In the heart of West Bay, Kempinski Residences and Suites recently just welcomed ‘Maya’, a new Mexican restaurant and lounge. A fusion of the vibrant atmosphere and earthy flavours of native Mexican cuisine. Maya brings a little piece of Mexicana to our tables and debuts an authentic menu crafted by acclaimed Mexican Chef Richard Sandoval, also named the “Father of Modern Mexican Cuisine”.

The Qatar Living team was able to taste test the new menu and check out the atmosphere at Maya. The ambience and interiors are visually rich and wonderfully inspired by the soulful and vivid character of Mexico. The staff were welcoming, well-informed and offered impeccable service, and the restaurant was filled with creative Mexican art pieces that made things lively and authentic.

Introducing exciting and artistic presentations of fresh, vibrant flavours, the menu ranges from beautifully crafted sharable small plates to gutsy sizzling meats and speciality seafood dishes. There are a variety of starters to share, such as the Guacamole Traditional and Aguachile which is a delightful and punchy medley of scallops, prawns, aguachile verde sauce, chilli, red onion cucumber, red radish, coriander, lemon juice, and xnipec sauce.

For salmon lovers, Ensalada Mixta Salmon, is a wonderful combination of perfectly grilled salmon, mixed greens, red onion, avocado as well as candied walnut and spiced pumpkin seeds, which add a delicious crunch and texture to the dish, all accompanied by well-seasoned chipotle balsamic vinaigrette.

For the main act, we thoroughly enjoyed the Carna Asada, a mixture of ribeye and beef tenderloin cooked to your liking paired with delicious charro beans, grilled vegetables, guacamole and mole enchilada all served on a sizzling plate straight to your table.

Another eye-catching and flavoursome dish is the Pescado Talla, which is beautifully cooked sea bass with a delicious medley of vibrant toppings served with house-made tortilla bread.

If you want a taco-sharing feast, you're at just the right place, with their hopelessly moreish varieties such as Puntas de Filete (tenderloin tacos), Tacos de Borrego (braised lamb tacos) and our personal favourite, Tacos de Jaiba (tempura soft shell crab). You will keep them coming!

Desserts meanwhile see tempting sweet treats such as classic warm cinnamon-sugar dusted Churros accompanied by vanilla ice-cream and homemade Abuelita chocolate and caramel sauce for dipping. You can also indulge in our recent revelation, the Homemade Goat Milk Caramel Flan made with delicious cajeta sauce, caramel, whipped cream, berries and crunchy caramelized pumpkin seeds.

Aside from the restaurant, Maya’s offers a wonderful lounge, inspired by neighbourhood Tequilerias in Mexico, where lively conversation is shared over small plates and beverages. The house beverage blends were quite impressive and offered a variety of vibrant options that positively played with our palate.

With plenty of passion and commitment evident from the front of house through to the kitchen, we were captivated by this new venture and are certain that Qatar will love this newcomer as well.

For reservations and enquiries, call +974 4405 3325.

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