Tate Modern and Santiago Lastra reveal their Frida Kahlo-inspired menu – a bold, sensorial dining experience that explores the artist’s world through creativity and flavour.
Created to accompany Frida: The Making of an Icon, the menu will be available for a limited time from 25 June to 31 August. Served daily at lunchtime and on Friday and Saturday evenings at the Tate Modern Restaurant. Advance booking is strongly recommended.
The Menu Revealed
Santiago Lastra’s menu is a deeply personal response to Frida Kahlo’s life, relationships and enduring spirit. Each course reveals a different chapter, brought to life through texture, colour and interaction.
First course: ‘La Casa Azul – Heritage Tomatoes Ceviche Tostada’
The experience opens with a playful, interactive dish inspired by Frida’s beloved home- the iconic Casa Azul. Guests are invited to paint their own tostadas with a vivid blue salsa; a nod to the cobalt blue that defined both Frida’s home and much of her artistic palette. As fresh lemon is added, the colour transforms from blue to pink – a natural reaction that reveals the diner’s own edible artwork. This course reflects Frida’s deep connection to home and entertaining, the Casa Azul as a place of gathering, expression and identity. Each plate becomes a personal composition, echoing the artist’s spirit of individuality and play.
Second course: ‘Frida’s Mole – Short Rib Tamal’
The second course explores one of the most intimate aspects of Frida’s life – her relationship with Diego Rivera. Inspired by the story of Frida learning to cook mole from Diego’s former wife Lupe Marín, the dish speaks to a complex and deeply human narrative of love, rivalry and connection. At its heart, this dish is a mole Poblano, one of Mexico’s most important and symbolic dishes – a rich, layered sauce traditionally associated with celebration, regional identity and culinary heritage particularly in Puebla. Here, it is made with slow-braised short rib and served within a delicate tamal, using time-honoured techniques from Mexican indigenous tradition. It is a dish of patience, craftsmanship and depth, reflecting the richness of Mexican cuisine and the emotional intensity of Frida’s life.
Final course: ‘Viva-la-Vida – Buñuelos & Watermelon’
The menu concludes with a vibrant tribute to Frida’s final painting, Viva la Vida. A joyful composition of crisp buñuelos and a refreshing multi-layered ice cream that evokes the sensation of watermelon. As Santiago Lastra reflects: “When you bite into watermelon, it’s like biting into life.” The vivid reds, greens and whites echo the fruit and the Mexican flag, while the dish celebrates Frida’s enduring message of vitality, resilience and joy. Born in Mexico City, like Kahlo herself, Santiago Lastra approached the menu as an act of homage, not only to her work but to her spirit and legacy. The result is a thoughtful interpretation of her world through food.
Details
- The Santiago Lastra x Tate Modern menu is available for a limited time at the Tate Modern Restaurant
- Due to high demand, advance booking is strongly recommended.
- Dates: 25 June – 31 August
- Service: Daily lunch, plus Friday & Saturday evenings
- Price: £41 (two courses) / £66 (with exhibition ticket)
- Location: Tate Modern Restaurant, Level 6
- Developed by Santiago Lastra, founder of Michelin-starred KOL
- Part of Tate Modern’s ongoing chef collaboration programme
- Make a reservation
- Press Images can be found HERE (Photography: Ana Blumenkron)
KOL at Tate
Tate will also present a limited series of evening dining experiences in collaboration with Santiago Lastra’s Michelin-starred restaurant KOL, pairing intimate guided tours of Frida: The Making of an Icon with the full KOL dining experience. Highlights include Morning Exhibition Tours with Chef’s Table at KOL, and Evening Private Views with dinner at Tate Modern. Further details to be announced.