Abu Dhabi’s best restaurant, allegedly: Restaurant Coya Abu Dhabi (9. December 2022)
According to the Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino’s List 5o Best of the World Middle East, North Africa, the Coya Abu Dhabi ranks as No. 37 of the Middle East, and as the best one in Abu Dhabi. Now, frankly, I’m not sure if that is true, but it is at least not a bad place.
I went for the “Olor A Sakura (blueberry pisco, elderflower, cherry blossom, grapefruit)” (65.00 AED) as an apéritif, which was quite nice. Relatively refreshing, a bit too much ice in the glass for my personal gusto, but other than that, quite enjoyable.
Then it was time for a bunch of different starters like the “corn arepas (braised beef with beans, burrata, avocado, lime)” (68.00 AED) which were not really the classical arepas you know and like, but a more do-it-yourself kind of experience where you build your own arepa by adding layer by layer with a spoon onto the piece of bread.
Secondly, we went for the “wagyu beef bao buns (beef cheek, passion fruit, pickled cucumber)” (78.00 AED) which were tiny, but lovely.
Although an incredibly simple dish, I absolutely enjoyed the “corn salad (grilled corn, crispy corn, jumbo corn, chilli dressing)” (54.00 AED) since it was basically a combination of different types of corn, and corn which was prepared in different ways. So, it was a nice combination of flavours and textures, making it a quite lovely starter.
The “grilled chicken taco (bell pepper, manchego, Botija olive)” (64.00 AED) was not as exciting as the bao buns, but it was still enjoyable overall. A bit messy to eat, but fine overall.
We were warned about the “spicy yellowfin tuna (chilli, garlic, sesame seeds, rice cracker, soy)” (74.00 AED) since it was apparently quite spicy. And it turns out this was true. It was actually nicely spicy, and probably for many clients too spicy, but personally, I enjoyed it quite a lot.
The “Chilean sea bass rice (Bomba rice, lime, chilli, sweetcorn purée)” (229.00 AED) is apparently their signature dish. And I must say, it was quite delicious, but I’m not sure, it is worth paying the price of CHF 60.00. It just seems a bit off.
What I absolutely loved and was a positive surprise, was the “grilled wild broccoli (chilli garlic butter, sesame seeds)” (45.00 AED), especially, since in the menu, it had only been announced as “grilled broccoli”, so, when it turned out to be wild broccoli, I was super happy about it, and it definitely added to my personal experience that evening.
As a dessert, I went for the “Coya Egg (coconut granita, açaí berry, pineapple, calamansi ice cream)” (82.00 AED) which is quite fun as you get to break it with a little hammer. And it’s not only fun, it’s also quite lovely in terms of flavour profile.
All in all, I liked the Coya Abu Dhabi. It’s definitely a good place with tasty dishes. Frankly, everything is a bit on the expensive side, but at least the dishes are all absolutely exquisite. The service is friendly, swift, and attentive. However, the issue is that everything is brought super quickly. Whenever you order something, it arrives within minutes. Like, that’s not a bad thing, but it feels like you’re being rushed through the evening, which I find quite annoying. So, when you order, you have to tell them and to time it quite a bit to make sure you’re not force-fed throughout the evening. Since the place is not only ‘famous’, but also popular, you have to make sure to book your table well in advance.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Coya Abu Dhabi
Four Seasons Hotel
The Galleria
Abu Dhabi (UAE)
Tel.: +971 2 306 70 00
Homepage: https://coyarestaurant.com/restaurants/abu-dhabi/
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
