coya

following the recommendation of friends, i went there for iftar with my wife, given the set menu allowed us to taste a wide variety of menu items.  to sum up our experience, it was somewhat disappointing.

the drinks were mediocre (mango & chia seeds was too light, and the flavors of the mandarin & grapefruit juice felt like opposite flavors clashing with a messy result)
the soups were fine, but had an overly smoky flavor
the edamame was excessively oily, almost as if they were deep fried (why the oil?)
the trio de maize was literally just corn, but it lacked any flavor (unlike the corn in a cup kiosks found in malls) which actually tastes good
the seabass croquette was nice with good lime flavor - nice but nothing spectacular
the grilled forest mushroom was actually nice and unique (thumbs up)
the wagyu ribs slider was the best thing we had that night (double thumbs up)
the mains were mediocre:
seabass was nice but again nothing special
the beef ribs were too gamey and we couldn't take more than a bite
the date cake & ice cream dessert was very normal, but not bad

service and atmosphere were excellent, but the food was a huge let down.  i find it hard to recommend coya to others as there isn't a single dish that i would crave and find myself urging to go back.  probably our first and last time, as much as i hoped i would be a regular here.

tucked away on the north side of the galleria mall on maryah island, next to the four seasons, coya has almost a hidden entrance. as if you are ducking into the secret remains of the inca ruins, well with a red carpet and valet.  the moment you walk in the door coya makes you feel comfortable. you feel like you have entered a beautiful peruvian home.  colorful bright pillows on wrought iron chairs, lots of greenery, hanging plants, and dark wooden tables.

coya abu dhabi's ambience is lovely, the staff are very helpful and friendly. my expectation towards their food was high and for someone who have tried peruvian food before, you'll find the food tasteless. i'm not sure if thats only in the abu dhabi branch or all others are like that too. i heard so many good reviews about the others but not so much on this one.

if you were to order guacamole, ask them to add more of the sour sauce.

great peruvian food, but portions aren’t great for the hefty price you’re paying. good desserts too! and the service is amazing! and the vibes are fantastic. drinks selections are so many and all in all good!

coya is the latest and probably nicest addition to abu dhabi. i have been both to their friday brunch and tuesday live music night and it was my first peruvian food experience. not only the food was delicious, but the service of coya team in abu dhabi is simply beyond impeccable. in this specific review, i won't talk about food that will certainly tingle your taste buds, i'd rather mention the friendly stuff who strive to deliver an amazing experience for their guests with an amazingly friendly attitude. you have to experience that!

we went for brunch with great expectations based on the buzz around this newcomer to the abu dhabi restaurant scene. unfortunately they weren't met, which is a shame especially against the background of the above average prices. 

the ambiance: is very nice, the restaurant feels cosy, with comfortable  leather sofas, supplemented by brightly colored pillows in peruvian style. 

the food: actually underwhelming. the ceviche were decent, but not more, other starters were ok.
then the signature dish: arroz nikkei. the fish was nicely done, the rice with lime and chilli however was a bit bland, no resemblance to the "taste explosion" which was reported in other reviews in the net.  the lomo de res was cooked well and was soft but still with the necessary texture. 
desserts were good. 

the service: friendly and helpful, but unfortunately: slow. drinks orders took considerable time to arrive, sometimes to the extent that we already had forgotten about them when they arrived. 

overall i think coya has still some catching up to do, on the food as well as on the service front. while there are brunches in the city were i can't wait to return sooner rather than later, coya is not that kind of place at the moment.  over time it may become one of these.

what a shame! brunch is not as good as it used to be. not worth the price.
special thanks to anna who was attentive and really sweet.

we had friday brunch and overall experience so satisfying, from the variety, quality and taste of all the items served during entire process of brunch. friendly and well informed staff are icing on the cake. highly recommend.

visited coya for dinner tonight with a reservation at 8:30. we have been seated in an unpleasant spot regardless the empty tables, we were transferred to a better table upon request, we sat in our new table then a few moments later the waiter came to inform us he will change our table to a better one beside the window so we accepted, just as we were seated the manager came and asked us to move back to our previous table as this one was reserved for other guests, we again moved back and ordered sushi which tasted awful , fishy and disgusting, the other dish was seabass risotto which tasted fishy as well and the fish was definitely the frozen cheap type , which we couldn’t eat either. very bad experience, poor management and coordination, bad quality of food. will definitely not recommend this restaurant to any family or friends. i would rate this restaurant as 0/10 , its a mistake to locate this restaurant next to lpm!

the food was very delicious + lobster and sushi and potato 🥔, highly recommend it. + the service was really amazing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

enjoyed an excellent brunch at coya. wide assortment of sharing plates & appetizers, choice of 1 main and a dessert platter, along with unlimited beverages were worth the price.

the moment you walk into coya you are wowed by the eclectic ambiance and breathtaking views. the freshness and quality of the food was superb. the staff were welcoming and friendly. our server was very attentive and knowledgeable on the eclectic peruvian fusion menu. he made excellent selections for us to try that were distinctly delicious. the manager pascuale was there to ensure we had excellent food and service. he attended to all guest to ensure they were receiving a top notch coya experience. we'll definitely recommend coya to our friends and look forward to returning soon.

warm welcoming, interesting interior, cozy ambiance , music is amazing, friendly staff and outstanding service , cocktails are great , everything we had is just perfect and delicious , food quality and taste are top notch, highly recommended and definitely will visit again

amazing amazing ambience and place for a special occasion! soooo beautifully decorated, the colors, the decors, the serving plates, etc. it has an outdoorsy seating area too.

we tried their set lunch for 110 per person where we could choose total 3 dishes. the portions are good enough for one person. we tried croqueta de lubinas which were 3 in a bowl. these sea bass croquettes tasted so delish and looked just as good! next we tried was picante de papino which is a small bowl of green apples and cucumbers mixed in miso, coriander, seasame oil and almonds. it was my fave thing to try - superb taste! what an unusual way to eat green apples! maki roll de salmon were nice too for seafood lovers. the maki rolls were tasty with rice and avocado. choclo con queso was another favorite - the baby corns were grilled to perfection!! ceviche de hongos was a dish of wild mushrooms, it was about okay. had a unique licorice/soft drink type taste. pollo a la parilla was basically grilled baby chicken with sauteed colored capsicums and onions. the chicken could have been better, perhaps by de-skinning it and then grilling with more flavors. we also tried costillas de res which looked good and tasted ok. one of the favorites was the complimentary tomato soup that came with the set lunch - absolutely wonderful and flavorful! loved our drinks too - que pina - subtle and refreshing. the latte was so silky and yummy. for my birthday my friends ordered chocolate fundido...every element on the plate had a burst of flavors, whether passion fruit or coconut. everything about this restaurant was so fancy and so classy - it was a wonderful experience at tasting a new peruvian cuisine. highly recommend.

the food quality was really poor! i had a bad experience regarding food only ... the staff is so friendly ... but i’m sure i will not go and eat there again! it’s overrated!