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Food was good but overpriced Ambiance was nice w scantly dresses single women everywhere The entertainment was nice with a beautiful belly dancer doing fire tricks too. Service was okay, our waitress was sweet and obviously serving too many tables Disappointing part of our evening with a party of 5 .. when the bill came, the tablet shows the itemized items but no final total .. and then a tip option of 7% 10% ... So unless you add 2:2 together you don't see the final amount included a 20% tip, with the additional tip Waitress stated the 20% went towards the house, and only the additional tip goes to her.
Short Version:Excellent service and drinks, but the food is lackluster and overpriced. Come for drinks, not for food. Longer Version: I regret having to write this review, but I aim to be fair. To begin with the positives, the atmosphere is delightful! The establishment boasts beautiful decor and engaging entertainment. The cocktails were fantastic, especially "The Don Margarita," which was exceptional, though the name is a bit misleading due to having to pay an $8 upcharge if you want Don Julio on top of the already $18 drink. Still, it was delicious. My espresso martini was surprisingly good, and even the mocktails were enjoyable! Now, let's discuss the food. Unfortunately, this is where things take a turn for the worse. Everything I tried was disappointing. The menu seemed a bit pricey at first, but I'm willing to pay for a good meal when it's justified. - Chicken Wings: How do you mess up chicken wings? They looked appealing, but they were overcooked and tasted like wood. - Oysters Rockefeller: These were merely okay--dry and messy due to the adductor muscle not being sliced during the shucking process. A few were even fishy, though thankfully, no one got sick. - Lamb Chops: ordered them medium to medium-rare, but they came out well-done. They replaced them, but they were still overcooked, although slightly better. It's frustrating when my homemade lamb chops are better. - Lobster Pasta: This dish was just a mountain of salt--inedible! I rarely send food back, but I insisted my friend do so. To add to the evening's chaos, we witnessed a fire dancer drop her lit torch on a girl at a table, causing them to leave. A faucet at the bar malfunctioned, spraying nearby tables and making us think the sprinklers had gone off. While these incidents may not be typical, they were just the final touches to an already frustrating experience. On a positive note, the service was outstanding. The staff did their best to address the issues, and the bar manager (Atari, I believe) was particularly commendable. The speakeasy vibe was enjoyable, and bartender Shanice was fantastic. My recommendation would be to pivot this establishment into a lounge that focuses on small dishes they can execute well, rather than positioning it as a full-fledged restaurant. The cocktails, vibe, and ambiance are excellent, but the food simply doesn't live up to expectations and certainly isn't worth the price. Side note: the food was so lackluster I forgot to take pictures . I would give this place 3 stars just for the vibe and drinks, but being that this is marketed as a RESTAURANT.... They get 2. The food was REALLY bad.
This is a neat place but we were a little disappointed. The reason we were going is because their TikTok page shows that they had dance performances but when we got there, they said they no longer have the dancers, yet their page still says they have entertainment. They do not have valet parking so you have to pay to park across the street or in the street. The hostess was very friendly and made us feel welcome. They have great drinks to choose from. The dinner menu is limited, but the steak we had was delicious. I did not like that they brought out our steak but the broccolini didn't come out till later and we were almost done with our steak. Our server was very nice and friendly. Ambiance is very cozy. The Butter cake was ok, but kind of plain to me. They have a professional photographer that will take pictures for you. They will print them and put in frames, then sell for $20 each. We bought 2 because they were nice pics. The speakeasy lounge seemed pretty cool. It was a fun evening. Worth checking out!
This place has definitely come a long way and I must say I enjoy it and its current state. They provide a great vibe and experience. I am a big Afrobeat music lover and they do play a lot of Afrobeats and I really appreciate and enjoy that a lot. It's also a very classy, grown, and sexy crowd. The venue itself is gorgeous. It's so nicely decorated and the dancers they have are very entertaining and just add to the experience. The service has always been good in my opinion. I usually encounter nice people that are working there. I have eaten here before and I will say the food was just OK so that's why I wouldn't give this place five stars but if you're just coming for some drinks and to hear music, especially Afrobeats, I would definitely suggest it here.
Koya was beautiful inside and a nice vibe. But something in the management and kitchen has to change asap if they want to stay in business. We were told the kitchen was backed up to 2 hours I was like excuse me what???? This is the reason I have no pictures cause the food took well over an hour and I wanted to cry! Drinks were coming out we couldn't even enjoy it because we were starving. The menu was limited and they were out of the lamb chops which I wanted to try. I got the wings and the tacos and they were just okay. I wouldn't go back here in the restaurant setting for sure. I was very disappointed in the service.
The ambiance and aesthetic were definitely on point, but at what cost? We had 7:30 reservations and, despite a bit of a wait to get checked in, we were seated about 15 minutes later. My partner specifically requested a table, but we were seated in the cocktail area instead. The menu was interesting--plenty of cocktail options (about 20), but the food selection was limited. I was hesitant to order food because, in my experience, spots like this tend to focus more on the vibe than the meal itself--and unfortunately, that was the case here. We started with the chicken wings, which were underwhelming. I wouldn't recommend them. My partner ordered the 16oz ribeye, and I had the lamb chops with fries and collard greens on the side. Sadly, the food didn't justify the high price tag--basic dishes with nothing special to offer and no renowned chef behind them. What was even more frustrating was the hidden charges. An MB tax for mixed beverages added $14 on top of a $23 drink--ridiculous. Then there was an entertainment fee, even though there weren't any performers at the time. When I asked about it, the server said it covered the DJ as well. It's disappointing to see a Black-owned establishment, with a predominantly Black clientele, serve such subpar food while charging excessive fees. I genuinely wanted to support this business, but it felt like they were taking advantage of the very community that supports them. The vibe was great, but unfortunately, that's not enough for me to return.
The vibes are great very fun place for a birthday or girls night. The food was good other than the entrées, my friend got the lamb chops and they did not have much flavor at all. However, the appetizers and salad were really good. The servers were very informative. I liked that the music was not too loud and still enjoyable. Koya was a good time.
Parking is valet only for $20 or you can find street parking This vibe is amazing, it feels like Vegas Miami vibes all in one. They have water service, their food menu is not huge but I did enjoy the roast beef. I loved the show which starts at 8:30 on Saturday. Unfortunately there is only a 2 hour table limit our waitress was super strict about that. So when we finally paid exactly 2 hours after she picked out to go bag of food and escorted us to the bar. When other tables who were there before us were still seated watching the show. The show and speak easy were super fun, I would recommend a good girls night or date night. For the price and service it wasn't worth it all that. Dress code is strict! Drinks is good for me.
I've been to Koya several times but never dined in for reasons that I feel are obvious. I enjoy the speakeasy but I've heard many people complain about the price of the drinks. I've never paid for a drink there so I honestly couldn't tell you how much it cost. However, I can echo that the menu items are overly priced as we walked over to the restaurant side one time because I wanted fries and they were $25. Like, let's be for real here. I immediately told him I wasn't paying that and I'd take regular fries and even that was $9 or $10. It's absolute highway robbery but they know how to get folks, especially tourists. They also used to be strict with the dress code and who they let in to the speakeasy but it seems that's gone out the window now.
The resturant was beyonddd beautiful! We came on a Sunday thinking there would be live music and dancing sadly there was not on this day. When we came there was only one other group seated. Everything we tried to order they were sold out and that was about 9-10 things. They had a large event the night before is what we were told. My opinion is biased because after the first 3 things I asked for this was the only thing they had that I didn't mind. It wasn't amazing octopus it was just good. Everyone was pretty annoyed but I do think on a better day we would have had an amazing experience.
Food was good, but the whole experience may have been slightly overrated. I had the pulpus, grilled octopus and it was quite tasty. The oysters had a little ocean flavor like they could've been cleaned more and I didn't care for the sauce they provided. I'm sure some might love it though. It was too sweet for me. The restaurant is very cool vibe wise. They have dancers that come out and perform and a speakeasy in the back. It's definitely fine dining though, I'm still not sure how my bill got so high. Our waiter was very on top of things, but that's also because you have a 2 hour time window.
Love, love,love the decor in the restaurant! My review is for the main dining room. There is live entertainment on the weekends and a DJ. The service could have been better as our waitress forgot items we asked for several times. The food items I ordered were just ok. I ordered the Hummus 7/10 Chicken strips 8/10 Wagyu burger 6/10 Lavender vanilla Drop 5/10 I didn't care for the vanilla vodka. I will be back to check out the speakeasy
In order to document my reviews well, I record at restaurants I intend to leave good reviews for. Koya was one of these restaurants, amongst many. Awkwardly, when I arrived for my reservation, I was followed by a staff member who was demanding for me to stop recording although other people were as well. I never stopped recording of course because it's not illegal to do so in a public domain (which we were in) and then he lied and said that he was the owner. This man had on jeans, a T-shirt and a mouth full of gold teeth. Someone should have explained to him that you can Google who the owner is. The food was decent but not amazing. The service was mediocre. The staff were weird. We paid for a ticket that was supposed to include entertainment along with the food, but that never even happened. The hidden speak easy behind the bookshelf was cool. I liked the vibe in there. The Dj was amazing and the drinks were well mixed.
8 months ago
Went to Koya for one of the dinners for my friend's bachelorette trip. The interior is gorgeous, I felt like I was transported to somewhere international. Very high end and Luxurious with plenty of photo opportunities. After dinner time the place turned into a lounge with entertainment. We got to buy a bottle of champagne and sparklers to make the bride feel special. Our food was delicious and memorable. The only issue was how long it took for the food to arrive but understandable as it was a busy Friday night with special events. After expressing our concern with the wait, our server did take care of us. I would recommend this place for special occasions and large party groups. read more
10 months ago
One of my best friends and I love to have brunch and dinner occasionally. She wanted to try Koya out. Reservation was made on OpenTable. Upon arriving, there isnt valet even though Koya offers it. There is a lot across the street that was $20 for parking. We opted to street park right in front and pay the meter. We were welcomed inside and seated immediately. Its very dark inside and the only lighting are the lamps on the tables, the bar and kitchen area and the stage where entertainment happens. We both ordered ceasar salads, calamari for an appetizer, two glasses of white wine, two shots of Tito's and a side of asparagus. The total was $197.97 The lettuce on the salad was cooked and not crisp due to the fact they put the hot protein right on the top instead of on the side. The lobster tail ($20 extra) was very small. My besties chicken was chewy and undercooked. Our waiter, Keith, stated he removed her salad from the tab. They dont give you an itemized receipt unless you ask. I think gratuity is already included which is why I dont understand why they still ask for an additional tip when you pay. Anyway, 3/5 The vibe and entertainment was nice. I love the seating and decor but the menu could use some work. Customer service was good. read more
This was our first time visiting Koya, and we initially decided to go because DJ Obi was scheduled to perform. The flier advertised his set from 8 PM to 2 AM, so we made reservations to enjoy dinner before the music. Going in, we had read reviews about slow service and long wait times, but our experience with service was actually good. Our waiter was attentive, and our food came out quickly. However, the menu was very limited and overpriced. One major issue was the lack of transparency--there was an automatic 20% gratuity that wasn't mentioned, and several items were more expensive on the bill than on the menu. For example, fries were listed as $12 but were charged at $15. Additionally, the wings were incredibly small for the price. The biggest disappointment was the DJ situation. We arrived at 8:15 PM and stayed until midnight, but DJ Obi had still not started his set. We kept asking staff when he would be on, but we got different answers each time. It felt disorganized and misleading. Overall, while the service was better than expected, the high prices, incorrect charges, and lack of communication about the DJ left us disappointed. If you're going just for the food, be prepared to spend more than you might expect. If you're going for the music, don't rely too much on advertised set times. read more
Food was good but overpriced Ambiance was nice w scantly dresses single women everywhere The entertainment was nice with a beautiful belly dancer doing fire tricks too. Service was okay, our waitress was sweet and obviously serving too many tables Disappointing part of our evening with a party of 5 .. when the bill came, the tablet shows the itemized items but no final total .. and then a tip option of 7% 10% ... So unless you add 2:2 together you don't see the final amount included a 20% tip, with the additional tip Waitress stated the 20% went towards the house, and only the additional tip goes to her. read more
1 year ago
Short Version:Excellent service and drinks, but the food is lackluster and overpriced. Come for drinks, not for food. Longer Version: I regret having to write this review, but I aim to be fair. To begin with the positives, the atmosphere is delightful! The establishment boasts beautiful decor and engaging entertainment. The cocktails were fantastic, especially "The Don Margarita," which was exceptional, though the name is a bit misleading due to having to pay an $8 upcharge if you want Don Julio on top of the already $18 drink. Still, it was delicious. My espresso martini was surprisingly good, and even the mocktails were enjoyable! Now, let's discuss the food. Unfortunately, this is where things take a turn for the worse. Everything I tried was disappointing. The menu seemed a bit pricey at first, but I'm willing to pay for a good meal when it's justified. - Chicken Wings: How do you mess up chicken wings? They looked appealing, but they were overcooked and tasted like wood. - Oysters Rockefeller: These were merely okay--dry and messy due to the adductor muscle not being sliced during the shucking process. A few were even fishy, though thankfully, no one got sick. - Lamb Chops: ordered them medium to medium-rare, but they came out well-done. They replaced them, but they were still overcooked, although slightly better. It's frustrating when my homemade lamb chops are better. - Lobster Pasta: This dish was just a mountain of salt--inedible! I rarely send food back, but I insisted my friend do so. To add to the evening's chaos, we witnessed a fire dancer drop her lit torch on a girl at a table, causing them to leave. A faucet at the bar malfunctioned, spraying nearby tables and making us think the sprinklers had gone off. While these incidents may not be typical, they were just the final touches to an already frustrating experience. On a positive note, the service was outstanding. The staff did their best to address the issues, and the bar manager (Atari, I believe) was particularly commendable. The speakeasy vibe was enjoyable, and bartender Shanice was fantastic. My recommendation would be to pivot this establishment into a lounge that focuses on small dishes they can execute well, rather than positioning it as a full-fledged restaurant. The cocktails, vibe, and ambiance are excellent, but the food simply doesn't live up to expectations and certainly isn't worth the price. Side note: the food was so lackluster I forgot to take pictures . I would give this place 3 stars just for the vibe and drinks, but being that this is marketed as a RESTAURANT.... They get 2. The food was REALLY bad. read more
This is a neat place but we were a little disappointed. The reason we were going is because their TikTok page shows that they had dance performances but when we got there, they said they no longer have the dancers, yet their page still says they have entertainment. They do not have valet parking so you have to pay to park across the street or in the street. The hostess was very friendly and made us feel welcome. They have great drinks to choose from. The dinner menu is limited, but the steak we had was delicious. I did not like that they brought out our steak but the broccolini didn't come out till later and we were almost done with our steak. Our server was very nice and friendly. Ambiance is very cozy. The Butter cake was ok, but kind of plain to me. They have a professional photographer that will take pictures for you. They will print them and put in frames, then sell for $20 each. We bought 2 because they were nice pics. The speakeasy lounge seemed pretty cool. It was a fun evening. Worth checking out! read more
This place has definitely come a long way and I must say I enjoy it and its current state. They provide a great vibe and experience. I am a big Afrobeat music lover and they do play a lot of Afrobeats and I really appreciate and enjoy that a lot. It's also a very classy, grown, and sexy crowd. The venue itself is gorgeous. It's so nicely decorated and the dancers they have are very entertaining and just add to the experience. The service has always been good in my opinion. I usually encounter nice people that are working there. I have eaten here before and I will say the food was just OK so that's why I wouldn't give this place five stars but if you're just coming for some drinks and to hear music, especially Afrobeats, I would definitely suggest it here. read more
Koya was beautiful inside and a nice vibe. But something in the management and kitchen has to change asap if they want to stay in business. We were told the kitchen was backed up to 2 hours I was like excuse me what???? This is the reason I have no pictures cause the food took well over an hour and I wanted to cry! Drinks were coming out we couldn't even enjoy it because we were starving. The menu was limited and they were out of the lamb chops which I wanted to try. I got the wings and the tacos and they were just okay. I wouldn't go back here in the restaurant setting for sure. I was very disappointed in the service. read more
The ambiance and aesthetic were definitely on point, but at what cost? We had 7:30 reservations and, despite a bit of a wait to get checked in, we were seated about 15 minutes later. My partner specifically requested a table, but we were seated in the cocktail area instead. The menu was interesting--plenty of cocktail options (about 20), but the food selection was limited. I was hesitant to order food because, in my experience, spots like this tend to focus more on the vibe than the meal itself--and unfortunately, that was the case here. We started with the chicken wings, which were underwhelming. I wouldn't recommend them. My partner ordered the 16oz ribeye, and I had the lamb chops with fries and collard greens on the side. Sadly, the food didn't justify the high price tag--basic dishes with nothing special to offer and no renowned chef behind them. What was even more frustrating was the hidden charges. An MB tax for mixed beverages added $14 on top of a $23 drink--ridiculous. Then there was an entertainment fee, even though there weren't any performers at the time. When I asked about it, the server said it covered the DJ as well. It's disappointing to see a Black-owned establishment, with a predominantly Black clientele, serve such subpar food while charging excessive fees. I genuinely wanted to support this business, but it felt like they were taking advantage of the very community that supports them. The vibe was great, but unfortunately, that's not enough for me to return. read more
2 years ago
The vibes are great very fun place for a birthday or girls night. The food was good other than the entrées, my friend got the lamb chops and they did not have much flavor at all. However, the appetizers and salad were really good. The servers were very informative. I liked that the music was not too loud and still enjoyable. Koya was a good time. read more
2 years ago
Parking is valet only for $20 or you can find street parking This vibe is amazing, it feels like Vegas Miami vibes all in one. They have water service, their food menu is not huge but I did enjoy the roast beef. I loved the show which starts at 8:30 on Saturday. Unfortunately there is only a 2 hour table limit our waitress was super strict about that. So when we finally paid exactly 2 hours after she picked out to go bag of food and escorted us to the bar. When other tables who were there before us were still seated watching the show. The show and speak easy were super fun, I would recommend a good girls night or date night. For the price and service it wasn't worth it all that. Dress code is strict! Drinks is good for me. read more
I've been to Koya several times but never dined in for reasons that I feel are obvious. I enjoy the speakeasy but I've heard many people complain about the price of the drinks. I've never paid for a drink there so I honestly couldn't tell you how much it cost. However, I can echo that the menu items are overly priced as we walked over to the restaurant side one time because I wanted fries and they were $25. Like, let's be for real here. I immediately told him I wasn't paying that and I'd take regular fries and even that was $9 or $10. It's absolute highway robbery but they know how to get folks, especially tourists. They also used to be strict with the dress code and who they let in to the speakeasy but it seems that's gone out the window now. read more
The resturant was beyonddd beautiful! We came on a Sunday thinking there would be live music and dancing sadly there was not on this day. When we came there was only one other group seated. Everything we tried to order they were sold out and that was about 9-10 things. They had a large event the night before is what we were told. My opinion is biased because after the first 3 things I asked for this was the only thing they had that I didn't mind. It wasn't amazing octopus it was just good. Everyone was pretty annoyed but I do think on a better day we would have had an amazing experience. read more
Business owner information
Koya H.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. While we’re delighted…
2 years ago
Food was good, but the whole experience may have been slightly overrated. I had the pulpus, grilled octopus and it was quite tasty. The oysters had a little ocean flavor like they could've been cleaned more and I didn't care for the sauce they provided. I'm sure some might love it though. It was too sweet for me. The restaurant is very cool vibe wise. They have dancers that come out and perform and a speakeasy in the back. It's definitely fine dining though, I'm still not sure how my bill got so high. Our waiter was very on top of things, but that's also because you have a 2 hour time window. read more
3 months ago
1 year ago
Love, love,love the decor in the restaurant! My review is for the main dining room. There is live entertainment on the weekends and a DJ. The service could have been better as our waitress forgot items we asked for several times. The food items I ordered were just ok. I ordered the Hummus 7/10 Chicken strips 8/10 Wagyu burger 6/10 Lavender vanilla Drop 5/10 I didn't care for the vanilla vodka. I will be back to check out the speakeasy read more
In order to document my reviews well, I record at restaurants I intend to leave good reviews for. Koya was one of these restaurants, amongst many. Awkwardly, when I arrived for my reservation, I was followed by a staff member who was demanding for me to stop recording although other people were as well. I never stopped recording of course because it's not illegal to do so in a public domain (which we were in) and then he lied and said that he was the owner. This man had on jeans, a T-shirt and a mouth full of gold teeth. Someone should have explained to him that you can Google who the owner is. The food was decent but not amazing. The service was mediocre. The staff were weird. We paid for a ticket that was supposed to include entertainment along with the food, but that never even happened. The hidden speak easy behind the bookshelf was cool. I liked the vibe in there. The Dj was amazing and the drinks were well mixed. read more
Business owner information
Koya H.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I want to…
Wow! I was in town for a wedding and decided to make a reservation for dinner after seeing @charlyelynne on instagram (the owner) posting it. Let me tell you, it most definitely lived up to the hype! Koya is the place to be! It was an amazing dining experience from the moment you walk in. I actually felt like I was in Tulum or Ibiza for a moment because of how gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing it is. Every inch of the place is a perfect spot to take a picture. The seats are so comfortable and you can't go wrong sitting anywhere. Even the bathroom is beautiful and well maintained with gold accents everywhere. I assume since this is a new establishment, the menu will be expanded, but for now, it has a few staple items. I would love to see more seafood options in the future. I ended up ordering the lobster ravioli with a side of asparagus. The ravioli was topped with juicy lobster meat and the asparagus had the perfect bite to it. I also had warm vanilla cake for dessert. It was lined with dulce de leche and was suppose to be accompanied with vanilla ice cream on top but they were out of the ice cream, which was disappointing. It was still very yummy, but the vanilla ice cream would have complemented it perfectly and balance the richness of the cake. Nonetheless, I still left very satisfied and happy with my dinner. I'd go back for that exact meal. FYI: an 18% gratuity is included in the bill. After dinner, we were escorted by our awesome waiter to check out the speakeasy that's attached. It was super chic and full of beautiful, classy folks. If we didn't have another place to go to, we would have loved to sit at the bar and hang out. There were quite a few tables that reminded me of club sections so I'm not sure if they're free to reserve. If you're looking for an actual fine dining experience that offers great service, amazing food and classy vibes, you have to go to Koya! read more
Came to celebrate my sister's birthday! Dining experiences are slowly becoming a thing in Houston and I'm loving it! Koya just opened and i fear it won't last long. I went the second week of opening and they were short staffed (or at least it felt like it because of the wait times for everything). I will say our waitress tried her best. Ambiance - the performers looked like they did not want to be there and gave some lack luster performances. Food - tad bit over priced but the food is pretty good. Overall- Koya has potential and I have hope. read more
Koya! Cute place, and I like the vibes. Front staff was very kind and greeted upon arrival. The food was okay, but I only picked up a salad with shrimp which is in the video. The service was cool, but nothing over the top. Entertainment was nice too. Aesthetics were nice; the entry way has a pretty little bird cage and the restroom decor was very pretty too. read more
3 years ago
My review is for the speakeasy only! I was able to make reservations for a party of six at the speakeasy on Saturday night, the day of. We were late, but we were still seated at our reserved section. Basically two couches and a table. The drinks we had were good! My friend ordered the martini espresso, and it was amazing! More of a chocolate taste. We also got the empanadas and truffle fries. The truffle fries were average, nothing to write home about. The empanadas were how do I say...? Peculiar. they weren't terrible nor were they really great. It was just a different flavor profile with the raisins and the eggs.. The DJ played the tunes all night. The other patrons in there were dressed, very nice and it was a lively crowd. I would definitely come back again for cute drinks with the girls. read more
2 years ago
Avoid this place at all costs. Here's the issue: we came for HRW and ordered the empanadas, filet mignon, and crème brûlée. While the waitress was nice, the food was disappointing. If I had paid full price, I would have been furious. The empanadas were just okay, and the filet mignon was over-charred, almost burnt. To top it off, the crème brûlée had a hair in it. Yes, you read that right--a hair. The manager never came over, and they never offered a comp, not even on their 16$ water. They claim to enforce a dress code, but I saw people wearing all sorts of things. This place is just another overly hyped Instagram spot. The prices don't match the quality of the food. I stayed until 8:30 PM and saw no entertainment, even though I arrived at 6:30 PM. Overall, there are far better places to try with much better food. This place lacks quality, and I won't be coming back. read more
2 years ago
Thursday, July 18th, 2024 @7pm Parking- there is street and valet parking This restaurant is so much more than a place that serves food. It's a whole experience. The ambiance is done right. Elegance greets you at the door & continues from them there. The gentleman who is the host is professional, helpful, stylish, accommodating, and overworked. What I mean by overworked is... He greeted us, then walked us to our seats. While he is gone, there is no one there to greet patrons. If he is on the phone talking to other patrons or future reservations, he isn't able to attend to anyone who might walk in. The dining area is astounding and opulent. I really enjoyed the mood that it creates. Chella was our server and she was AMAZING! Our experience was interesting. The shrimp pasta, Char-Grilled wings, and Sea bass were a miss. I did enjoy my Sea Bass. The skewers were delicious as well. Unfortunately, we had to keep reordering our alcoholic beverage because we found gnats in two of them. We aren't sure if it's from the bar or maybe they fell in at the table. There was a DJ who was spinning some great tunes! There is live music but it starts after 9pm. They also have a speakeasy that comes alive around 9-10pm I will definitely come back, maybe during a more lively night read more
2 years ago
I really wish I could rate Koya higher. I went on a Saturday night for a friend's birthday and we were really looking forward to it. Leading up to our planned dinner, my friend really struggled with their online reservation system. She had to make an edit to the reservation and was not able to get in touch with anyone via phone, email, or even Instagram DM and she tried for over 24 hours to do so. I was able to get to the Koya at 6:15PM and all worked out okay with our reservation since I arrived early. Upon arriving, there is valet parking across the street for $20 or street parking. I opted for using Lyft and was so excited to arrive and see the giant, fancy door to enter. When you go inside, you see a couch by the host stand and a bookcase on the left that is the entrance to the speakeasy. When the host escorted me to the main restaurant, I was a little giddy - it is stunning! The atmosphere is truly top notch. I first sat at the bar, waiting for the rest of my party to arrive and enjoyed the lavender vanilla drip. Wow, it was amazing! If you don't like lavender, don't get this because it had lots of lavender in it and was so smooth. The drinks and food are a bit pricey - each cocktail was about $20 and they automatically add a 20% gratuity along with several fees, including an entertainment fee. 2 drinks at the bar came out to $55 between cost due to the gratuity and fees. Also - the air conditioner wasn't turned on until the restaurant opened and unfortunately it never quite caught up with the large crowds. Our entire visit was hot! It was fine for a little bit, but was not pleasant throughout our dinner. Once seated, our party of 6 was in a semi-circle with our backs to one of the stages. Since we had an earlier reservation, the entertainment didn't start until we were almost leaving (around 9PM), which was a disappointment, especially since we were charged a fee for the entertainment. Let's talk about the food: our table shared several starters/sides, including the mushroom friend rice with lump crab, the wings, and mac and cheese. We really enjoyed these, however the rice arrived to our table cold, so it was sent back. Once we received it, it was hot and delish. The mac and cheese is one of the best I've had from a restaurant in a long while, while the wings were hard to pick up because they were literally falling off the bone. Everyone in our party opted to do Houston Restaurant Weeks but unfortunately we were all disappointed. I really enjoyed the wagyu empanadas, but no one was able to finish their salad or hummus - they were just okay. Most of us got either the chicken or sea bass for the entree; my chicken was either undercooked in the middle or very close to it, so I didn't finish mine. The flavor of the chicken was also lacking. For the sea bass, everyone loved the fish itself, but a lot of liquid was poured into the dish at the table and everyone said it was almost a fish soup. Apparently, they just altered the recipe for the sea bass the day before. One person ordered the steak and unfortunately it came out completely well done. For desserts, several people ordered the creme brulee which unfortunately they ran out of so served us cinnamon tres leches instead. Unfortunately, we did not know they were out of it until we were already being served the tres leches. I am a BIG tres leches fan, but unfortunately this one just did not do it for me. It had too much cinnamon that took away from the flavor. For my friend's bday, they brought out a single strawberry with a candle in it. After dinner, we decided to head to the speakeasy for a bit and it was a good time. Definitely get there early! You can only sit at the bar, unless you want to buy bottle service and the bar area isn't very big. Thankfully, the AC worked great here! The menu is the same as the restaurant. After spending decent money on food that wasn't very good, I wasn't too interested in spending much additional money at the speakeasy. Overall, Koya is the restaurant I would love to love, but I have to be honest and say that it just doesn't hold up for me. However, if you are already in the area, I recommend going for a drink and that delicious mac and cheese. If you are there within the first few hours of it opening, know that you will most likely miss the entertainment. read more
I visited Koya while on a Bachelorette weekend trip to Houston with my girls. We came just to have a cute meal with good photo ops. This restaurant is super aesthetic and definitely gives top notch vibes. For my drink I had CoCo la Pina, it was a 10/10, tastes just like a vacation! I ordered the Koya salad that had an amazing dressing on it, can't recall what kind but really good. And if I knew it was as large as it was, I wouldn't have ordered an entree. The salad was huge! For my entree, I had the rack of lamb cooked medium. It was good, but def not worth the price, in my opinion. The service was really good and the belly dancers were an extra bonus. Super fun and she killed it! read more
Service, ambiance, food and drinks were top tier! Dinner date on a Friday and everything was amazing! We had empanadas for app (8/10), Cesar salad (10/10), steak (10/10), lamb (9/10), potatoes (9/10), corn (9/10) and the drinks were to die for (lavander drop 100/10 & pink ivy 10/10). The old fashion was alright. Loved the DJ selections and the belly dancers were a fun random entertainment selection. read more
1 year ago
Came here to celebrate a birthday and enjoyed the music ambience and service from our friendly server Natalie, she's not only gorgeous but knowledgeable and made good recommendations ! I had the lobster tacos and miso sea bass on the menu at the time ! Will be back !! read more
We stopped in for a drink after a concert in the area and were let into the speakeasy. I was a fan of the dj and decor, and there was plenty of seating. I've been on a carajillo kick so I was excited to see a pistachio carajillo on the menu. Price aside ($22!!), it was the best cocktail I've had this year. I don't know if the pistachio syrup is made in house but it was so so good. We also got a kiwi mojito and it actually tasted like kiwi! That seems like a low bar but often, kiwi, watermelon, and other summer type of fruit drinks just taste like artificial syrup and not like the actual fruit, so they really nailed it with these drinks. Service was a bit scattered but we quickly realized we came in at the start of the Friday night rush, when the bar turns into a bustling hookah lounge. read more
10 months ago
This place is beautiful inside. However, the service is horrible. The menu is pretty small here and the food was not great either. It wasn't a great experience. Service too about 2 hours to bring everyone's food out. No meal came out at the same time. All and all I wouldn't go back. read more
Koya was so beautiful inside and larger than expected, also has a cute speakeasy inside where you can order off of the same menu and they have hookah! Our food and drinks were a 10/10, I would come back for the Mac and cheese and the entertainment alone!! We made a reservation for 7pm and the entertainment didn't start until 8:30, unfortunately our server let us know that all the tables have a 2 hour time limit so we moved to the bar once our time was up. Gratuity is applied to all tickets. There is valet parking for $20 next to the restaurant. Entertainment was great and the specialty cocktails really stood out to me. read more
1 year ago
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2 years ago
ZERO OUT OF TEN! DO NOT RECOMMEND. I recently went to Koya, and honestly, it was a huge letdown. First off, the service was super slow and totally disorganized. It seemed like the staff had no clue what they were doing, which really messed up our night. The food? Pretty mediocre. We were excited to try it based on the menu, but it just didn't live up to the hype at all. And don't even get me started on the drinks. They were nothing like what was advertised. Who serves martinis in whiskey glasses? And an old fashioned with no smoke? Come on. We were also supposed to have some entertainment, but there was not one flamethrower or alleged snake charmers for Saturday's. Our server was more interested in pushing bottle service than actually taking care of us. It was like they didn't care about our experience at all, just wanted to sell more expensive stuff. Ohhh and valet is ACROSS THE STREET from the restaurant and charging $20 to park in a parking space Overall, Koya was a big disappointment. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone and I think it'll be closed soon. read more
2 years ago
I've heard about Koya from a different people and finally got the chance to check it out for a friends dinner. In typical Houston fashion parking is either found on the street or valet for $20 It was about a party of ten and I was a little late. I placed a drink and appetizer order while deciding on what I would get for an entree. I ordered Lost in Lagos and from the description I expected it to be better but it was just okay. I started with the beef empanadas and I didn't know it was going to be such a big portion. They came with four. They were good I do wish however the beef was seasoned a little better. I was pretty full after eating some of the empanadas so I just ordered sides. The macaroni and cheese and mushroom rice. The waitress told me it would take a while for the food to come. My other party had been there about 45 minutes before I got there and were still waiting on their food. When they did get their food most of it had to be sent back due to being overcooked etc. now at the price point of the entree this was unacceptable. The manager did come and try to help fix the situation which helped. My two dishes came about an hour later and by that time we were ready to go. I did try some of the mac and cheese and it was good. If not worth the wait. It's a cute vibe and decent customer service but I don't see myself coming back. read more
2 years ago
Koya is a fun spot with very much a party atmosphere. It would be a good place to go for a group dinner as I saw multiple bachelorette parties when we dined there. On the weekends there are various performances throughout the night. The modern venue is very aesthetic and offers multiple photo opportunities. While I enjoyed our evening there, the food had room for improvement. The miso salmon had hardly any flavor and the Mac and cheese had a watery consistency. The ribeye was probably the better out of the two entrees we ordered but still was not very impressed with the flavor. Portion sizes were very large and it was definitely a struggle to get through everything. I would recommend visiting Koya more for appetizers and drinks. Our server was attentive though out the night and did mention there was a speakeasy as well but we decided to call it an early night. We definitely want to plan another visit to see it. Please note, as other reviewers mentioned, there is an automatic 20% gratuity applied. read more
Great spot to go to for birthdays and other celebrations. It's a full service restaurant on one side and speakeasy on the other. They have live performances throughout the evening with a DJ playing throughout. I didn't try too much because I'm vegan but they have some salads and pasta dish as well as a cauliflower appetizer. Both the speakeasy and the restaurant stayed busy all night. The service is exquisite and the servers are so friendly. Definitely upscale vibes. I believe the restaurant is West African Owned so they infuse some unique dishes onto the menu. read more
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Ask the Community - Koya
How much is the food and drinks?
Drinks vary. One drink I ordered was $16. Food prices is like going to a steakhouse. I had the lobster ravioli. That was $49, and we enjoyed it.
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Koya - lounges - Updated August 2026
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