The Lecture Room And Library At Sketch

LDNReview

6.3

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$$$$Perfect For:Corporate CardsUnique Dining Experiences

Had Willy Wonka ever chosen to organise an orgy, it would’ve been in The Lecture Room And Library at Sketch. The upstairs dining room of this kaleidoscopic influencer’s sanctuary in Mayfair looks to have been furnished by a team of Oompa-Loompas high on Smarties. It’s brash, it’s silly, it’s easy to hate. And yet, in the world of £200+ tasting menus, it’s OK. At the very least, this experimental French fine dining restaurant is entertaining and edible.

Yes, a man will divide a single cracker three ways with a spoon and yes, the Champagne isn’t cooked in the chicken’s sauce. But at least Sketch’s upstairs has personality. The staff are charmingly attentive without being overbearing and the table is more cushioned than our mattress at home. Anniversaries are celebrated around the room and selfies are taken below the pink velvet chandelier. In this place, most memories are made to be online.

video credit: Jake Missing

video credit: Jake Missing

That said, tourists hauling Liberty bags, celebratory couples, and faintly odd solo businessmen all seem happy enough. There’s little to dislike about the moreish langoustine dim sum. And the turbot in chicken jus is excellent on the first bite. Whether everyone else notices that it begins to taste like Heinz tomato soup remains to be seen. Everything in this tasting menu strives to be a little kooky and with that comes things that, quite simply, just do not work.

Given the downstairs of Sketch is one of the trashiest places you can eat in London, our expectations for this restaurant were fairly subterranean. But it’s not awful. It isn’t worth over £200 either. If Sketch was a person, we certainly wouldn’t want to be friends. We wouldn’t even want to see them more than once. But we would remember them with a kind distorted fondness. Which is better than not being remembered at all, isn’t it?

Food Rundown

Three-Course Tasting Menu

Unlike some fine dining establishments, you get to make some choices at Sketch. Each course—starter, from the sea, from the land, and dessert—has a few options. And each one comes with a series of things on the side. Langoustine five-ways oscillates between gorgeously decadent (between potato crystalline with lard), to tasty (the dim sum), to quite odd (poached in bouillon). This theme runs throughout the entire meal. Turbot is excellent, but its broth does not improve with age. The addition of Champagne straight from the bottle to the chicken is unwelcome, but then, on the other hand, the corn ice cream is a delicious success. Swings and roundabouts is what this restaurant is all about.

NONE

1-5

6s

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9s

It’s fine: 6s can get the job done (depending on the job). There’s a strong 'BUT' or caveat as to why this place is acceptable, but not a first choice.

Suggested Reading

2.0

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