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What to drink at Toklas
Louis Thomas looks at the own-label wines at Toklas in Surrey Street and discovers the meaning behind the list's "Mediterranean" ethos. The post What to drink at Toklas appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Louis Thomas looks at the own-label wines at Toklas in Surrey Street and discovers the meaning behind the list's "Mediterranean" ethos.
Taking its name from writer Alice B. Toklas, the restaurant was opened on Surrey Street by Frieze magazine founders Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover in 2021.
To begin, I opted for a Chinotto Martini. For those unfamiliar with this citrus, Chinotto is most commonly-associated with a bitter, sweet and slightly herbal fizzy drink from Italy, and one which I maintain is the best alcohol substitute going. The Martini-fied version was suitably boozy and exceptionally dry.
"I wanted to have a cocktail on the menu which would make use of the fruit we source from Todolí Citrus in Valencia," said head of beverages Agustina Basilico. "Making an infusion made sense, but we still want to play with seasonality, so in May we will change it to kumquat."
Argentina-born Basilico's background is as a trained chef, but it was while working in kitchens in Paris that she realised a life behind the stove and away from diners didn't suit her: "While I was there I discovered that I really wanted to talk to people rather than staying in the back – when you're in front-of-house, you get an immediate reaction, rather than waiting to see if people like things or not."
"I came to London, where I was able to explore front-of-house work more, I do speak French but I definitely speak better English," she shared.
Asked the crucial question of which side of working in hospitality is more stressful, Basilico said: "Definitely on the floor – in the kitchen you can easily hide away a bit, but on the floor there is more interaction with guests."
However, she added that if those interactions are positive, it can leave one "buzzing".
"We wanted to have big volume wines which are done properly," remarked Basilico.
The white was a winning match with mussel escabeche, the acidity a much-needed counterbalance to the oil glazing the shellfish and that used to fry the accompanying crisps. It was also my preference with a plate of beautifully-charred grilled mackerel with a side of somewhat under-seasoned potatoes, tomatoes and olives.
"We don't have lots of red meat or fatty cuts, so you need to get a little bit more creative with the pairings," said Basilico, "you need to consider the garnish, not just the meat."
Since it was launched last year, the rosé has already proven to be a hit with diners at Toklas, proving "unbeatable" in the summer, according to Basilico. Pleasant with the rabbit saltimbocca, itself a fun twist on the Roman classic, the rosé was at its best with the slow-grilled caroots with labneh, pistachio and sumac – by far one of the best root vegetables I have eaten this year, and the pink wine's delicate tannic touch sufficiently offset the sweetness.
The red had the slightest touch of Brett which means that even now, weeks after tasting it, I am unsure whether or not it was my most or least favourite. Perhaps the highest compliment (and not a backhanded one) I can pay any restaurant's own-label wine selection is to say that it is more interesting than it needs to be, and there can't be many drinks in that price bracket in London which deliver that.
Although details concerning 'Edition II' of Toklas' own-label wines are yet to be ironed out, Basilico shared: "We want to make it a bit more educational, maybe even taking the Toklas team for the harvest. We will potentially do some limited edition wines too."
Taking its name from writer Alice B. Toklas, the restaurant was opened on Surrey Street by Frieze magazine founders Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover in 2021.
To begin, I opted for a Chinotto Martini. For those unfamiliar with this citrus, Chinotto is most commonly-associated with a bitter, sweet and slightly herbal fizzy drink from Italy, and one which I maintain is the best alcohol substitute going. The Martini-fied version was suitably boozy and exceptionally dry.
"I wanted to have a cocktail on the menu which would make use of the fruit we source from Todolí Citrus in Valencia," said head of beverages Agustina Basilico. "Making an infusion made sense, but we still want to play with seasonality, so in May we will change it to kumquat."
Argentina-born Basilico's background is as a trained chef, but it was while working in kitchens in Paris that she realised a life behind the stove and away from diners didn't suit her: "While I was there I discovered that I really wanted to talk to people rather than staying in the back – when you're in front-of-house, you get an immediate reaction, rather than waiting to see if people like things or not."
"I came to London, where I was able to explore front-of-house work more, I do speak French but I definitely speak better English," she shared.
Asked the crucial question of which side of working in hospitality is more stressful, Basilico said: "Definitely on the floor – in the kitchen you can easily hide away a bit, but on the floor there is more interaction with guests."
However, she added that if those interactions are positive, it can leave one "buzzing".
Picks from Provence
As nice as cocktails are, it is the own-label wines which are the big talking point of Toklas. Organic and biodynamic winemaker Valérie Courrèges – endearingly described by Basilico as someone who "only smokes cigars and wears fake fur" – is the cellar master behind Edition I of the restaurant's own-labels. Three wines from Courrèges have been given Toklas name: a red (Grenache and Syrah), a rosé (Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault) and a white (Rolle, though Basilico shared that in future versions of the list she will use the more diner-friendly synonym 'Vermentino'). The artwork on the labels was done by Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himdi. Each is priced at £50 for a bottle, £30 f0r a half-bottle carafe, and £10 for a 125ml glass.
"We wanted to have big volume wines which are done properly," remarked Basilico.
The white was a winning match with mussel escabeche, the acidity a much-needed counterbalance to the oil glazing the shellfish and that used to fry the accompanying crisps. It was also my preference with a plate of beautifully-charred grilled mackerel with a side of somewhat under-seasoned potatoes, tomatoes and olives.
"We don't have lots of red meat or fatty cuts, so you need to get a little bit more creative with the pairings," said Basilico, "you need to consider the garnish, not just the meat."
Since it was launched last year, the rosé has already proven to be a hit with diners at Toklas, proving "unbeatable" in the summer, according to Basilico. Pleasant with the rabbit saltimbocca, itself a fun twist on the Roman classic, the rosé was at its best with the slow-grilled caroots with labneh, pistachio and sumac – by far one of the best root vegetables I have eaten this year, and the pink wine's delicate tannic touch sufficiently offset the sweetness.
The red had the slightest touch of Brett which means that even now, weeks after tasting it, I am unsure whether or not it was my most or least favourite. Perhaps the highest compliment (and not a backhanded one) I can pay any restaurant's own-label wine selection is to say that it is more interesting than it needs to be, and there can't be many drinks in that price bracket in London which deliver that.
Although details concerning 'Edition II' of Toklas' own-label wines are yet to be ironed out, Basilico shared: "We want to make it a bit more educational, maybe even taking the Toklas team for the harvest. We will potentially do some limited edition wines too."
