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