had gotten something off of the child’s menu rather than the regular menu.
The warm vanilla bean bread pudding made my gues and I agree that it would best be enjoyed in front of a roaring fire; this delicious dessert was a well-​done, traditional presentation of bread pudding with vanilla ice cream.
The «iEat» menu is a good deal for gourmet food and an opportunity to share with a friend or small group. It has also been extended another week at the Cosmo Café. Our waiter was amazingly attentive and eager to satisfy any curiosity that came up regarding the food or, for example, the unique glass decanter my guest and I saw across the the way which turned out to be an aerator container for red wine.

Paragary Restaurants, periodically at each, they have prix fixe «iEat» menus available and currently it’s at the Cosmo Café. 3 courses for $ 20 and considering the entrees themselves are in the $ 20 ballpark. it’s a deal.
Located on the corner of 10^th and K. Still beautiful but, I enjoyed it much more this time around. Food and drinks were better. Service was just as great as the last time. Altogether making this a higher rating. Not to mention, three courses for $ 20+.
I don’t know if portion size is much different from the regular menu vs. what’s given for the prix fixe but we weren’t disappointed at all.
Parking is available on the street or there’s also a parking garage on 10^th and L… (Entering on 10^th Street).

Okay Sacramentins, it’s time we had a little chat. Unilocalers giving a place one star for being out of chicken? Two stars for serving beans as a side dish. Come on!
I came here tonight before watching Suds, which rocked by the way, and I LOVED every last morsel. I got the shrimp and grits as a first course, flank steak with tempura string beans as my entrée and then bread pudding for dessert. The grits were tasty with spicy BBQ sauce and two big pieces of shrimp. I loved it so much I soaked up the reminisce with their yummy rosemary bread. The steak was lovely; topped with delicious tempura string beans and mashed potatoes. The bread pudding was the highlight. It comes warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. The pear martini was just the icing on the cake, props to the bartender on that gem. Three yummy courses for $ 25? It’s kind of a steal, oh and parking is free with validation.
All in all a perfect dinner in a cool restaurant in downtown Sac. I’m disappointed in the way my fellow Unilocalers have reviewed this place because it is definitely as good as it gets. If you get to check out the show Suds, I’d highly recommend it as it is a delight.

Good location with street parking. My friend and I came here before we caught a movie. I like the downtown, ritzy feeling. The décor was modern in the bar area. We had the burgers, which were one of the best ones I’ve ever eaten. Cocktails were decent.

I really loved the inside of this place — very clean and modern with black and white tiled floors and a touch of earthy brown décor and lime green accents.
The food, however, did not wow me. It was good, but really nothing special. I had the chilled tomato gazpacho with cucumber and melon, which could have been fantastic, but they put so much pepper in it, I was tempted to send it back to the kitchen. They made what is meant to be a refreshing dish into one that was a struggle to finish. The burger and fries were quite good and I would order those again if I ever returned.
The service was also completely unmemorable. Nothing stands out to me as having been either a positive or a negative.
So, overall, this place was good, but if I was in the area again looking for a place to eat, I might see what other options are available before returning.

this Cosmo Café is conveniently located next (& attached) to the Cosmopolitan Cabaret. We decided to eat here right before our show, «My Way.»
Ambiance: quaint & quiet. peaceful. most customers appeared to be older likely in their 40’s & above… i m not quite there yet but i absolutely do not mind this at all. the décor was cute w/​caricatures of famous people. the back walls were filled w/​pictures of famous people as well. good to look @ them while waiting for our waiter.
Appetizers: (i) Chip n Dip: it came w/​three different dips… all were tasty & delicious. I do not care for the potato fritters that came with them though. (ii) Sea Scallops: small & a little overcooked; it came w/​lento beans… odd combo to me but not bad
Ice Tea: black & freshly brewed. good… but cannot remember the exact flavor… possibly a tropical fruit of some sort
Entrees: I had the short rib… a bit salty & a bit dry; not the best. average. My fiancé had the Niman Ranch Pork. His entrée was better… tender & moist – some part was dry. the meat just fell of the bone as he dug into it. the light clear broth-​like sauce made the pork savory.
Dessert: The Apple Crisp (recommended by our waiter): average. a bit too much cinnamon. honestly, i do not care for cooked fruit in any dish but the «crisp» part was warm & good. the french vanilla ice-​cream that came w/​the dish was rich & terrific.
Service: good, fast & attentive.
Would not mind coming back for a quick lunch/​dinner.

Snooze fest! Cosmo needs to save the crooner/​lounge music for my grandparents – maybe that’s why it was filled with old people. The vibe in this place was off.
I had the scallop and bbq pork slider appetizers, because nothing else on the menu really spoke to me. The scallops were delicious, but the sliders were dry and the BBQ sauce they concocted wasn’t very tasty.
My husband had the sausage dish and he thought it was average.
I was so disappointed in this meal that I skipped ordering dessert and went straight to Tower Café.
Get it together Cosmo. Get it together.

I really enjoyed it here. It’s unfortunately quiet on a furlough Friday. Too bad really. One of my lunch mates suggested furlough Mondays. Why not, eh? Arnold? Mr. Budget Secretary? It seems lunch is already slow on Mondays — so… less impact?
if you are comforted by casual elegance than you will enjoy Cosmo Café. Atmosphere and hospitality — simply wonderful. I met with two friends — they were late. So, i settled into a comfortable high-​back green sofa and began to go through my call-​backs. I could have worked there all day. Comfortable and cool, enriched by the environment.
I had the best (gourmet) hamburger here… better than anywhere else in Sacramento. Please challenge me on this as, like guacamole and macaroni and cheese, my search for the best is a lifelong endeavor. Everything i saw looked appealing and had first class presentation.
I’ll go back at a busier time or after hours for the bar crowd — i also understand the theater is awesome. In the meantime, I’m jonesin’ to just go back and have another burger.

Order the hamburger. Order it with Truffle Cheese.
Spectacular.
Look at the beautiful neon theatre sign out in front.
Savor every single bite of that delicious hambuger.
Then go to sleep in the restaurant because there is nothing else to do in Sacramento.
Or join a gang.

Cosmo Café located at 1000 K street in the former Woolworth’s building is part of the Paragary Restaurant Group.
I ate lunch there recently in a group of 8.
Our server was very chatty but attentive. According to him (after hearing how he accidentally shot a champagne cork clear across the restaurant at his last job at Il Fornaio) the café prides itself on making as much as possible in-​house. The corned beef is corned by them. They make their own sausages. They smoke their own salmon. The only items not house made are the French fries and the ice cream (which they get from a creamery in Davis) The décor is a bit retro/​mid-​century. Black and white tiled floor, lime green upholstered chairs, white tablecloths, white plates. We were seated by a large photo of the corner of 10^th and K streets as it appeared circa 1950.
I had the Reuben sandwich. The corned beef was sliced very thick and had no fat. It was good but was not corned enough for my taste. The house cured sauerkraut could have been a bit tangier but you could tell it was fresh, not canned or jarred. Sandwiches come with a choice of French fries or mixed green salad or coleslaw. I had the French fries. They were thin cut and very crispy. Others in the group reported that the coleslaw was quite good. Tellingly for this group, no one ordered the healthiest option of the mixed green salad.
The hamburgers are made with Niman Ranch beef. Many in my party ordered them. They appeared to be quite substantial. I’ve had Niman Ranch hamburgers at other restaurants and found them to be very tasty. Excellent beef.
One person ordered the house smoked sausage in a fresh baguette with sauerkraut and whole grain mustard. He was only able to finish half of his sandwich.
Prices for lunch run from $ 8 to $ 17 but the portions are generous and high quality. Desserts run about $ 7, are delicious, but some of the offerings are small (we shared a selection amongst all of us)