KOL

"Verdict: Kol is an upmarket Mexican restaurant in Marylebone that revolves around a buzzing open kitchen. Clay-coloured plates and bowls hit tables with a brief explanation—squeeze the prawn heads, garnish with flowers, smash the crispy pig’s skin—but things still feel laid-back. Sink into a rust red booth in this warm, terracotta dining room and get ready to photograph every dish that comes your way. Subscribers get first dibs on reservations 24 hours earlier than mere mortals. Know that lunchtime reservations are pretty easy to get with a few day’s notice, otherwise, bookings are released a couple of months in advance. There’s also the Mezcaleria bar downstairs, which is easier to book and welcomes walk-ins too." - jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley

"Santiago Lastra's Mexican restaurant using British ingredients." - Andrew Young

"A London restaurant offering Mexican dishes with British ingredients." - Annick Weber

"Kol is a fever dream. Actually, technically, it’s a restaurant in Marylebone serving Mexican tasting menus. But we’re not here to tell you about technicalities, we’re here to tell you that Kol is crafting the kind of genius - yes, genius - dishes that will confuse, delight, and make you want to pick the brain of the chef who somehow made British gooseberries into a sexy salsa. Their warm terracotta dining room is the perfect holiday postcard setting for a meal that is memorable for all the right reasons: smoky mezcal broths, deeply satisfying carnitas, and a fine dining experience that is never fussy, only fantastic." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak

"We would like to award Kol’s branded leather tortilla pouches with the title of Item We Would Most Like To Steal From A Restaurant. But frankly, we love most things about this upmarket, British-produce Mexican restaurant on Seymour Street. It’s a fabulous fine dining experience that passes in a mirage that goes from dazzling welcome broth spice fest to a glorious gooseberry salsa, quicker than you can say “another mezcal margarita please”. Getting a booking is harder than trying not to steal tortilla accessories, so sign up for Kol’s newsletter to get first grabs at new reservation releases. " - rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna