Having been open for over ten years, Sketch is, visually, one of the most enticing restaurants in London.
Newly redecorated, Paris based architect and designer India Mahdavi has conceived a clean, strikingly simple interior for The Gallery at Sketch, with a contemporary splash of pink on both the walls and velvet-covered custom-made furniture.
This forms the perfect backdrop for celebrated British artist David Shrigley’s 239 new works that line the restaurant’s walls, forming the largest group of original drawings he has ever exhibited.
We are very quickly enticed by the sumptuousness of the restaurant and the little extra touches that the space offers – from the popup menus to the customised crockery – are appreciated and impossible to ignore. Despite its lavishness, these little details make The Gallery feel more playful and relaxed.
After a glass of Champagne, deciding what to eat was not the easiest task. Starters look technically complex yet very intriguing. My plus one had the Burrata, bloody mary, cherry tomatoes, croque «Noir», and I opted for the «Homage to David Shrigley» Tuna sashimi, creamy avocado with Peruvian chilli and lime, melon and liqueur vinegar, black olive gelée and mozzarella foam.
The starters are very pleasant, packed with flavour and presented in a beautiful and meticulous manner. The Gallery at Sketch does not serve dishes; it serves edible works of art.
Mains are listed under ‘meat’ and ‘fish’, with ‘pasta, risotto, etc.’ presenting three dishes catering to vegetarians. My guest’s Beef and foie gras burger, sketchup sauce, red cabbage and Xeres jelly with French fries was satisfactory, but nothing memorable, but my Gently poached cod, fresh herb ‘crumble’, broccoli purée with anchovies, red pepper confit, mimolette cheese was a delight.
For dessert, we shared Malabar – a vanilla-infused milk with strawberry mousse, bubble gum ice cream and marshmallow. Not entirely pleasant and with a strange synthetic tasting, it did, however, manage to transport us back to our childhood.
The Gallery at Sketch is not just a restaurant; it is an experience that blends the boundaries between art and food. It creates an environment that functions both as artwork and as a unique restaurant.
Read some of our other recent restaurant reviews including Lima Floral Street and Brasserie Gustave.
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