COSMO World Buffet Romford — Restaurant in London

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Immediate Action Needed Against Manager Ivan

I have been a loyal and regular customer at this restaurant, drawn back time and time again by the exceptional food and mostly great service. However, my most recent visit was an absolute nightmare due to the unprofessional and disrespectful behavior of the manager, Ivan. I feel compelled to write this detailed review in the hope that the owner of this establishment will take serious and immediate action to address Ivan’s unacceptable conduct.

What Happened:

I visited the restaurant with a group of friends to celebrate and enjoy ourselves. We ordered food and continued to spend over £200 on drinks after finishing our meal. Despite the fact that some of my friends were still eating dessert, we were abruptly told by Ivan that we had to leave within 5 minutes. This came out of nowhere, as no one had informed us of any time restrictions when we entered the restaurant.

When I approached Ivan to discuss this, his behavior shocked me. I politely asked for his name, and he outright refused to tell me. I tried to get a closer look at his badge to see his name, and instead of cooperating, he demanded to see my ID—a completely illegal and uncalled-for request. His demeanor was dismissive and confrontational throughout the conversation.

I even suggested checking the security cameras to confirm what I was saying, but Ivan brushed me off and told me that I should have read the restaurant's policy. I explained to him that I’ve been a regular customer here for years and have never been told about such policies. As someone who manages over 150 people myself, I know that it’s the responsibility of the staff or management to inform customers about critical rules—not to expect them to read a policy document on their own. This is basic customer service.

Unprofessional and Discriminatory Behavior:

What made this incident even worse was the clear personal bias Ivan displayed toward me. He made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that he didn’t “like my face.” This is beyond unprofessional—it’s discriminatory. I have never caused trouble at this establishment. I’ve always respected the staff, tipped generously, and been treated kindly in return by everyone—except Ivan.

Why Action Is Necessary:

As someone in a leadership role, I believe firmly in the principle that “the customer is king,” as long as there is mutual respect. Ivan’s behavior is a stark violation of this principle. His actions not only ruined my experience but also tarnished the reputation of an otherwise excellent establishment.

As a manager, Ivan failed to uphold the standards of hospitality.

His confrontational and dismissive attitude is damaging to the restaurant’s image.

His refusal to provide basic information like his name and illegal demand for my ID are unacceptable.

His personal bias and unprofessional comments about my appearance are grounds for serious disciplinary action.

Message to the Owner:

I am writing this review not only to share my experience but also to urge the owner of this company to take immediate action. As someone who manages a large team myself, I understand the challenges of leadership. However, I would never tolerate such behavior from anyone under my supervision. Ivan’s actions reflect poorly on your business, and without addressing this issue, you risk alienating loyal customers like myself.

The food at this restaurant is truly exceptional, and most of the staff have been wonderful in my past visits. However, no level of quality in food can make up for such poor treatment by management. Please take this seriously and ensure that Ivan’s behavior is addressed appropriately.

I hope to see changes soon because I genuinely want to continue supporting this establishment. But as long as Ivan remains in his position without consequences, I cannot recommend this...

Food was pretty standard, workers were not focused on ensuring our experience was great, safe or comfortable.

Il explain.

1. we ordered drinks and I ordered a mock tail. Waiter brought over the drinks and was confused about what he brought. I confirmed the drink he gave me was the one I had ordered by name. He confirmed. As I picked it up it a little spilt. As I was cleaning it up (which was fine) another waiter(tres) came along with a smile on her face to tell me the drinks I had was incorrect. Unfortunately I and us at tjr table couldn't understand her due to having a heavy accident. Which again wasn't the issue but I needed to know what drink I had. Why. I am heavily pregnant and don't drink alcohol.

We then managed to establish after a 3rd waiting came along to tell me it was alcohol. ! I was very upset. 1 being pregnant and 2 if I had been Muslim or an alcoholic this would have been 3x as bad.

I asked for a free drink which I had got and did get an apology but as you have heard me express it wasn't clearly enough. This is unacceptable, very unprofessional and VERY! unsafe for customers. What if I had my younger children with me! We were also celebrating 1 of childrens 18th birthday!

This aside.

2. after paying about 15 minutes we were told we needed to get all of our food before 9.30 as the buffet was closing! This immediately made us feel uncomfortable and made us rush our food.

Shortly after this I saw a big on the floor. I thought it was a baby cocroche but my sister inlaw and brother said it wasn't I'm not 100% but it wasn't nice and put me off.

No information put on site as I was booking our slot, nothing was told to us about buffet closing at 9.30 until we had paid and no consistent effort to ensure everything was okay.

Not the first time we came here but definitely the last.

Honestly only 2 stars because the food wasn't terrible and we did have a few apologies. No staff were rude as such but not responsible enough.

My family did say they had a good time and this was due to us being together and celebrating my daughters 18th birthday.

Also just a quick one. Staff did ask my niece and 2 daughters for ID as they orded cocktails but this defeats the purpose if they gave me the wrong drink!

I personally didn't take any pictures of our food or drinks. Big she really as this was a...

Rude Manager, Unacceptable Behavior – Avoid This Place! (IVAN MANAGER)

I’ve been a loyal customer of this establishment, always respectful to staff, tipping generously, and maintaining a good relationship with the team. However, my recent experience was nothing short of shocking due to the unprofessional and disrespectful behavior of the manager, Ivan (whose name I discovered only after much difficulty).

When we arrived, no one mentioned any time limits. We ordered food, enjoyed it, and then spent an additional £200 on drinks. While several people at our table were still eating dessert, we were suddenly told we had to leave in 5 minutes. This is completely unacceptable and unprofessional—especially considering that we were still consuming drinks and contributing significantly to their revenue.

I decided to speak with the manager to address the situation and asked for his name. Surprisingly, he refused to tell me, forcing me to try and read his badge. When I attempted to take a closer look, he rudely asked for my ID—something he legally has no right to demand. This escalated the situation unnecessarily and showed his complete disregard for customer service.

What’s worse, it became apparent that his behavior wasn’t based on anything I said or did but simply because, in his words, “he didn’t like my face.” This is deeply unprofessional and outright discriminatory. I’ve never caused trouble at this venue, have always respected everyone, and have been respected in return by the staff—except for Ivan.

This experience was particularly upsetting because I came to enjoy time with friends, not to deal with a rude and unaccommodating manager. Instead of managing the establishment with professionalism, Ivan seemed more interested in asserting his authority in an inappropriate and confrontational manner.

This incident has left a lasting negative impression on me and the others in my group. As someone who has frequented this place and been a good customer, I find this treatment unacceptable. If this is the attitude of the management, I would strongly advise others to avoid this place altogether. Management behavior like this needs to be addressed urgently—perhaps by a disciplinary committee—because it does not reflect well on the establishment or its otherwise...