KOL

We came with high expectations, especially considering the Michelin star and the tasting menu format. Unfortunately, we left feeling disappointed. The quality of the ingredients was undoubtedly excellent, and the service was professional, attentive, and polished. However, beyond that, the tasting menu did not bring anything particularly new or memorable. There was no real sense of discovery, no flavours that stayed with us, and no dish that made us think, “This is why this restaurant has a Michelin star.” One very nice touch was having dessert in the second part of the restaurant, which had a great Mexican atmosphere. It added some character to the evening and was probably the most memorable part of the experience. Fine dining should create memories, not just showcase high-quality ingredients and precise technique. Sadly, the meal felt technically accomplished but emotionally flat. Spending around £580 for two people is a considerable amount, especially when the overall feeling afterwards is disappointment. At that price, you expect to leave inspired, excited, and already thinking about returning. Instead, we left wondering what truly justified the cost beyond the reputation, the ingredients, and the professional service. It was not a bad meal, but for a Michelin-starred tasting menu at this price point, it was ultimately underwhelming.

What an extraordinary experience we had at Kol. From the front of house, Peter, to our server Caitlin and our Sommallier and the pastry chef, we had a lovely time with our taste buds exploding at every bite of the menu. We opted for the classic paring of wines and mezcal and it was perfection - one of the best German Rieslings I have ever had in the JJ Purim Riesling paired with the crab jericalla. The pairing of the house made mezcal cocktail with the famous langoustine taco was divine, though the duck mole may have edged out as a favorite dish for my husband. Desserts were also delightful, as was the horchata with oat milk. We travelled to London from the USA to Kol was absolutely the right way to end our trip and celebrate our anniversary.

We visited for my 40th birthday celebrations and wow! Food was incredible, loved the twist of using local British ingredients, especially as in my view it's impossible to recreate truly authentic tasting Mexican cuisine without Mexican produce, but this method was a perfect solution to that issue! So hard to pick favourites amongst such a well crafted menu, but at a push the standout dishes were the Duck Mole, Wagyu Huarache (and the surprise Wagyu Confit Tacos - the most incredible interpretation of CDMX street food!), as well as the Asparagus Tamal and the Buñuelos, which we lamented other tables that didn't order them when we tasted them - my wife put them in her top 5 desserts of all time. My wife had the wine pairing which was very diverse and interesting, very well put together and I opted for the mezcal pairing which was exceptional - I am very passionate about agave and have a pretty extensive collection of mezcal and similar-method agave spirits acquired whilst living in Mexico and during subsequent trips, and was very excited to try so many different expressions and producers I had not come across before! Both pairings felt like excellent value for the price. The decore and atmosphere upstairs is fantastic, the open kitchen fascinating to be able to witness the construction of the dishes and the service impeccable, with every server genuinely warm, welcoming and knowledgeable about the fare. The real treat came at the end of the meal when we were taken down to the Mezcalaria (which is styled as a wonderful combination of CDMX walls, decore and music, mixed with more traditional British seating and flooring). The servers downstairs were just as warm and knowledgeable and we had a wonderful time with Andrew taking us on a further exceptional mezcal journey! The courses seemed to keep flowing (we had to take the petit fours to go as we were well and truly stuffed at this point!) and Andrew and his colleagues demonstrated a phenomenal passion for innovative and rare mezcals. All in all this was one of the most exceptional restaurant experiences of my life and a wonderful way to celebrate my 40th birthday. Thanks so much to Santiago and team for the exceptional food and to Andrew and the Mezcalaria team for the expansion of my mezcal horizons! Cannot recommend this spot highly enough, a truly unique and elevated experience all around.

Absolutely the best dinner experience i've ever had in my life, the attention to detail was pristine. the level of food, ingredients, vibe and service were a 10/10. I asked for a couple special requests, and the team did not hesitate to make it happen inmediately. would recommend this to every single human I know!

One week later, and I’m still thinking about this place. Being Mexican myself, I’m very familiar with the traditional cuisine. I wasn’t sure what to expect when hearing that only a handful of dried chillies and maíz were the only produce imported to the UK. I found it difficult to imagine a dish true to its taste without the key ingredients, like a mole without chocolate; but I was blown away. Every plate, although untraditional, remained true to itself. The duck mole reminded me of all the birthday parties I would go to as a kid, the wagyu taco was like taking a bite of a suadero taco in the streets of CDMX, and the buñuelo took me back to my aunt’s kitchen. Every dish was both elegant and nostalgic. The experience was elevated even more by the team working there. Everyone was welcoming and enthusiastic about the food they were serving. In particular, Tara, Liam, and Andrew made us feel right at home — precisely the type of camaraderie that cannot be missed in any Mexican meal. If you have a special occasion, something to celebrate, or just want to try something unique, I highly recommend KOL.