At Toklas, a stylish Mediterranean gem near the Strand, diners bask in a charming terrace while savoring fresh, seasonal dishes and irresistible pastries.
"When the sun’s out, you’ll want to thank the founders of Frieze for creating one of London’s nicest terraces. The spacious suntrap at Toklas, with a seductively simple Mediterranean menu of things like radicchio and hazelnut salad or crab with leeks, will have you feeling like you’re OOO. The colourful rattan chairs and lush foliage will give you serious garden envy too." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak
"It turns out that multi-coloured rattan can give you the kind of profound reaction usually reserved for newborns. We discovered this epiphany at Toklas, a Mediterranean restaurant near the Strand that’s so artfully cool-meets-chic, it feels like a subscription to MUBI should arrive with the kumquat martini. While the dining room feels like you’ve wandered into the latest Oliver Peoples campaign, the outdoor terrace is more Bloom & Wild vision board. It’s just the place to try their seasonal small plates with summer sidekicks like ricotta salata, lemon wedges, and generous drizzles of olive oil. " - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna
"You’ve got the founders of Frieze to thank for this tasteful and consistently tasty Mediterranean restaurant. While you might expect something that smirks towards pretension given its location and founders, Toklas is anything but. The seasonal menu is seductive in its simplicity, and full with excellent vegetarian options: things like warm courgettes with mint and ricotta, and refreshing asparagus stand out. The combination of a charming outdoor terrace, a stylish dining room, and a pleasantly buzzing atmosphere will leave you feeling in the know." - heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, jake missing
"Breaking up with someone at Toklas Bakery tells them a few things. Firstly, they no longer qualify for the prime time weekend slot, which is why they’re being broken up with on a Tuesday at 3pm. Secondly, you look extremely sexy eating a tahini cookie. And thirdly, you’ve got excellent taste, so they’re definitely the problem. This bakery and cafe on the Strand lets you pay before you sit, has plenty of spacious seating, and is filled with the glorious smell of pastry and cinnamon that does a good job of softening the blow. " - Jake Oliver, Sinead Cranna, Rianne Shlebak
"For: Roman-style pizza slices and exciting pastries The downfall of many bakeries in London is the poky seating. But not at Toklas. This Aldwych bakery is spacious and calming, with a display of sweet and savoury pastries—pistachio cream laminated brioche, ham and cheese pain suisse, and classic pain au chocolat. But one of our favourite things is the strecci. A Roman-style pizza slice topped with excellent combinations like leek and crème fraîche, or potato and olive tapenade. We’d recommend taking a seat in their cafe to eat it. If you stick around long enough, you can get one of their hefty sourdough sandwiches for lunch." - Rianne Shlebak, Sinead Cranna, Daisy Meager
