Santiago Lastra
Affiliation
KOL
Co-owner and chef of KOL Restaurant, a Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant in London using British ingredients[2][4]
i. Biography
Santiago Lastra (born 4 April 1990) is a Mexican chef and co-owner of KOL Restaurant in Marylebone, London, which opened in October 2020 and received its first Michelin star in 2022, retained through 2024. Before opening KOL, he trained at the Instituto de Arte Culinario Coronado and Basque Culinary Center, then worked at acclaimed restaurants including Mugaritz in Spain and Noma in Copenhagen, where he served as Project Manager for the seven-week Noma Mexico pop-up in Tulum in 2017. His cuisine blends Mexican culinary traditions with British seasonal ingredients, earning KOL recognition as the highest-ranked UK restaurant on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list at number 17 in 2023.
The Archive
Selected Works & Focus Areas
![Santiago Lastra's work: Co-owner and chef of KOL Restaurant, a Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant in London using British ingredients[2][4]](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1590422749900-54e60bc21004?q=80&w=2000&auto=format&fit=crop)
Focus 01
Co-owner and chef of KOL Restaurant, a Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant in London using British ingredients[2][4]
![Santiago Lastra's work: Project Manager for Noma Mexico pop-up in Tulum (2017), a landmark seven-week collaboration with René Redzepi[2]](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1610631066894-62452ccb927c?q=80&w=2000&auto=format&fit=crop)
Focus 02
Project Manager for Noma Mexico pop-up in Tulum (2017), a landmark seven-week collaboration with René Redzepi[2]
![Santiago Lastra's work: Pioneering contemporary Mexican cuisine on the global stage with emphasis on sustainability and local sourcing[6]](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1581337204873-ef36aa186caa?q=80&w=2000&auto=format&fit=crop)
Focus 03
Pioneering contemporary Mexican cuisine on the global stage with emphasis on sustainability and local sourcing[6]
![Santiago Lastra's work: Ranked 17th on World's 50 Best Restaurants (2023), highest-ranked UK restaurant on the list[4]](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1523688882866-fcaf25b290df?q=80&w=2000&auto=format&fit=crop)
Focus 04
Ranked 17th on World's 50 Best Restaurants (2023), highest-ranked UK restaurant on the list[4]
![Santiago Lastra's work: Co-owner of Fonda restaurant, opened in 2024[1][3]](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1544965850-6f9a9138cefd?q=80&w=2000&auto=format&fit=crop)
Focus 05
Co-owner of Fonda restaurant, opened in 2024[1][3]