This November, London is set to celebrate the spirit of Latin America with the opening of Coya in Mayfair, brought to you by a dynamic new team put together by Arjun Waney, the restaurateur behind Zuma, La Petite Maison and The Arts Club.
As London’s first Peruvian restaurant to include a private members bar, Coya will feature the capital’s best contemporary Peruvian cuisine for a modern and discerning London clientele, alongside an extensive Pisco bar. Art, music and culture will come together from all over Latin America, the UK and beyond, creating an experience that is both unique and exciting.
Housed in an impressive Georgian building, Coya’s interiors have been designed by David D’Almada (recent commissions include La Petite Maison in London and Dubai as well as The Arts Club in Dover Street). Coya’s design combines a luxurious dilapidated décor that juxtaposes a rich Incan palette against modern metallic finishes with a nod to a colonial past. The space brings together an array of painted murals, textures and finishes that create a contemporary and edgy, yet elegant take on Latin America.
To ensure the origins of Coya stemmed from a place of absolute authenticity, the team travelled to Peru in search of inspiration and local knowledge, bringing back the very best recipes along with stunning pieces of antique Peruvian furniture that will feature throughout the restaurant and members club.
Members will have the use of a separate dining area, outdoor terrace and members bar. The downstairs restaurant and bar, which are also open to the public, will showcase a menu by Head Chef Sanjay Dwivedi, who has formerly graced the kitchens of Zaika, Le Caprice and The Ivy. Creating his menu in a signature open plan kitchen, Sanjay will entertain with knowledge and skills developed over many months spent in the kitchens of Lima such as Cala, Astrid and Gaston, as well as many kitchen’s throughout South America and further afield in Spain. Sanjay has maintained the traditional elements of Peruvian cuisine while creating a contemporary menu for a modern and vibrant London scene.
The downstairs restaurant features a ceviche bar where diners can sit and enjoy a wide range of classic ceviches and tiraditos. Diners can expect to be delighted with a menu that includes anticuchos or grilled skewered meat, including ox heart with parsley and ají rocoto, and parrillada dishes such as pechuga de pato – duck breast with lúcuma, soya sauce and coriander shoots. Salads will feature hearts of palm with roasted cashew nuts and sesame dressing, and a Josper section features a range of meat and fish cooked on the traditional Josper oven.
A Peruvian restaurant would not be complete without a fully stocked pisco bar. The Coya team have scoured the best bars in Lima to fine tune the famous Pisco Sour and create a menu of pisco-based cocktails and infusions that are second to none. You will see traditional botija mud containers, where pisco has been traditionally stored since the 1800s, alongside a selection of exclusive spirits and hard to find tequilas and rums.
Music and art will play a key role in creating a dynamic atmosphere individual to Coya. Live bands such as the talented Peruvian Katy Prado & The Mambolerosand DJs will be playing a host of genres representing the old and the new as well as revelling in the cross-pollination between Latin culture, British sounds and other musical traditions.
Coya guests should expect an array of deliciously prepared, Peruvian food, killer cocktails, vibrant live music and sumptuously distressed South American and colonial inspired surroundings mixed with contemporary accents. Coya’s unique culture is unmistakably Latin through a London lens.
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