By Samantha Ready

Sketch is not just a restaurant. It is theatre, fantasy, art gallery and culinary temple all rolled into one, a wonderland journey that begins from your first website click… Housed in a labyrinthine 18th-century townhouse just off Conduit Street, this iconic Mayfair venue is made up of five wildly distinct spaces, each more imaginative than the last. There’s the forest-inspired Glade, perfect for whimsical cocktails; the sleek, speakeasy-style East Bar, all clean lines and glowing orbs; and the Parlour, a playful lounge for afternoon tea or late-night bites. The flagship Gallery – where we dined – is the heart of the Sketch experience, known for its immersive art installations, rotating exhibitions, inspired menu and futuristic glow of its iconic egg pod toilets (yes really!). Upstairs, Lecture Room & Library, helmed by acclaimed chef Pierre Gagnaire, holds three Michelin stars and offers one of the capital’s most prestigious fine dining experiences. Together, the spaces are a sensory journey, brought to life by Gagnaire’s boundary-pushing French cuisine, playful interiors by India Mahdavi, an incredibly encapsulating rolling programme of curated art installations, and an unwavering commitment to making dining an event, not just a meal.

Our evening began in The Glade – a room that feels as though it’s been conjured from a fairytale, with moss-green velvet, foraged woodland murals and plush mismatched furniture. We eased into the magic with cocktails from their concept-led menu which takes classic mixology and adds a Sketch twist. Each cocktail is offered as either ‘Roots’ which aligns with classic interpretation, ‘Alchemy’ which is the Sketch nuance and ‘Essence’ an uncompromising non-alcholic incarnation. My own Alchemy pick offered my first ever clear espresso martini topped with orange foam that layered flavours of velvety hazelnut, thyme, orange and quirky tonka bean to add a whisper of praline and freshness to the typical coffee hit. Mr R’s alchemist negroni offered yet more nuanced surprise, bitterly elegant with hits of fresh raspberry and Chambord unpinning Casamigos Blanco and Bruxo Mezcal, served with the precision and theatricality Sketch is known for.

Then, on to the Gallery, the star of the show. During our visit, the entryway had been transformed as part of Sketch in Bloom, a seasonal celebration inspired by the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen. Think floral cascades, giant pages tumbling from a wall-hung typewriter, and gilded calligraphy dancing across the walls. Elegant, eccentric and unapologetically romantic. 

Yet inside Gallery, the artistic impression changed again. 

Playful harlequin patterns appeared everywhere from the backs of the curved bucket chairs in bold yet cocooning yellow, the edges of the crockery and at times almost invisibly amidst the incredible African-inspired wall-hung artwork. It is so rare to find a space that literally makes you stare in every direction in between dishes in open-mouthed awe, and still find things you missed. 

As curated as its artworks, dining at Gallery at Sketch is a journey of artistic flavourful discovery. Each and every dish is layered. Just as you think you have all the tastebud hits, something throws you a tongue-pleasing curveball and the dish metamorphosis that makes you question your first flavour profiles. It’s clever, technically accomplished and lipsmackingly enjoyable.

(c) Rob Whitrow Photography

As perfectly evidenced in my starter choice of the Comté soufflé, which arrived proud and puffed like a golden cloud, oozing with savoury depth. Incredibly light, it was paired with a delicate pear ice cream that somehow made perfect sense, hot then cold, sweetness teasing out the cheese’s nuttiness in a surprisingly elegant pairing… Followed by the unexpected crunch of celery amid a soft spot of rich cheese and a sip of perfectly paired wine that changed the cheese sharpness yet again. While Mr R’s morel and Savagnin cocotte offered an earthy, creamy hug of a dish with spring onions and tender baby carrots that tasted like early summer in a saucepan.

Then came an unexpected treat, sent out from the kitchen with a “Chef said you must try this…” the Lily Sing Salad was a riot of texture and colour: buttery avocado, jewel-like datterini tomatoes, silken tofu, pops of Thai grapefruit, freeze-dried raspberries, juicy pomegranate seeds and the genius addition of a miso mayo amid jewellike bites of sweet, ripe mango. Vibrant, fresh, unapologetically joyful, and hands down the best salad I have ever tasted.

Our main event featured a duo of dishes impossible to choose between. The fillet of Irish grass-fed beef was faultless, succulent and deeply flavoured, perfectly paired with crisp-yet-cloudlike pommes dauphine and a rich, silky béarnaise that had just the right punch of tarragon. The Dover sole, a Sketch signature offered in three preparation options, was meunière perfection, glossy with butter, zesty with lemon and so exquisitely cooked it melted on the tongue.

Because restraint has no place here, we added a cheeky side of truffle and cheese French fries – utter perfection – served with their house “Sketchup” a sharp-sweet condiment that felt delightfully nostalgic, but upgraded. Think Happy Meal in haute couture.

Dessert, naturally, was a performance. White Moon was a tropical dream – passionfruit, mango and lime balanced in a silky namelaka cream, topped with delicate meringue for crunch. Bright, punchy and playfully light.

And then came the Pomme au Four, Sketch-style. A tableside performance of Calvados-flambéed roasted apple, nestled on sponge cake, spooned over with a river of Tahitian vanilla custard and dotted with tart redcurrants.

Throughout, the service was intuitive and warm, the wines thoughtfully chosen and the whole evening delivered with that magical Sketch twist – equal parts style and substance.

And of course, no visit would be complete without a trip to the egg pod toilets… We’d heard the rumours, seen the pictures, but nothing prepared us for the experience of seeing each sleek white capsule standing to attention under futuristic lights and serenaded by birdsong. It’s hard to describe until you see it – but go, and you’ll understand why it’s as iconic as the food.

Sketch isn’t just dining. It’s an artistic epicurean dreamscape, part gallery, part gastronomy, part performance. And somehow, despite the spectacle, it’s the food that lingers. Every bite considered, every detail finessed, every flavour exquisitely layered to perfection. We left floating – full, inspired, and just a little bit in love. 

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