| HONESTLY’S VERDICT |
| In a nutshell: Wow! |
| Food: Great selection of English breakfast, lunch and tea time treats. |
| Service: Prompt and funky uniforms. |
| Attention to detail: Wow! |
| Ambience: Wow without being snobbish or ultra cool. |
| Location: Just off Regent Street, central London, an ideal refuel stop in between the shops. |
| Value for money: Absolutely, London prices but you get so much for your money in terms of Wow factor! |
| Worth a visit? Definitely, and then you have to go back! |
On my last trip back to London, Mother and I went in search of number 9 Conduit Street, the former Royal Institute of British Architects building. My great Grandfather designed the façade of the building way back when.
To my delight, inside the rather reserved exterior of this originally Georgian town house we discovered the most amazing contrast: Sketch. One step inside and you’re instantly intrigued; hopscotch on the floor, toy diggers as wall lights, table and chairs covered in leather as part of the wall furniture…you get the idea, but you really have no real idea, it’s an extraordinary concept. You have to go and see it.
The brainchild of restaurateur Mourad Mazouz, and French Chef Pierre Gagnaire, honestly, I was amazed; every room is a completely different installation. On our visit, Martin Creed was responsible for what we encountered in The Gallery, The Glade is that of Carolyn Quartermaine and Didier Mahieu, whilst the toilets, which just blow my mind every time I look at the pictures!
There is so much more to Sketch and this post just doesn’t do it justice…don’t worry, I will be back on my next trip to eat and explore more and I will report on my findings.
The food:
We chose to have a midmorning tea and treat in The Parlour at the front of the building.
As we’d only just had breakfast, we opted for tea: a rose bud herbal infusion for me, Assam breakfast for mother, oh and of course I had to have a 10am treat in the form of a rather scrumptious brioche.
There is so much on offer at The Parlour; afternoon teas with and without the fizz, comfort foods to perk up those grey Sundays, a rather large selection of wines and cocktails, macaroons, and amazing looking sweet treats.
Presentation:
My rose tea was beautifully presented in a cute little glass teapot, with matching cup and saucer, which showed off the rose buds beautifully. Mother’s came in chintzy mismatched china.
The toilets are works of arts, the smaller toilet at the top of the stairs is like walking into a gypsy caravan – glass mirrors everywhere, a little bit disorientating, but fabulous all the same. Then main toilets, through the Gallery restaurant with its beautiful domed roof and crazy Martin Creed design, are so cool; white toilet pods in a vast white room, simple but stunning coloured glass roof, and the sound of tree frogs by Oswaldo Macia echo around the room.
The whole place is just amazing, it’s very difficult to describe, perhaps I could compare it to the chintzy mismatched china, but it’s in no way chintzy, Mother might call it whacky, for me it’s like the WI on crack, When you’re sat there, immersed in it all, it just works!
Pricing:
Central London prices, nothing extraordinary there. £4.50 for a herbal infusion/pot of tea, £2.50 for the brioche.
Service:
The girls in their cute uniforms were quick to serve us and happy to provide tea top ups.
Contact:
https://www.facebook.com/sketch.Mayfair
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7659 4500
Email: info@sketch.uk.com
Categories:
London, quirky, art, something different, afternoon tea
Honestly Foodie 