Fonda

Santiago Lastra’s second London restaurant is inspired by the relaxed, unpretentious eateries found across Mexico. Although, this is a fonda seen through Lastra’s eyes, the ex-Noma chef also behind world-ranking, Michelin-starred restaurant KOL. He was never going to follow the rules.

Fonda is casual in the context of its Mayfair post code. The vibe is relaxed and buzzy, filled with the kinetic energy of Margarita-happy diners and zealous staff explaining the concept to first timers. But traditional it most certainly is not. This is stylish, contemporary, high-octane dining made for London’s coolest foodies. The room is cast in soft clay pinks, dusty oranges and grass green accents, while large, leafy palms stand tall next to Mexican sculptures and artworks. There’s an open kitchen in the centre lined with bowls of homemade tortilla chips, ready to be whipped out to tables at a moment’s notice, and outside a large terrace offers summer seating away from the crowds of Regent Street.

Much like its fine dining older cousin KOL, Fonda uses only British ingredients to create its menus, resulting in unusual twists like roasted pumpkin seed mole and rhubarb-spiked Margaritas, both excellent, but the menu’s real mileage is in the tacos. Before you do anything else, order the salsa trio, which ranges from a cool ‘verde’ sauce to a heat-eliciting crimson oil made with honey and dried chillis. These are essential for drizzling over those tacos, from fantastic Baja fish deep-fried in the most delicate of batters, served on soft, homemade tortillas with crunchy cabbage and finely blitzed pistachio, to smoky wild mushrooms glazed in a smoky pasilla sauce.

Everything is great for sharing, while a ‘get stuck in’ attitude from staff makes dining at Fonda all the more fun. We happily load up rich, slow-cooked lamb birria and punchy pickled onions onto warm corn tortillas along with more of those mix-and-match salsas. We recommend you also mix and match a couple of serves from its Margarita and Paloma list while you're at it. 

Fonda is ostensibly cool and beautiful, and slots in nicely here on Heddon Street, but its convivial energy is clearly what's captured the hearts of Londoners. 

Fonda is Mexican restaurant in Mayfair devised by KOL chef Santiago Lastra. Where KOL is more high-concept, Fonda's menu tackles more authentic, traditional flavours, albeit with Lastra's signature ingenuity. 

Lastra's first restaurant KOL has become, arguably, one of London's most successful over the last ten years, so it was really a matter of when, not if, he would open a second site somewhere. That second site is Fonda - a restaurant that Lastra says will showcase some more regional Mexican cooking from all over the country. Where KOL has become steadily more experimental and interesting, Lastra believes that Fonda will fill the figurative space left underneath KOL with some more down-to-earth, traditional Mexican cooking. 

A large part of that cooking is based around a traditional clay griddle called a comal, where tostadas and tacos are toasted. Fonda's tortillas are entirely made in-house, from the milling of the corn to the rolling and cooking of the tacos themselves. A compact selection of tacos sit alongside seasonal specials, and a small selection of mains that includes at the time of writing a slow-cooked short rib with mole poblano and pork carnitas with chicharron. Meanwhile, the dessert menu includes rice pudding with cinnamon, quince and mezcal custard, and Santiago's cheesecake, which comes with blackcurrant and meco chilli.

Interiors are inspired by traditional Mexican 'fondas' - the family owned Mexican restaurants that inspired the name. Colourful interiors take influence from the colours and textures of markets and homes in Mexico, and are styled in a way that pays homage to Mexican textiles, crafts and emerging designers.