Sketch Lecture Room and Library

I went there to celebrate my father's 60s birthday. He probably had his best food experience in 60 years! Each dish is a complete discovery in term of test and texture The service and welcoming were excellent.
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Elise Ferrand
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Thursday, August 17, 2006

we etés charmed
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braz
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, August 17, 2006

perfect
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Brugues
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, August 17, 2006

The service at the Lecture room is impeccable and I cannot fault any aspect of the wait staff, the 6 dishes in my tasting menu were described to me in excellent detail showing great knowledge and enthusiasm for the food, which in turn made me anticipate each dish. The food was delicious and in just the right proportions, the complimentary canapés were an added bonus and I especially loved the fresh baked sweet potato bread! I chose the vegetarian option and the food was just as well thought out and designed as any other dish on the menu. The 4 desserts were delicious and so refreshing, especially the raspberries.

The lecture room is decorated so luxuriously and the svarovski crystal toilets are amazing! This is definitely worth a visit!
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Nad
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Having heard many views on sketch we decided to take the plunge and head there for dinner last Wednesday night. Thankfully we booked ahead as the restaurant was packed. This being my first visit it it a little like a tardis - very small from the outside but seems to go on for miles once you step inside. The greeting from an Irish gentlemen was genuine and welcome and we recieved the history of the building and more. The room is very luxurious and what a change to sit on a restaurant chair that is of equal comfort to your sofa at home. We both opted for the tasting menu which seemed never ending, the quality of the food was outstanding and the presentation fantastic. The service was exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable without being too stuffy which is sometimes the case with so called fine dining restaurants. We finished off the night with a cocktail in one of the bars downstairs. It's not cheap but again I believe you certainly get your monies worth - well worth a visit
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Anthony
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, July 19, 2006

This was the most hideous meal I have ever had. They seemed to try too hard for uniqueness and ended up with flavors that did not mesh. We had the sampler menu and found not one thing that I would consider edible, let alone enjoyable. This was by far the worst meal I have ever had. I might as well have flushed my money down the toilet. Such a disappointment. I eat out at a lot of great restaurants that are actually great, but this one just didn't live up to its pricetag. We did indeed approach the restaurant and they, with their French attitude, assumed that they were right and we were wrong and made no attempt to ameliorate the situation.
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Paula
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, June 21, 2006

The setting is gorgeous, but the restaurant was empty and the meal was extremely rich and way over-the-top elaborate. There was a phalanx of waiters dancing on our every whim, and every course was at least five dishes, with a few extra courses thrown in for good measure.

I knew it was famed for being expensive, and I didn't in fact see the bill, but the prices on the menu were indeed phenomenal. The nicest part of the evening was the bar, which was exotic but comfortable, with a fun drinks menu. After a 15-minute wait, we were served some well-mixed martinis. I was scolded by the maitre d' for not announcing ourselves as dinner guests before heading for the bar, and then we were guided up the grand RIBA staircase and told the history of the building.

The menu was admirably brief, but full of priceless ingredients with lots of tiny items and a great deal of frothing. I had the foie gras starter and the sea bass, both of which were wonderful, but the 15 or so extra dishes escape my memory, apart from a glass of courgette froth and some good bread. The wine list sported some surprisingly reasonable prices at the entry level, and our Sauvignon Blanc was lovely.

An interlude in the ladies' loos was like having a walk-on role in Moulin Rouge - wildly black and sparkly, with the loo roll suspended on a diamante chain.

Afterwards we were taken downstairs to see the Gallery restaurant, which had the appearance of a hotel coffee shop but was full with a young crowd, and then to another small bar which was neon-lit and loud, but nowhere near as glam as the front bar.

Looking at our fellow diners in the Lecture Room and Library, they were a mixture of couples and foursomes, probably more private than business. A side room had a group from Bank of America, the maitre d' told us, as if this was something notable. To my observation, the place was quite empty, but the waitress said that actually they had 35 covers, but I think that must have included the bank guys.

Definitely a place to go for a special occasion.
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BLO - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Friday, April 28, 2006

Good service and atmosphere, but speaking as someone who has sampled a fair number of London’s 'finest' restaurants, I really can't see what justifies the crazy prices (£52 for a main course!) or some of the more gushing reviews below.

Food was generally mediocre. Some good stuff (the fillet of beef from the a-la-carte menu) was drowned out by a host of uninspired and overcomplicated dishes.

Wine list was pretty good and we had a decent Pomerol for £116, but the selection of spirits was downright poor. (No XO Cognac?, No Laphroaig?)

We paid around £300 a head. For that sort of money I would expect a lot more especially when you compare it to what else is out there.
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Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Saturday, February 25, 2006

Went to Sketch with the company, not somewhere I would visit again. The place was gorgeous, and the cocktails at the beginning were lovely. The Service was attendtive and all teh staff were knowledgable. The let down was the food. We all had the tasting menu, six courses, none of which were particularly outstanding. The mix of flavours was at times over powering and at times non existant, there did not appear to be any middle ground. The desserts were nice, but come on, 5 main courses, followed by 6 desserts? A looney menu choice. For the price of the place, I would expect more, there are other restaurants in a similar category which I would opt for over Sketch.
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Mark
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, February 07, 2006

I visited the Gallery on a night out (without food) and realised that the Sketch establishment is somewhere very special and with a definite WOW factor for anyone entering for the first time. I decided that my girlfriend and I hadn't been out for a while so had a quick look on this website for some food reviews.

I found that there were several different restaurants and having eaten at Chez Bruce earlier in the year, I decided to book a table in the Lecture Room and Library.

The website has full info on all of their menus and I knew before we went that we would both be going for the tasting menu - 6 courses at £90 each.

We arrived a little early on the night and went through to the cocktail bar for a quick Tai Tai and Mum's Pink Lemonade which were both excellent.

After being escorted to our table, by the impossibly perfect David, we were introduced to our sommelier and offered an aperitif. We decided upon a selection of 3 small glasses of a Rosé Champagne (I forget what it was) from 1990, 89 & 88. I’ve never heard of this before but it is such an excellent idea!

After that we chose the tasting menu and then the sommelier talked us through the wine list and recommended a bottle of white to start which was £250! I quickly explained slightly embarrassingly that my budget would be £200 for a bottle of white and a red to follow. He managed to make me feel comfortable straight away and helped us choose a 2002 Puligny Montrache at £82 and an excellent 95 Cornas at £86.

All I can say about the food is that every single piece was absolute perfection! I’m sure that the Chantilly of Foie Gras will raise a few eyebrows as it is unlike anything I’ve ever tried. The Rabbit and Crab Rillettes were excellent, but our favourite had to be the Fillet of Deer with a red cabbage marmalade, redcurrant jelly, cream of horseradish, quince purée and Iranian saffron. The deserts were amazing and the whole thing was complimented by impeccable service. The only hiccup of the entire evening was when the sommelier had poured a small amount of our wine to the next table. He came over and apologised profusely, while offering us another bottle, or perhaps a bottle of champagne. We decided that we’d like to have some champagne after our meal in the cocktail bar which they happily obliged to. The way we were escorted down to a reserved table in the bar and poured complimentary champagne made us feel like the best served customers in the building!

Ok, the meal came to £470 including service, but I tipped another £40 because the whole thing was worth every penny.

Forget what other people say about Sketch. This is unbelievably exquisite food topped with an unforgettable experience. Check this place out!
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Tom Chubb
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, January 03, 2006