Looking for something different in central London? Toba, Chef Pino Edward Sinaga’s restaurant on St James’s Market, serves authentic Indonesian food with plenty of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Here’s my review of a fully vegetarian dinner, from spicy cocktails to the dish of the night.
A Taste of Indonesia in the Heart of London
I’ll admit straight away that I’m no expert in Indonesian food. The only other time I’d eaten it was when we lived in the Netherlands, and a friend took us out for rijsttafel. In his words, this is ‘an Indonesian feast invented by the Dutch’. It involves many different dishes shared between people sitting at the same table, a practice that is fundamental to Indonesian culture. I knew that Toba was going to be different, so I arrived curious, hungry and keen to learn.
Indonesia is a nation of more than 17,000 islands, yet its cooking is still surprisingly hard to find in London’s busy food scene. A quick search on Tripadvisor shows just 28 Indonesian restaurants in the capital, compared with more than 500 Thai ones. Toba, tucked on St James’s Market just off Lower Regent Street, is the one most often credited with taking it beyond street food and into a proper restaurant dining experience. We were invited to try the menu, and decided to see how far a fully vegetarian order could take us.
The Story Behind Toba
Toba began life as Chef Pino Edward Sinaga’s food stall in Camden Market. Its success led him to open this restaurant in St James’s Market in early 2023, drawing on a 25-year career in London kitchens including Annabel’s and Chiltern Firehouse.
The name is personal. Toba is the hometown of Pino’s late mother, and many of the recipes are hers. Since opening, the restaurant has picked up a glowing Guardian review from Grace Dent, a nod from Tatler and back-to-back wins as Best Authentic Indonesian Restaurant at the SME UK Enterprise Awards.
The Restaurant
Toba sits in the heart of the West End, just across from St James’s Market and a few minutes’ walk from the bustle of Piccadilly Circus, but it feels a world away. It is a small, intimate room of around 15 tables, modern in style, with a few pieces of Indonesian art on the walls. Hanging ceramic lampshades cast a warm glow, giving the space a cosy atmosphere that feels sophisticated yet casual.
It was quiet and unhurried on our visit, and the service was genuinely friendly throughout. The staff was happy to explain dishes and guide us through the menu. While the bites arrived in paper-lined baskets, the rest of the dishes were beautifully presented.
True to its Indonesian roots, Toba is a sharing concept, so the idea is to order several plates and pass them around the table. That suits a flexitarian approach perfectly: you can mix and match, and the menu clearly marks vegan (VG), vegetarian (V) and gluten-free (GF) dishes.
The Food & Drinks
Drinks
I started with the Tobarita, Toba’s spin on a spicy margarita. The tequila is infused with torch ginger flower and shaken with bird’s eye chilli, giving it a floral lift before the heat kicks in. It is a bold and fun cocktail.
Graham’s alcohol-free option was the Toba Spritz mocktail, made with calamansi, mint, honey, sparkling water and palm sugar. It was bright and refreshing, and reminiscent of a mojito. A lovely choice if you’re not drinking, and a good contrast for the spicier dishes to come.
Bites
The Martabak Telor appetiser (vegetable option) was a highlight. This savoury Indonesian pancake is stuffed with egg and spiced vegetables, then cooked until crisp outside. Ours was soft and moist within, and utterly moreish.
The Tempe Mendoan Kremes (a trio of deep-fried fermented soya bean fritters with crunchy flakes) was enjoyable but less satisfying than the martabak. If you’re ordering for two, I’d prioritise the pancake.
Mains
Terong Balado was the dish of the night for me. Aubergine is stir-fried with tofu and petai beans in a chilli sauce that’s full of heat and depth. It was hearty and satisfying, with a pleasing kick that builds as you eat.
We also ordered the Gulai Daun Singkong Pete, minced kale slow-braised in a coconut curry with tofu, tempeh and petai. It arrives topped with a few giant slices of chilli. While Indonesian food is spicy, the dishes we tried had a definite kick without being overpowering, but those chillies felt like too much, so we set them aside. Without them, the dish was mild and delicate: the coconut broth light and fragrant, and the mix of tofu and tempeh giving it plenty of substance.
It was also our first taste of petai, or sator beans. They’re sometimes called ‘stink beans’ in South East Asia, but don’t let that put you off. They have a firm bite and a subtle touch of bitterness that works beautifully against rich coconut.
Sides
We enjoyed the fragrant yellow rice, which is ideal for soaking up the curry. We also shared a basket of emping crackers: crunchy, earthy, bite-sized Indonesian chips made from melinjo seeds. They are super addictive.
Dessert
We shared the Pisang Bolen, an Indonesian pastry from Bandung filled with caramelised banana. It arrived with a scoop of ice cream and a sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds, which added a lovely nutty crunch. Warm, flaky and comforting, this was the perfect finish to our meal.
The Verdict
Toba proves that Indonesian food is a brilliant choice for anyone eating less meat. Tempeh, tofu, aubergine and greens aren’t afterthoughts here; they’re central to the cooking. The vegetarian and vegan dishes are as considered as the famous rendang, and the spicing is lively without being overwhelming. Standouts were the Terong Balado, Gulai Daun Singkong Pete and the Martabak Telor.
And if you’re flexing, the meat and fish menu looks amazing too. There is the signature beef rendang, slow-cooked in aromatic spiced coconut, and Gulai Kambing, a Minangkabau-style lamb shank curry. Ikan Arsik (cod cooked with torch ginger and andaliman pepper) is made to the recipe of Chef Pino’s late mother, and there’s Ayam Bakar Taliwang, a grilled half chicken from Lombok marinated in citrusy, aromatic sambal.
Toba is a rare chance to try dishes you won’t easily find elsewhere in London. Order plenty to share, and be adventurous!
Toba: The Essentials
- Address: 1a St James’s Market, St James’s, London SW1Y 4AH
- Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus, around a 3-minute walk
- Opening Hours: Tue–Sat 12pm–2.30pm and 5.30pm–9.30pm; Sun brunch 11.30am–3pm; closed Mon
- Booking: walk-ins welcome, but booking recommended for dinner via tobalondon.co.uk
- Price Guide: bites £11–£17, mains £12.50–£32, desserts £9–£12.50
Disclosure: we were invited guests of Toba. As always, all opinions are my own.
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