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Mexican chef Santiago Lastra has shot to prominence in the UK over the last few years as the mastermind behind KOL - a Marylebone restaurant widely regarded as one of the best in London, and perhaps even one of the best in the world.
Lastra grew up in Mexico as a child who wanted to do everything. 'I loved football, basketball, I painted portraits, and I wanted to be a mathematician,' he laughs. 'I wanted to work in hotels! I wanted to do everything.' As a 15 year old, encouraged by his mother, he found his way into the kitchen of an Italian restaurant, and quickly found his place in the world. 'I remember putting the uniform on and that moment changed my life,' he says. 'Even on the first day I knew that this was the place I wanted to be for the rest of my life. People were working hard together, there was pressure, but I loved it - there was nothing else in the world that I wanted to do.'
Santiago finished school, then embarked on a career that took him all over the world, from Mexico to Spain and Denmark where he worked at legendary restaurants like Mugaritz, Bror in Copenhagen, then Noma, where he worked alongside René Redzepi on Noma Mexico. Noma Mexico was a huge success, and it shot Lastra's name to real prominence, helping to secure a deal for his first solo restaurant - a restaurant that would become KOL.
KOL was due to open during the COVID pandemic and was heavily delayed as a result, but it opened to universal acclaim, ranking highly in many best lists and winning a Michelin star in 2022.
In 2024, Santiago and restaurant partners MJMK Restaurants announced a second restaurant, Fonda, due to open towards the end of the year.