La Coya

We came here to do a surprise 40^th birthday party in their private room. Jessica was great throughout the whole planning and during the party. Always asking if we needed anything. She was also very accommodating with all the decorations. Berto was our waiter and he was very sweet and attentive. The food portions were huge and we all ended up with leftovers. All our guess loved the food and everyone was happy with their orders. We had the sangria’s red and white and they were both very good. We would definitely recommend this place for future events! The birthday boy was very surprised indeed.

A gem on Metropolitan Avenue!
Let me start by saying that the seafood paella, and ceviche are absolutely divine!
Service has always been professional, attentive, polite, and eager to help. When I read some of the other reviews, I was absolutely shocked. I have to say this has become one of my favorite restaurants in the area.
Coffee here is outstanding.
Very clean establishment, and a wonderful ambiance. The décor was done very well.

When i came here it was pleasantly unoccupied, so my party received the full attention of the waitstaff. They worked together to insure a pleasant dining experience, being both attended to, and served by multiple employees.
I ordered a half a chicken, which in and of itself was mediocre, and some what dry, but when coupled with their chimichurri sauce the flavor really popped. The best chimi I’ve ever tasted, hands down.
For dessert, the Picarones. Probably not the most health smart dessert on the menu, but even writing about them makes my mouth water. For an additional 3 $ this dessert is offered a la mode, Which for the amount of ice cream you receive is kinda a rip off, but it really does tie together the taste of these small donuts.

Interesting décor, good food, and great service. There is also an off-​putting no tipping policy, but all in all this was a qualty dining experience.

We came here as a big group (14 to be exact). Quickly seated and adequate attention. There were these large corn kernels as snacks on the table… They tasted ok but had a powdery after taste. While ordering, the waitress didn’t seem to have been working there that long… Any question we asked her, she didn’t know the answer. However, she was very nice and even invited the chef to our table. After we finally ordered, the food came quickly and was delicious. Good portions for the price. We would definitely go back!

DISAPPOINTED! If you are looking for decent Peruvian food or even Latin food in general, LOOK ELSEWHERE! I enjoy supporting local businesses and was excited to have a pretty new restaurant close by, so I gave it a try only to be left with HUGE REGRET.
As I walked in with my family, we were not greeted, not even by the manager who was present and standing by the entrance, only told «follow me» by waiter #1 who almost gave us the incorrect menus. Mind you, only two other tables were occupied in the entire restaurant at the time we walked in. You can excuse the lack of a welcome MAYBE if the place is packed, crazy busy, and out of control. The décor of La Coya looked sort of Peruvian, but what really threw the «Peruvian feel» off even more even though it is considered a «Pisco Bar» (pisco is a brandy produced mainly in Peru and Chile), was college football showing on the projector on the back wall of the restaurant. If it was only showing at the bar, that would probably be more acceptable. No Peruvian music ever played and none of the waitstaff we dealt with spoke Spanish or was Hispanic. As for the menu, waiter #2 was asked if the mussels could be removed from the Jalea dish (a traditional Peruvian dish consisting of fried seafood) since one of the members of my family isn’t a huge fan. He didn’t know what Jalea was and had to ask another member of the waitstaff. As for the prices of the dishes, we were all expecting good quality, tasty food.
When the food finally came (served now by a 3^rd waiter) and we rearranged the plates since he mixed up our orders, we were all very unimpressed to say the least. I will only comment on my dish which was the Pollo Saltado (grilled chicken, sauteed onions, cherry tomatoes, parsley, french fries, and white rice) since this review has already become pretty long. My plate was cold to the touch and the food on the plate wasn’t even warm. I could hardly see any chicken in my dish so out of curiosity I picked out the pieces of chicken and put them side by side on my plate to find that my $ 18.95 dish consisted of a single 4.5″ chicken breast. When I finally tasted the chicken, it was unseasoned, bland, and tough. The only thing that added any flavor to the food was the sauce. The cherry tomatoes, onions, fries (which were frozen and re-​fried not natural-​cut), or rice didn’t add any worth to this dish. I didn’t finish my food.
At this point, ever since the plates were left at our table, waiter #3 hasn’t checked up on us even once. Not even the manager present, who seemed to be attending to his family members seated at the table right next to ours, checked on our table. After the last person at our table finished their food, I decided to see how much time it would take a member of the waitstaff to come and either check on us or remove the plates from our table. It NEVER happened. We waited a little over 34 minutes (I timed it) until the couple two tables to the left of ours also grew impatient and called over waiter #3, asked for something and as he is walking toward the kitchen (empty-​handed) and was about to pass directly in front of our table once again, I got his attention and asked him very nicely if he could bring us our check when he had the chance (I didn’t even address the plates which were sitting on our table for over a half-​hour), to which he responded: «I have to make drinks for another table, give me a minute.» I don’t know what to call a response like this other than rude and inconsiderate especially since so much time had passed since he first came to our table.
When he brought the check after he gave the couple «something» and finished making drinks for the other table, we all notice an administrative fee of 18% had been applied to our check even though we were only 3 people (Parties of 6+ usually warrant the use of an applied fee). For a restaurant that is overcharging and has terrible service, an obligatory admin. fee is like saying «we don’t care if you didn’t like our service, you’re still going to pay for it». It’s as though they are expecting people to be disappointed with their dining experience. Again, we wait for the check to be picked up from our table. The manager who has been busy with «his people» seated to the right of us is COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS to the check holder with a credit card sticking out of the top which I have placed upright at the edge of our table. He passes our table three times and never notices. We can’t get the attention of our third waiter. Finally, after 20 minutes have passed, we are able to grab the attention of waiter #1 from across the restaurant who takes the check holder (unwillingly since we weren’t seated in his section), processes our payment, and returns the receipt to us. When we all get up and are leaving La Coya, not one of the waitstaff acknowledges us, once again. When we walked out, we shared what was on all our minds which was a collective TERRIBLE. LA COYA RUINED OUR NIGHT AND WE WON’T EVER GO BACK.

Excellent Peruvian food. Had no complaints just a little on the pricey end, but I will definitely be back there.

The ceviche was very good! The service was VERY slow, perhaps it’s because the 18% gratuity is automatically included in the bill. Which I wasn’t to find of, it was just a party of two. I can understand if we were a party of four or more.

Stopped in here randomly passing through the neighborhood. The food was pretty tasty, the portions are on the large size and priced accordingly. Had the seafood paella, it was good I can’t say it was anything incredible that would lure me back to queens but if I’m in the area I might be inclined to try this spot again. I split the ceviche with my boyfriend, but the portion was more appropriate for 1 then 2.
The restaurant itself was big so there was no issue to get seated. The service was prompt and friendly.

I really, really wanted to like this place because I love Peruvian food and they have my favorite dish, aji de gallina. Unfortunately, the food was just ok. The aji de gallina was adequate, but nothing special. The sauce was fairly bland as was the rice. My husband’s lomo saltado lacked flavor and the meat was dry and chewy, almost as if it had been cooked in advance and just reheated. The staff was warm and welcoming, but couldn’t keep up. A few busboys or bar backs would really help the pace of getting plates cleared and drinks replenished. It took forever to get our second drinks and a check. The food really wasn’t good enough to warrant a return. And I’m against a mandatory 18% service charge, especially when the overall service isn’t very good to start.

Stopped in for lunch on a rainy afternoon and was pleasantly surprised.
To start we had the papa a la huancaina (potatoes in a slightly spicy cheese sauce). It was among the best we’ve had.
I had the Chaufa (fried rice) with steak, I really enjoyed it. It was a little sweet, so that was different, but still tasty.
Hubby had the tallarines verdes (green spaghetti) with steak, and he said it was fantastic.
Our waiter, who was also the bartender was awesome, very friendly. We will definitely be back.

Came for dinner with the hubby last nigh! We had great times and the food is really good! We were suggested to try the fried rice or the noodles, but we both had steak! I choose the entrana and I’m glad I did! happy we went and definitely will go back!

La Coya, fue una muy Buena experiencia, si los precios son un poco caros, pero quien sabe comer bien y apreciar la Buena comida creo que no le importara. La empanada de aji de gallina es muy deliciosa, en nuestra mesa habia lomo saltado, pescado a lo macho, y picarones, todo muy sabroso. definitivamente lo recomiendo.

Came to La Coya on the recommendation of a friend. The gf and I thought the food was good but the prices a bit high.
Walking into La Coya, you can see everything. It’s one large room, which is nice to dine in, but you immediately get the feeling that the place is more suited toward events. We sat down at a table in the back, by a large mural of a rural village in Peru.
The menu is robust, but not so large as to overwhelm the kitchen. Peruvian, Colombian, Argentinian, it doesn’t matter to me – I’m here for the steak! My go-​to? Skirt steak. My steak was cooked to temp, which is a nice change from most places, and was seasoned well. I rather enjoyed the taste as being distinct from the overwhelming amount of butter that’s typically used cooking entrana. The gf had a chicken dish, which was very tasty, but we felt was somewhat overpriced.
As an appetizer we enjoyed the Salchipapa. My girlfriend had never had fried, sliced hotdog. It was delicious. You get a good portion and you’re sure to enjoy it before your meal.
One sour spot, pun always intended, was the margarita. We were told it was very good here, but we both found it to be too much sour mix and not enough tequila. The sangria was on point though; I’d recommend that be your first choice.
Of note: the restaurant doesn’t have tipping, they add an 18% administrative charge. Interesting. I’m sure that if they tried to charge 18% automatic tip on a check, there’d be complaints, but call it an administrative charge and folks are less likely to say anything. I didn’t mind as it streamlined the check process. If you pay by credit card, you’ll notice that the receipt you sign won’t have a line for tip.
Overall we enjoyed our experience and will likely go back. At the end of the night, the check was greater than I though the experience justified, but we still had a good time. There’s good things and bad things, so I’m giving this a 3-​star rating.
ps: Enjoy a good chuckle at the arches in the atrocious aforementioned mural.

Well I have to say that for a new place that is open for about 3 – 4 months now dissatisfaction is what I feel for this place… Let’s begin by saying good area and location they took over an old space to a german restaurant. Cheap beers is the only solid thing here. The service wasn’t good enough for me or the 18% administration FEE? Well the food okay its not all that i have eaten at a lot of different Peruvian places this was Mediocre. Size to prize ratio very poorly designed.
The anticuchos tasted a bit weird mind you i know my ish, choros ala chalaca were ok. A Lot of confusion going on when orders need to be served much of the staff is running like chickens without heads. Organization is something achieved by fine tuning a routine and adapting.
BTW happy hour was eliminated here all together.
I came here to celebrate someone’s birthday and was disappointed, wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who knows latin cuisine or is a foodie. Remember 18%!obligated fee is a bit ballsy. They need my boy from restaurant makeover to come visit and make it happen. Well like they say there’s always a first and last time

Good food, nice restaurant but amateur service. Hopefully they will get their act together regarding service. Just one example is that two orders of Seafood Saltado were ordered and one of the orders had most of the seafood and the other had more vegetables so the poor service isn’t just the inexperienced wait staff, but in the kitchen as well. Prices are reasonable and they add an 18% «administrative charge» to ALL bills in lieu of tipping.

I think I’ll dub this the most bizarre restaurant experience of 2015! I’m a big fan of Peruvian cuisine and am especially fond of good traditional ceviche. Ideally Corvina is used for proper ceviche. It’s a saltwater fish that comes mainly from warm waters like those along the coast of Peru. I was really really excited about trying this place! Forgive me but this is an important point…
So asked what kind of fish they used. The bartender said Tilapia and was quickly corrected by the manager. «No it’s whitefish.» Really? So I asked if she meant that it was a type of white fish or actual whitefish? She was very very puzzled by this question but said that «Yes. It’s a type of white fish but we cannot say which one.» WHAT!!! That’s not all! She also said «The chef told us not say what type we serve and to just call it white fish.» CRAZY!!! There’s more though! She carried on after I was truly not interested anymore, «I apologize for the inconvenience but I would have to go in the back and ask him (the chef) if we wanted to know exactly what kind it is.» I AM NOT EMBELLISHING ONE TINY BIT!
First, the whitefish family of fishies refers to either a wide variety of freshwater fish or that golden smoked fish you find in NY delis and bagel shops. YOU WOULD NEVER USE A FRESHWATER FISH in ceviche or sushi or any application where actual heat is not used to cook the meat. Too much bacteria! So this was a crazy answer. I know she simply had no idea what she was talking about with regards to the fish but there is something more basic in question here: If I’m considering ordering food from your menu you’d better be prepared to elaborate on every single ingredient contained in that dish. Ever hear of allergies or religious restrictions? I wonder what a secret shopper or better yet, a health inspector would have to say.
We had a few drinks, and asked for the check. The polite gentleman behind the bar, when printing our check, asked if we wanted to order anything to eat. I’m not kidding.
Amateur hour! Shame on you!

Last night a group of us, locals, went to celebrate a friends birthday. We did make a reservation and were seated promptly. It should be noted to understand part of this review that I called in advance to discuss/​inquire if the restaurant would be able to service a large group (10) and we were assured they could.
So here we go… we were seated promptly and as each member of our party arrived drink orders were taken. Right from the go it was clear to me our waitress was inexperienced, underage or not trained well. She was so confused by the simplest order, which was reiterated at least 3 times, and still delivered incorrectly. This would be a theme of the night, the joke of service between the bar staff and waitstaff.
One woman ordered a Pisco sour, the staple of their drink menu, and could not get it for a half hour. More worrisome is that the waitress came to the table 3 times to ask her if she got the drink, never actually returning herself with it. Secondy, a man who is either a bartender, assistant manager, came to ask another for her drink order. She asked, «do you have a nice Cabernet by the glass?» to which he replied yes… and proceeded to come back with a glass of white wine.
Moving on… We ordered a variety of appetizers and entrees. The food was delivered in an acceptable timeframe and correctly. Everyone at the table was very happy with their food. There really was not one complaint. SO, this begs the questions… Jessica, how long do you want to stay in business?
While you’re a new restaurant and welcome addition to the neighborhood, you will not last if you do not heed the warning of this reviewer, and apparently others. The service is so low par you need to address this matter before you go out business. People may come once, but they will not be repeat customers if service is poor. With 60% of restaurants failing in their first year and 80% in five years, do you really want to take a chance?
Hire professional bartenders and waitstaff. Make sure they know the menu inside and out, can make recommendations, understand basic questions people may ask, are trained to check in on their tables etc… People should not have to flag down a waitperson nor have to get up to get their own drinks, both which occurred last night.
Maybe the staff are family members and you’re trying to save money? It would be a shame to not succeed with a kitchen that delivers quality, delicious food.
P. S. Noticed the Happy Hour advertised read «3−5pm», is that a Peruvian thing? Would be more appealing to offer Happy hour specials during real Happy hour time, 5−7pm.

Recently I stopped in La Coya with my wife as we really enjoy Peruvian cuisine. We had a number of fabulous dishes and excellent drinks. My wife and I enjoyed various pisco drinks and she loved the passion fruit pisco.
We had a fried seafood platter that was absolutely delicious. We also had the ceviche that was a very generous portion and a mussel soup in a tomato broth that was amazing. (Can you tell we are seafood lover?)
Our entrée was a skirt steak with rice and beans. The skirt steak came out in a skillet that was perfectly cooked. During the dinner, they provided various homemade sauces that complemented the dishes extremely well.
We really enjoyed the ambiance, décor and friendly wait staff and can’t wait to visit La Coya again!

I give food 5 stars service 2 stars that’s how I came up with 4. They try but it’s a new place so they need time to get it together. The food is very good and the Pesco drinks are great. I definitely will be back they are very friendly and try hard they just need to get into the flow.
Jessica, it wasn’t so bad I wouldn’t come back. I don’t mind waiting for food but if you’re waiting for food you shouldn’t wait for drinks, no one should have an empty glass unless that’s what they want. There were no plates with the appetizer, we had to eat out of the plate it came on, others had plates. I liked the food and will be back, I wish the restaurant much success

I liked the food. Will be there again soon. Stay tuned for a in-​depth review!

I love, love, love Pio. This was similar. My sister really wanted to try it. I think they have a more extensive menu than Pio. The greens sauce tasted like Cool Ranch Doritos. We got the Jalea Mixto, Chaufa (Spanish chow fan), and the Coya Combo (comes with a whole chicken and various sides). We just realized as we finished eating that we didn’t get the house salad, one of the sides.
My sister brought a cake from Silk Cakes (across the street) and they were gracious about bringing it out for us, sang for us and even thanked us when we shared a couple slices.
I liked the food; I would give them another shot especially since my sister really liked it. The chicken was a bit dry for my liking and the fried fish in the Jalea was waaaaay too salty but the other things were yummy :)
They gave us a free pitcher of sangria cuz we were celebrating bdays. We don’t drink much so we liked it light and fruity, my dad even poured ginger ale on his, and liked it better. I could see alcohol lovers wanting it to be stronger.
May be back!