Tucked away on Throgmorton Street, COYA City is a firm favourite among the sharp-suited city crowd looking to impress over a business lunch or let loose with a few pisco sours. The extensive cocktail menu and South American spirits selection certainly encourage the latter, but there’s also a recently launched Express Business Lunch with a set menu for those wanting to impress their clients for less than £50 a head.
Possibly part of its popularity, the space has been designed with a clever sense of flow – step into the Pisco Lounge for pre-dinner drinks, or wind your way to the left to find the main restaurant, an explosion of colour and energy.
Handcrafted Peruvian furniture, art and vibrant décor set the stage, while an open kitchen and ceviche counter stacked with piles of limes and avocados bring the theatre of dining to life. The result is a space that feels both glamorous and inviting, with just the right amount of buzz to make any evening feel like a special occasion.
Once shown to our tables, we met charming manager Mirko and star employee Dixie who was lovely and took great care of us throughout the meal. At BBB, we are known to love a cocktail, and we were ready to order the minute we sat down, keen to peruse the menu with drink in hand.
Charlotte ordered a Matcha Picchu (Ketel One vodka infused with lemongrass, yuzu, Italicus bergamot liqueur, basil syrup and matcha tea), which was refreshing and a little sweet, perfect for reviving the soul after a work day.
My choice was a lemongrass, ginger and kaffir macerado, which is a cold infusion used with a traditional pisco sour, making the drink light and delicate but interesting. COYA City have put a lot of work into their unique cocktails; even the menu is a work of art with images of indigenous Peruvian people in splashes of rich colour.
A Culinary Adventure in Every Bite
COYA City’s menu is built for sharing, which is both a blessing and a curse. You’ll want a bit of everything, but relinquishing even a bite of your favourite dishes feels like a personal loss. I recommend visiting with someone you find it easy to forgive.
We kicked things off with guacamole, which was smashed tableside in a heavy stone bowl, and accompanied by crisp tostadas. On this occasion, I was lucky that my dining companion’s ambivalence about avocado allowed me to polish off a fair bit of the dish! The tableside performance adds a little fun to the ritual of dipping, though the real excitement began with the small plates that followed.
COYA City Knows Raw Fish
The small plates format means that your choices are served as they are ready, and so the raw plates were the first to arrive. The ceviche de atún chifa brought together silky tuna, heat, and a nutty whisper of sesame, while the tiradito de pez limón offered a contrast—soft fish, creamy tartness, and a playful pop of tobiko bursting with flavour. Both were beautifully presented, the kind of dishes that make you pause for a moment just to admire them before diving in.
Alongside these we were served a bottle of the house white, a bottle of Vallisto Torrontes from the Valle de Cafayate in Argentina, a fresh and citrusy wine with floral notes, benefitting from the sandy soils of the region. There is an extensive wine list, as well as the cocktails and mocktails, so something for everyone to accompany this delightful dinner!
Hot To Go – A Feast of Small Dishes
Of the hot small dishes, the empanadas – golden-fried pockets stuffed with smoky shredded beef – were an instant hit, the corn dough adding just the right amount of sweetness to balance the richness.
The cangrejo tacos, a messy but delightful soft-shell crab dish, arrived with a fresh, punchy salsa and a cheeky cayenne kick. The ratio of crispy soft-shell to teeny taco makes this a generous dish, but not advisable for a first-date unless you’re out to impress with your dexterity. The anticuchos, skewers of perfectly pink, charred beef, delivered a punch of spice and BBQ tanginess – simple but executed flawlessly.
The Main Event at COYA City
But if there’s one dish that stole my heart, it was the arroz nikkei. Also designed for sharing but from the section of the menu which featured larger plates, an enormous slab of sea bass, with sticky-charred glaze, rested on a bed of rice so gloriously seasoned and textured that I wanted to snuggle into it like a comfort blanket. It’s the kind of dish you order thinking you’ll share, only to find yourself subtly angling the bowl away from your dining companions, hoping they won’t notice. Sorry, Charlotte.
Even the berenjena, a seemingly humble miso aubergine, was a masterclass in balance, not too sweet, not too salty, just the right level of umami to have you smiling to yourself throughout the meal. If you think aubergine is boring, this dish will convert you.
Sweet Endings
By this point, we were full, but the dessert menu at COYA City isn’t something you just glance at and decline: it demands engagement. The chocolate fondant was a molten masterpiece, rich and indulgent, with cappuccino foam and a crisp brandy snap for contrast (extra points for the restaurant’s logo elegantly dusted on top). The portion was generous enough to share, though whether you actually want to is another matter entirely.
The tres leches was also very good, a creamy, brûléed delight with pistachios and a playful kataifi-rolled ice cream on the side. The brûléed top added a satisfying crack, while the richness of the moist, milk-soaked cake was indulgent without being overwhelming. It was the kind of dessert you pretend you’ll just have a bite of, only to find yourself going back for more.
COYA City Coda
COYA City isn’t just a restaurant; it’s an experience that is bold, vibrant, and full of energy. Whether you’re here for a business lunch, a celebratory dinner, or just to see how many pisco sours you can handle, it delivers on every front. With a menu that balances authentic Peruvian flair with high-end execution, it’s no wonder this spot remains a go-to for London’s diners. If you haven’t been yet, go with an appetite, an adventurous palate, and a willingness to fight over the last bite. It’s a place that thrives on indulgence and generosity, and one that rewards those willing to dive in headfirst. COYA City, I’ll be back – just try and stop me.
COYA City
31-33 Throgmorton Street
London EC2N 2AT
United Kingdom
