KOL Restaurant was both the single best meal that I've had period.
I caught wind of KOL just before my trip to London, via "The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023." Ranked #23 it was highest for any restaurant in the UK.
I've eaten at a 3-Mechlin Star Restaurant before. I don't understand how this only has a single star.
My first impression of the restaurant was that it was modern, yet true to the heritage of the chef and the restaurant. It almost felt like Tulum.
The kitchen is in the center of the dining room, providing an up-close experience to watching the Chef and his team. It was fun and insightful to watch.
There are two menus: A full, seasonal menu, and a slightly trimmed-down version of the seasonal menu, known as "Seis." The restaurant is also able to accommodate most allergies and/or dietary requirements, which was an added plus. Because one of us has a gluten allergy/intolerance.
We both selected the full, Summer, menu at £145 (~$185) which consisted of 10 courses, including two supplements and £30 (~38), and two off menu items.
We began our experience with a Cold Pipian, Rock Samphire, Kombucha, and Mezcal Broth. It was a cold, smoky, spicy, and earthy drink. Very good and such a great surprise to start with.
The meal started with Chalupa with Cornish Crab Oblea Fermented Gooseberries, and Scotch Bonnet. Incredible start. Luxurious, smooth, smoky, sweet, spicy.
The first course, "Nicoatole," consisted of Yellow Peppers, Creme Fraiche, and Caviar. The Creme Fraiche was smooth, slightly tart, and had a creamy mouth feel, while the caviar was slightly salty. The Yellow Peppers provided a nice sweet note to the dish.
The second course, "Vuelve A La Vida," translating to "Come back to life!" was a delightfully smooth, smoky, and perfectly 'spicy' soup, consisting of Scallop, Mussels, Courgette Avocado, and Sea Arrowgrass.
Next was a Taco with Langoustine (Shrimp), Smoked Chili and Sea Buckthorn. I've had a multitude tacos. This was an elevated expression. The lobster was rich and the sauce was creamy. Meanwhile, the smoke and chili balanced so well, too.
The fourth course, a £30 (~$38) supplement, was a Sope consisting of Lobster, Peas, Elderflower and Oarweed. Wow. There was so much going on with this dish. It was both rich and fresh, playful yet luxrious.
Next was a palate cleanser with the "Augachile." After the rich Sope (and somewhat rich Taco). It was light, fresh, vibrant, and spicy. It was a great segue from the previous two dishes.
The sixth dish, "Mole," was maybe my favorite. This was by far the single best mole that I've ever had. And it didn't even use meat. The Purple Carrot had a texture similar to a medium-rare piece of skirt steak/asada, but had this amazing sweetness that paired so well with the mole which was smooth, smoky, sweet, and had a complexity that hard to describe. Wow.
The seventh dish was "Mextlapique," which is a Halibut cooked in a Corn Husk with Kelp, Cauliflower, and Succulents. Again, incredible. Smoky. Spicy. Fresh. Great.
If the Mole wasn't my favorite dish, then the eighth, "Carnitas," was. Served in a bowl for sharing, the Carnitas was served with a Black Bean puree, a salsa, and a variety of different local accompaniments. My favorite were the elderberries and the pickled shallots. The skin of the Carnitas was crunchy, like a chip/crispy, while the Confit Pork Cheek was tender. It was 'fun' to build our own tacos and play around with different ingredients and flavor profiles. The single best experience of eating tacos. So much fun, so good.
The restaurant also offered a Confit Whole Cod as a substitute.
The first dessert course, "Chirimoya," was a Cherimoya, Gooseberry, Courgette, Piquin Chili and Mescal sorbet, that was fresh, vibrant, and sweet, but also smoky and spicy as well. A great mixture of different flavors.
The second dessert course, "Tamal," was maybe the best dessert that I've ever had. Tamal was a Brown Butter Corn Steamed Cake with Buttermilk and Fennel. It was very simple in terms of appearance, but had so much complexity in terms of flavors and textures. The Tamal was moist, yet a little crumbly, and had a sweet, corn flavor, but it paired so well with the ice cream which was smooth, light, sweet, and creamy. The combination of the two together was perfect.
The third, and final, dessert course, was a complimentary Chocolate Ice Cream with Sea Buckhorn and Chili. It was fresh, sweet, rich, and spicy. A perfect last bite.
All-in-all, the meal was incredible.
The servers were friendly and not only provided great service, but took the time to share the inspirations of the chef for both the menu and each dish as well. They were quick to change dining-ware and keep the table clean, so it was as if each course was the first.
I intend on coming back to not only dine in the restaurant again, but also to try KOL Mezcal Bar, which is downstairs, too. read more