KOL, At the Table with Santiago Lastra

Dinner at KOL begins with a shift in pace. From Seymour Street in London, the transition is quiet and deliberate. Inside, the dining room settles around a central kitchen, warm in tone and measured in movement. Clay, wood, leather. Nothing competes for attention. The room is designed to hold focus rather than direct it.

Chef Santiago Lastra moves with familiarity through the space. His presence is steady, integrated into the rhythm of service. Cooking here is not presented as performance. It is visible, close, and precise. Plates arrive in calm sequence, shaped by repetition and care. Mexican recipes are interpreted through British produce, not explained but understood through taste and timing.

The act of eating slows naturally. Tortillas arrive warm and balanced, sauces layered without weight. Seafood reflects local waters while carrying echoes of Mexico. Each dish feels resolved through use rather than display. Portions encourage attention. Conversation adjusts to the pace of the table. There is time between courses, time to notice texture, temperature, restraint.

Materials matter. The ceramics feel intentional in the hand. The table holds its weight. The setting invites staying present rather than moving on. At the Chef’s Table, proximity sharpens the experience. Gestures become visible. Plates are finished, checked, wiped. Precision is practiced quietly, without interruption.

Later, the experience moves downstairs to the Mezcaleria. The light lowers, surfaces darken, and the room shifts into a softer register. A pour of mezcal is handled with the same restraint as the food above. It is not an ending, but a continuation. A place to remain rather than conclude.

KOL is defined by consistency. By how food, space, and timing align night after night. It is a restaurant shaped by research, habit, and attention, lived in fully through repetition. The experience is not about arrival, but about how the evening holds together from start to finish.

kolrestaurant.com
9 Seymour St, London W1H 7BA
Tuesday 17.30 to 21.00
Wednesday-Saturday – 12:00-16:00; 17:30-21:00