There’s nothing quite like Sketch. It’s a place where maximalism reigns supreme and ‘colourful’ doesn’t quite cut it. From the wacky staircase to the much-discussed bathroom pods, it is a true house of fun that does everything in its power to ensure you never forget your visit. And hidden within it all is The Lecture Room and Library – the Three MICHELIN Star restaurant not to be confused with The Gallery or any other facet – where all the grandeur and the glamour is married with unalloyed culinary brilliance. Yes, Sketch is as amazing as it looks, and here we have a MICHELIN Guide Inspector to tell you why.
Arrival
First impressions are important for restaurants. Well before trying the food, you’re met with a sensory encapsulation of the place that will carry throughout the meal. Sketch is perhaps the greatest proponent of this idea, ensuring its décor is leaving an impression from the second you enter. But what exactly is it like? Our Inspector has the answers.“When you first approach Sketch, it appears to be a normal Georgian townhouse. And then you notice the dog statue hanging from the wall outside. Painted the same colour as the bricks, it’s far from the most eye-popping aspect of the place, but it’s a perfect taster of what’s to come. My fellow Inspector and I entered through the front door, then a thick felt curtain. Quirk number one was hopscotch markings on the floor, hinting at the place’s inherently playful side."
“We received a fulsome welcome at the front desk, then were shown upstairs towards The Lecture Room and Library. The stairs themselves were a feast for the eyes, looking as though someone had poured paint all over them, and a sparkling mirror-tiled sculpture sat at the top waiting for us. Each part of Sketch has its own very distinctive décor; when you enter The Lecture Room and Library, the theme is one of bright colours and pure luxury.
“They keep the doors to the dining room closed for a reason, so that when you enter it’s a real ‘wow’ moment. Opulent touches abound, including some particularly impressive chandeliers, and during our visit there was the added bonus of a stunning mirrored Christmas tree – like everything else here it was striking, unusual and delightful. We were shown through to The Library, the smaller of the two titular rooms, but no less comfortable. The substantial, weighty chairs exemplify the luxuriousness of the place: proper armchairs that are far more pleasurable to sit in than many restaurant seats.”
The Team
When you’re dining in somewhere like Sketch, the luxury bubble can be easily burst with poor service. Fortunately, as our Inspector explains, the team here are more than up to the task.“As soon as we were seated, a champagne trolley came round. From this moment onwards, the service was unfailingly attentive and accommodating – this is the kind of place where you feel that nothing is too much trouble. What impressed me most, however, was how unstuffy the team were. As playful as it is, there’s an undeniable grandeur to the décor at Sketch, yet the service team offset this with a lightness and warmth that gave the impression they were totally at ease – and so we were too.”
The Cooking
The chefs at The Lecture Room and Library have to work extremely hard to compete with the opulence and sheer luxury of the surroundings. But they deliver, time and time again. It’s not just a special setting but special cooking too. Central to its appeal is a multi-dish approach where each course comes in multiple parts served all at once. This is the hallmark of Chef Pierre Gagnaire, who spearheaded the development of Sketch with restaurateur Mourad Mazouz.“The first thing to understand about the multi-dish approach here is that the ‘secondary’ dishes aren’t like your standard restaurant sides. They are fashioned around the same ingredient as the central component and are so exquisitely complementary in both flavour and texture that it’s hard to imagine that any of the elements could exist without the other – they were all destined to be used in this way. Such an approach could easily be an unsatisfying gimmick, but in the hands of Head Chef Daniel Stucki and his team, it is utter magic. You’d think you might be overawed by so many dishes on the table at once, yet it feels like just the right amount.”
The Dishes Tasted
Sketch is somewhat of a rarity among Two and Three Star restaurants, in that the full experience can be enjoyed by ordering from the à la carte. There are set options too, but it’s through choosing three courses in the conventional manner that you get to sample the signature multi-dish cooking in all its glory. Our Inspector, alongside delightful snacks and breads, enjoyed the following dishes from the à la carte.
Scottish Langoustine
“What impressed me so much here was that each dish was so different, yet they totally cohered, all anchored by the same outstanding ingredient. The ‘main’ dish consisted of two plump tails roasted to perfection, sat on a bed of Swiss chard and elevated to euphoric heights by a glossy, super rich liquorice beurre noisette – liquorice can be overpowering, but here it was expertly judged.“This was accompanied by: a silky, intense spinach purée with Montogomery cheddar and pieces of claw meat; tail pieces glazed with a Guinness caramel, sat on rich glazed buckwheat, which added nutty overtones; and a traditional langoustine bisque, which had an outstanding depth of flavour, paired with lip-smacking squid, Paimpol beans and Raf tomato. The final piece of the puzzle was a refreshingly acidic apple juice foam, contrasting the light langoustine jelly beneath. The superb array of textures and flavours all married together which such panache.”
Veal from Corrèze
“As with the langoustine, this was finished at the table for some added theatre. The main piece of Limousin veal was sliced at the table, mixed with an intense, textbook jus, then served. Enhancing this central dish was a revelatory spiced dal foam. The accompaniments this time consisted of a deep and rich veal broth with an appealing meatiness to the flavour, served with braised lettuce; caramelised veal sweetbread, cooked to utter perfection and enhanced by a classical glossy sauce; and finally endive gribiche with pressed calf’s head, a dish that expertly contrasted all of the others, therefore tying the course together perfectly.”
Chocolate Soufflé
“I was asked as I ordered this if I was a chocolate lover and, as the answer is yes, this dessert was pure ecstasy for me. The soufflé itself, made with Tainori chocolate, was a superb modern interpretation of the dish – light and airy in texture so that it melted in the mouth, yet still extraordinarily rich in flavour. The warmth of the soufflé was contrasted by a chocolate sorbet, itself encased in a crisp chocolate shell. A knockout chocolate sauce with Monkey Shoulder whisky allowed the dish to excel even further.“Countering all that richness was an accompanying dish of pink grapefruit marmalade topped with a lightly crisp macaronade. The final element of the dessert was a fine cube of pistachio parfait, topped with small meringue kisses and a sweet bell pepper coulis, again showing an impeccable command of flavour. Taken as a whole, this was a chocolate dessert that will linger long in my memory.”
Conclusion
“In our jobs as MICHELIN Guide Inspectors, we have the privilege of eating in such a wide variety of restaurants that it’s hard for somewhere to feel properly unique. Sketch is one of those rare places, an idiosyncratic gem where its outlandishness is outstripped only by its quality. It is pure escapism from the outside world and dining here is an utter pleasure.”Hero Image: © Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library)/Rob Whitrow
