Artistic flavours at Toklas

Since opening its doors back in November of last year, Toklas has earned itself quite a reputation amongst London’s cooler crowd. Named after Alice B. Toklas and founded by the duo behind Frieze Magazine, it’s not hard to see why.

The interiors are inspired by the restaurant’s Brutalist setting, within 180 The Strand. Think exposed pipes, concrete walls and ceilings, with bold artworks and vintage artists’ posters adorning the walls fit. It’s all very 70s canteen, and it’s all very cool.

Focusing on simple and seasonal dishes, the restaurant changes its menu daily, providing the perfect excuse to revisit regularly. Here’s a taste of what was on the menu when I visited…

The fennel and citron salad was the first to arrive. Digging into the dish, I could taste an Italian summer… especially so in between sips of chilled Sicilian rosé.

Then, the fried squid, artichoke and lemons, and the chalk stream trout. The trout in particular was excellent – perfectly cooked for succulent flesh with crisped skin.

A bitter aioli came with both dishes. The mix of this with the fried lemons of the squid dish, and the bitter greens of the trout dish was a little too overpowering for me, but both were great nonetheless.

Dessert was a scoop of soft pistachio gelato with a smoky mezcal margarita. Granted, not the most likely duo… but a fabulous finale all the same.

Toklas’ easy-going atmosphere mixed with the menu’s flavours of a warmer season left me feeling like I was on holiday somewhere far away from London. I’m already looking forward to long summer lunches out on their terrace to relive that feeling once more…