COYA

Location: Four Seasons Resort (Jumeirah Beach)
Pricing:
AED 328 (Inclusive of Soft Beverages)
AED 448 (Inclusive of Alcoholic House Beverages)
AED 598 (Inclusive of Champagne)

Timings: 12.30pm-4.00pm

“Don’t bother with churches, government buildings or city squares, if you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars”- Ernest Hemmingway

Upon entering the beautifully colorful restaurant, you are greeted by a hostess who explains the brunch packages offered- you are then given the corresponding wrist band and ushered to the bar area for welcome drinks. By giving the wrist band and collecting payment towards the end of brunch at your table- the Coya management has circumvented the extremely annoying queue that forms at some other brunches- who prefer to charge before entry. Muchas gracias Coya!

At the bar you are offered cocktails, wine, and beer. The bartenders can make you: Pisco Sour (original or passion fruit), margarita, mojito, whiskey sour, and bloody mary. I stick to Piscos throughout the brunch: for three reasons a) because I enjoy them, b) it’s rare to find Pisco at other bars in Dubai c) they are well made. My companions enjoy their mojitos and margaritas. Another muchas gracias Coya- for having bartenders that makes actual cocktails. For the cherry on top, the brunch includes as much tequila shots as your heart desires.

Our party of 10 end up spending a good 45mins at the bar area, partly because we are waiting for a lady (who is fashionably late), but mainly because Coya’s DJ is already playing an upbeat mix of tunes (Latin, electro, house).

When we finally proceed to our table, a friendly Venezualan waitress greets us & explains the menu to us, as follows:

Appetizers: guacamole, crocantes, edamame. Frankly these dishes are a let down, and Coya should up their game.

Display: unlimited ceviches, tiraditos, tacos, causas, maki rolls, and salads. The highlight of this brunch is the ceviches and tiraditos. I especially enjoy the tuna, red snapper (with truffle oil), and sea bream. The maki rolls disappoint with only an avocado maki, and lomo (beef) maki on offer. The two salad options (quinoa and corn) are mediocre, with the quinoa dressed in an overpowering tamarind sauce.

Skewers: mushrooms, chicken, beef hearts. My favorite is the beef hearts, the mushroom is good, and the chicken is boring.

Select one from mains: Chilean sea bass, spicy beef, salmon fillet, baby chicken, Peruvian potatoes. After all the ceviche I am craving meat and opt for the spicy beef, which is delicious. Given the brunch price tag- it is annoying that they limit you to a single serving.

The mains are served with corn, asparagus, and stir-fry quinoa. I especially like the quinoa and order a second helping.

Finally a dessert platter is served, of which I only really enjoy the chicha morda ice-cream.

The restaurant is roughly 90% full on our visit, with the majority of the crowd in the 40+ age category, all dressed to impress (although it was peculiar to see some children too). Coya definitely does a good job in delivering high quality food & drinks in a fun & friendly atmosphere. However, given the heavy price tag, a few tweaks are necessary before we can consider this as a contender for the Dubai Brunch Champion title.

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Rating
Ambiance: 18/20.
Beverages: 18/20.
Food: 18/20.
Service: 18/20
Value for Money: 8/20.
Total: 80%