Toklas
Modern European restaurant · Temple ·
Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, Roman-style pizza, spacious terrace
Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, Roman-style pizza, spacious terrace
"The charming plant-strewn terrace at Toklas, just off the Strand, is full of people who know Wolfgang Tillmans from Ragna Bley. It's a tasteful, arty-feeling place where the Mediterranean dishes come with one amount of olive oil—Big Ass Pour. Stick to the sweet carrots, pastas, and lamb, and you'll have a lovely time here." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna
"Toklas, a Mediterranean restaurant near the Strand, is 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. Not all dishes are hits, but when the weather’s right, the charming terrace makes it worth dropping by." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna
"Owned by the people behind the Frieze art magazine, this brutalist canteen hasn’t got an uncool bone in its body. From the artwork on its walls to the timeless elegance of its Mediterranean menu, it feels like a thoroughly fashionable place. Works by Wolfgang Tillmans and Ragna Bley adorn the walls, while art posters from the last four decades are up behind the bar; grab a seat on the super terrace to catch a glimpse of the Thames. The cooking is fresh and unfussy, from vibrant bruschetta to Dover sole with fennel and anchovy. The friendly team run the place brilliantly." - Michelin Inspector
"Toklas is a restaurant from the founders of Frieze (art show, magazine, synonym for coolness), and is best described as a hangout for artistic types who have looked around a gallery and now want to eat asparagus. The Mediterranean dishes will appeal to those with a penchant for Ottolenghi, but not all dishes are hits. Still, there’s a charming plant-strewn terrace off the Strand, a lively dining room full of people who know Wolfgang Tillmans from Ragna Bley, and an excellent carrot dish that will make you seriously consider a waitlist for an allotment 15 miles from your house. photo credit: Toklas photo credit: Toklas Take your most tasteful friends to Toklas, the ones with an Ebay alert for Scandinavian chairs. Evening is best, when the dining room is in full swing, leather mules rap across parquet floors (reclaimed, naturally), and frilly, oversized collars are out in full force. The Mediterranean dishes range from fine to very nice. Olive oil only comes in one amount—Big Ass Pour. The aftermath of a plate of tonnarelli with Portland crab is an orange shallow pool, a starter of anchovies swim in the stuff, and a scallop crudo is overwhelmed by it. Emotional attachment to oil aside, there are light, fresh dishes that work well. Like casconcelli bursting with emerald, sweet spinach, toasty grilled carrots sprinkled with pistachios, and a juicy, pink lamb leg. Food Rundown Boquerones It’s possible for anchovies to look sexy. We know this because these ones—packed in oil, tangy with vinegar, scattered with parsely—are seductive little slips of things. Yes, there’s a lot of oil, but at least here you can mop it up with bread. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Slow Grilled Carrots With Labneh, Pistachio And Sumac This is what side dishes at our dinner parties are meant to turn out like. The carrots have some nice charred bits, they’re sweet, and they’re all the better for lying on a silky, creamy labneh bed. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Pork Chop With Escarole, Raisins And Capers The pork is dry and overcooked, but the slightly bitter escarole, which is cooked down until it’s soft and comforting, is tasty. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Casconcelli With Spinach, Westcombe Ricotta And Peas We can only imagine that stuffed supermarket pasta would shrivel in shame upon seeing this dish. Each little parcel of casconcelli is, to quote Mary Berry, cram jam full. The spinach is vibrant green and sweet, and there’s a nice creaminess and tang to the ricotta. Does the pasta push the definition of al dente in places? Perhaps. But it’s treading on the right side of the line. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Grilled Lamb Leg With Artichokes, Lentils And Mint This dish looks like the page of a cookery book we’ve folded over in the corner, come to life. And happily it tastes just as good. The lamb is tender and the lentils are hearty and tomatoey. photo credit: Emily Hai Chocolate Tart With Amarena Cherries And Crème Fraîche A scarcity mentality has been applied to the cherries and the chocolate is overset and tough to spoon through. We wouldn’t order it again. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Tarte Tatin (To Share) Like an art teacher staring down at our wonky self-portrait, we’d like to declare that this dessert has “so much potential”. But it’s caught in places which made some mouthfuls bitter and unpleasant. photo credit: Emily Hai" - Sinéad Cranna
"You’ve got the founders of Frieze to thank for this tasteful and consistently tasty Mediterranean restaurant on the Strand. 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 slow grilled carrots with labneh and ricotta salata 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
