KOL at Tate: Santiago Lastra to host Frida Kahlo-inspired dinner at Tate Modern with exclusive exhibition tour

Tate Modern has announced a one-night-only after-hours dining and art event in collaboration with Santiago Lastra, chef patron of the Michelin-starred London restaurant KOL. Titled KOL at Tate, the dinner will take place on 15^th July at the Bankside gallery, combining a curated walkthrough of Frida: The Making of an Icon with a five-course tasting menu inspired by the life and work of the artist.

The event forms the centrepiece of Tate Modern’s summer collaboration with Lastra and is part of the gallery’s ongoing chef collaboration programme. KOL, which opened in 2020, applies Mexican techniques and heritage to British produce. It was awarded a Michelin star in 2022 and retained the rating this year. The restaurant features in the World’s 50 Best, Europe’s La Liste, the National Restaurant Awards and GQ rankings, and is part of the MJMK Restaurants group.

Guests will begin the evening with an after-hours tour of the Kahlo exhibition, led by guides who will provide context on the work, its themes and its cultural significance. The display features more than 30 of the Mexican artist’s works, alongside garments, jewellery, photographs and memorabilia, as well as over 200 works by her contemporaries and creators she has influenced. A final section examines “Fridamania”, exploring her transformation into a global cultural figure through more than 200 commercial objects.

Following the tour, diners will be served at Tate Modern’s skyline restaurant, with Kahlo’s compatriot chef Lastra in attendance. The five-course meal opens with a KOL Margarita and a warm broth, followed by a short rib and truffle quesadilla, scallop and tomato ceviche and a caviar and langoustine taco, accompanied by KOL’s sparkling cocktail La Cigala. The main course is built around mole, the layered Mexican sauce associated with celebration and regional identity. Lastra’s version is a koji mole served with dry-aged duck and paired with mezcal. Finally, dessert consists of buñuelos (crispy fried doughnut fritters) and three sorbets – sorrel, Greek yoghurt and strawberry – served with chamomile oil. The combination is intended to recreate the flavour of watermelon, referencing Kahlo’s final painting, Viva la Vida, which was completed days before her death in 1954. Lastra describes biting into watermelon as “like biting into life.” Wines served on the night will include selections from KOL and from Tate’s cellars.

A companion menu inspired by Kahlo will also be available at the Tate Modern Restaurant from 25^th June (when the exhibition opens) till the end of August, priced at £41 for two courses or £66 including exhibition entry. Tickets for KOL x Tate are priced at £350 per person, with pre-sale access for KOL newsletter subscribers and priority booking for Tate Members. 

Food Desk

Santiago Lastra’s dinner takes place on 15^th July 2026 at Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Limited tickets are available for pre-sale on 18^th May via the KOL newsletter here, and Tate members can book tickets here.

Frida: The Making of an Icon is on at Tate Modern from 25^th June 2026 until 3^rd January 2027. For further information or to book tickets, visit the exhibition’s website here.