Reviews for Kol on Reddit are largely negative even though the Sparkljng water list is a big fan. I really see both sides. On one hand the skill and execution are deserving of 1+ stars alone. The vision in creating familiar tasting Mexican dishes from seasonal British ingredients with great balance is obvious. However, not all courses were given this same treatment and some fell flat.
For my dining history, the obvious comparison is Belcanto, and florilege. Priced similarly, ranked similarly by the sparkling water board, all focusing more on the vibes than a stuffy French dining feel. It should be a compliment to Kol that these comparators are both ** restaurants.
Hits:
All the tacos—this could be biased as a taco lover
Aguachile amuse—incredible balance of acid, heat, savory, with great mouthfeel sourced from all British ingredients
Courgette ice cream with caviar—was created to mimic nachos with guacamole, and they nailed it with a tasty dish
Missed:
Scallop—delicate, sweet local scallop with a sweet cactus fruit sauce…scallop got lost
Trout—didn’t mind the ultra rare cook, but lacking balance and was overwhelmingly just trout and salt. My partner had a great point that if the sauces were switched for the scallop (fruit) and trout (mild horseradish cream) dishes there would have been more success.
Overall I was glad to have tried it and would recommend to others like me with plenty of fine dining experience but minimal Mexican fine dining history.
by Johnfranco