Sketch Lecture Room and Library

First impressions - Great

Girl at tthe door - Lovely

Decor - Very cool

Food - I have to be honest and say bad bad bad. Starter was fine, bread v good but the main was one of the worst things ive ever eaten. My friend also had the same as me and agreed it was not good. Such a shame as it was all going so well. Maybe we ordered the wrong dish.... needless to say I will not be going back so I guess I will never get to find out...
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5 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Thursday, December 29, 2011

Not a place you're going to forget in a hurry.

My partner and I went here for a very long lunch back in February. It was an unforgettable and unique experience. There are many reviews here which already go into the history of the place and the uniquely designed egg shaped toilets, so I'll just reflect on our experience as a whole.

From the moment we walked in, the Maitre D' made us feel as though we were the only guests in there after he heard that it was our first time, even though the main Lecture dining room was full. He was friendly, charming and brimming with enthusiasm about the place. He insisted on giving us a tour after we had finished our lunch, which I'm quite sure he gives to everyone, but at the same time it makes you feel very welcome.

The food is of an exceptional standard and took me by surprise considering it was a lunch time. The set menu, which came to around £110 for two, was a great way to experience fine dining on a budget and included a half bottle of wine, even though they just let us have the whole bottle and didn't charge any extra.

In the name of balance some of the other staff, although impeccably attentive, lacked a little bit of personality and a slight whiff of pretension hangs in the air, but this is Sketch I suppose, in the heart of Mayfair, so it is to be expected. The theatricality of the whole place, after a while, can start to jar ever so slightly, having spent a good part of the afternoon in there, but this applies more to the downstairs rooms, the tea rooms and the bars. You get swept up in it at the time though and you leave with a big smile on your face.

I'll leave it at that, since there are so many reviews and judging by its score, makes this a little review a little redundant. However, I thought I'd share the experience and hope you enjoy your experience too.
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Nick
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, April 27, 2011

We went to the Lecture Room for lunch. Not sure what to expect after looking at their amusing, quirky and sometimes infuriating website. It turned out to be an amazing place, with interesting works of art on the way up and a spacious, domed room to eat in. Lots of attentive staff but they were friendly and knowlegeable rather than fussy. We went for the full 3 course Gourmet Rapide lunch with sherry, wine, sparkling water and coffee with petits fours - it looked good for under 50 a head. Well they misled us - there was a delightful series of amuse bouches first which made it more like 4 courses, and Rapide it was not - two and a half hours, which was perfect for us. The wine was a bottle of excellent New Zealand merlot (from a choice of 5 well selected wines). All the food was just wonderful and beautifully presented - my wife kept exclaiming at the flavours, easily on a par with other Michelin starred places we have tried here and in France. So many really interesting tastes. and the small but perfectly formed dishes added up to a very satisfying meal. I should have given them a ten for value for money, as we had a rare voucher - 9's what I'd have felt at full price, ie not cheap but a great and theatrical experience. We took up the offer of a tour of the building after our meal - don't miss the egg toilets! We'll be back.
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Eric Baker
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Friday, October 29, 2010

My boyfriend and I went to the Lecture Room last Saturday and were blown away. The service was amazing, friendly and helpful. The food is different with a combination of flavours that sound bizarre but work really well together. I loved the fact that the meals were made up of lots of little dishes. If you've been here and not been blown away go back again...and if you've not been here yet, go now!
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Cynthia
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Saturday, February 06, 2010

A friend took me here for my birthday in May. It was a very attractive place, good and friendly service. The food was a bit weird, some strange combinations of flavours! We were given lots of little bites to nibble on, which was nice and interesting. The main food was nice but nothing really special. The atmosphere was a bit stiff though, sometimes felt like I was talking too loudly. Overall it was a positive experience but nothing to rave about.
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Martha
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Thursday, July 09, 2009

Three of us went for an evening meal in the Lecture Room last month. We were met by the Manager and given a guided tour of the rest of the premises (impressive!) before going upstairs to our table.

It was hard to choose from the very interesting menu but we thought we'd be different and all went for the 7-course vegetarian tasting selection (none of us are vegetarian). This was outstanding in the presentation, texture & flavour of all the dishes - so many different amazing tastes packed into one meal. Just to illustrate, one of the courses was: Chicory - Braised Chicory / Stuffed Reinette Apple / Aubergines and Fresh Walnuts; this was an unusual mix of ingredients but it worked fantastically well, as did all the other courses.

It was difficult to refuse any of the choice of fresh breads that were always on offer, the amuse-bouche were unconventional but delicious and the bite-sized sweet course seemed to go on for ever. Service was formal but not stuffy with useful input & conversation from the sommeliers and waiters.

I'd been led to believe that Sketch was horrendously expensive but I thought £70 for a 7-course+ tasting menu was actually very good value indeed, judging by the effort required to prepare and serve it. What you do with the wine list is up to you - there did seem to be quite a hefty mark-up but they do have a superb cellar of top producers and vintages.

The decor (check out the toilets!) and ambiance were unusual but as a whole pretty much worked and gave a sort of bohemian touch. There was plenty of room between tables and the seats were extremely comfy for the 3-4hrs the meal took (not a complaint, in fact a compliment: I hate to be rushed - we were allowed time to savour the experience but were never kept waiting).

Overall a great night out and much in excess of my expectations.
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Ed - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, February 15, 2009