Coya – Mayfair, London

Coya in Mayfair is a Latin American venue with a modern Peruvian restaurant. Based on a tip from a friend it was my turn to sample their lunch menu – and as it happened their express lunch for £28 was express in name, but not a shortcut in flavours.…

So, how was the experience? As usual it pays to check with the waitress what’s recommended and lucky for me she twisted my arm to order Salmon Nikkei for the starters. Lovely sashimi cut salmon with celery juice, ginger and wasabi, a fabulous choice and definitely the star of the menu! Apparently Salmon Nikkei and Atùn Chifa (Peruvian take on tuna sashimi) are the best sellers! Due to my frequent visits to Valencia I also wanted to try Croquetas de Lubina (seabass filling) and they were nice too… but I was left wondering what the tuna would have tasted like?

For the main course I had the Solomillo de Res, or grilled steak with yucca chips. Very good, especially the green salsa that accompanied the steak. Yucca chips? Well, potatoes come from Peru (in Finnish potatoes are called peruna) and I would choose proper chips any day over imitations.

The dessert was another highlight, Mousse de Coco, a wonderful coconut mousse with pineapple sorbet and lime & coconut granite. Ten out of ten.

And the overall experience? Very nice, full of atmosphere and Latin Americans enjoying a piece of home away from home. Noisy, but not too noisy to prevent conversation over a glass of Malbec! The bar looked inviting too… perhaps to check out sometime with the right company!

Acoustics
Banqueting
Courtesy
Décor

Coya Restaurant
118 Piccadilly, Mayfair
London, W1J 7NW
www.coyarestaurant.com