COYA Sydney — Restaurant in Sydney

Cold room, poor service, rude chef, no food, no space for show—COYA ruined my special birthday dinner. Avoid at all costs.

I feel very disappointed that I never read reviews about COYA before booking my birthday dinner there. Had I read the reviews, I would never have made the booking. It was supposed to be a Middle Eastern dinner with a belly dancer.

We arrived, and the restaurant was cold—people were wearing outerwear. I immediately noticed there was no space for a belly dance performance; the room was tiny. We asked for sparkling water, the drinks menu was brought and then taken away without our order being taken. The place doesn’t offer any non-alcoholic drinks except soft drinks, yet it creates the illusion of being an upmarket establishment.

We were not asked if we had any food preferences upon arrival. The mezze plate contained pickled vegetables, chickpea and onion fritters, and deep-fried, mushy ‘mushroom’ balls—hardly a tasting menu offering. When I asked what it was, I was told, “The chef is coming.” Apparently, the chef comes out with every dish and announces what’s on the plate to each table.

When the entrée came out, it looked like a tuna tartare with roe. I asked what it was, and again, “The chef is coming.” When the chef/owner finally arrived and I asked if it was raw, he said “yes.” I replied that I don’t eat raw fish or roe, and asked if they could make me something cooked. The chef gave me a look and, in a dismissive tone, said that there was nothing cooked but that he’d bring me something else. The interaction was so intense that it gave me anxiety. He then continued from table to table, ‘announcing’ his entrée.

Our water was topped up with still water instead of sparkling, and when we informed the waitress, she was meant to change our glasses and bring sparkling water—but never did.

When the belly dancer arrived, I realised I was right: there was no space for her to actually perform without imposing on diners. Later, we saw the performance had been recorded without our permission, and we were in the footage.

People were eating their entrées, and mine was nowhere to be found.

At that point, I told my husband I’d like to leave. This was not a place where I wanted to spend my birthday.

As we made our way down the stairs, I said I’d pay but that we were not staying. The owner’s wife asked, “Why?” We explained that the service was atrocious and the food was not what we expected. Then the chef arrived, and to our astonishment, both began arguing with us, raising their voices and telling us they “sell experience.” It was a bizarre encounter. The chef then told us we didn’t need to pay and continued to argue as we were trying to make our way out.

We ended up having a great dinner in Crows Nest, reading reviews and validating our experience—it was hard to believe how we had been treated. We were not alone. The chef is a rude person who has no place in hospitality. It was very unprofessional.

Do not book this restaurant. Save your money, time, and nerves. There are plenty of places to go to...

Situated in the leafy Northern suburb of Cromer is the middle eastern inspired restaurant Coya. At first we thought it seemed a little out of place. But as we found out, this was not the case. Coya is a local gem providing a quality restaurant experience with frendly service in an area not spoilt for choice. The chef Ashraf Saleh putting an innovative twist on traditional middle eastern meals. The menu catering to carnivore and herbivore with a carte, banquet or degustation options. Something to suit any occasion. We sampled much of the menu and would recommend taking a food journey with the $60 six course degustation.

We were here with foodie friend Spooning Australia and and insta foodie wheredoieatpete. Great company for shared a meal and allowing us to try a variety of dishes that tantalised the taste buds and were visually appealing.

The starters including the tasty Batanjin a fried eggplant dish with garlic black tahini and sumac. The fleur de courgette au fromage, a great tasting zuccini flower stuffed with four different types of cheese. There was also generous serve of king prawns with a piquillo pepper puree. The octopus which was a little chewy, but had nice flavour and our favourite starter being the nicely presented scallops that were perfectly cooked with a tangy sauce.

The substantials continued to excite, including the melt in the mouth beef cheek, then the Samke Harra a beautiful piece of Barramundi flavoured with an array of mixed herbs. The confit duck muscovy again nicely plated, very crispy exterior. I had been craving a tagine for a while and was delighted to see the perfumed chicken tagine arrive at the table. An amazingly tender chicken dish slowcooked with fragrant spices, translating in to a top dish.

The desserts looked anything but traditional, it was all very pretty, like a rainbow and flower garden on your plate. The brick pastry baklava was crisp, served dry and not drowned in rosewater, served with rose petal ice cream. The creme brulee had a smooth texture and combined nicely with contreau and rosemary. The Halwa marquis was an impressive mixture of texture with the suprise of a pistachio ice cream hidden in whip yogurt.

We enjoyed a nice middle eastern inspired dining exprerience, with beatifully plated food and...

I can’t believe how underrated this restaurant is. Every single course was delicious, balanced, and textural. The food here is better than some of the most famous fine dining restaurants in Sydney.

My group got the 6 course vegan menu (I am not vegan) and I was blown away by how rich the flavors were. Vegan fine dining often falls flat on flavor, balance or technique, but not at Coya. I love umami flavors and I found it impressive that each dish featured some sort of umami component.

The dinner started with a refreshing tomato dish that somehow still managed to deliver depth of flavor despite being so light. Topped with lime and pomegranate caviar, it was visually stunning! The natural umami from the tomato made this dish one of my personal favorites.

The grilled eggplant was crispy on the edges and silky smooth inside and the tamarind sauce next to the avocado emulsion next to the tahini was reminiscent of Japanese okonomiyaki.

The cauliflower was the best cauliflower I’ve ever had - not greasy, but still crispy on the edges and fork tender inside. The hummus was outstanding with it.

The potato mille feuille was what we had been looking forward to. It was technically perfect and the chili emulsion had a great kick that blended well with the sweetness of the tamarind sauce it was served upon.

The black rice and mushroom dish was akin to a risotto. Creamy, bold in flavor, garnished with pickled golden beetroot that cut through the richness with some much-needed acidity. Another standout for my group of 5.

My favorite dish was the dessert, which is an amazing feat as I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. After a rich dinner, the tartness of the rhubarb was exactly what I needed. The raspberry sorbet added just enough sugar to balance it out and the crunchy granola was so satisfying.

Overall, it was simply fantastic and I never once felt like I was missing out because my group ordered the vegan menu. I would come back in a heartbeat and am telling all my friends to check out this hidden gem.

Thank you chef! See...