Draw me like one of your French ladies...

See the magic unfold before your eyes...

Sketch has been on my list of places to visit for some time... afternoon tea, dinner, drinks... anything. The opportunity never came up till one fateful day... I was handed the most gorgeous black box. In it, a voucher for Afternoon Tea for Two. I. Was. Excited. Booking in weeks in advance (more excitement than actually needing too), my friend and I counted down the days...

Just away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford and Regent Streets you come across Sketch. I would say it's an unassuming white building if it weren't for the animal protruding out of the front. You won't miss it.

Walking in, we knew we were in for a treat. Like 2 country girls visiting the city for the first time, we walked around wide eyed and mouth agape... mixed in with an 'oooh look at that' and 'wow...' every so often.

Directed to the maître d, our coats were taken and we were given the option of having tea in The Glade or The Gallery. I had my heart set on The Glade prior to arriving but once there, I couldn't turn away from the eclectic crazy of The Gallery.

Seated, we were once again left 'oooohing' and 'aaaaahing' about the room and table setting. It was kitsch, it was crazy, it was haphazard but somehow... it all worked together. The room was literally a work of art. (rightly so as it was conceived by Turner Prize winning artist Martin Creed)

What of the food? It was pretty damn good. Everything was traditional in essence but amazingly innovative in flavour and execution. Checkout the menu here.

Right, to the important bit... let's break down the tiers:

TOP TIER: salted butter caramel macaron - tasty ganache/inside and a lovely shell. Good 'feet' and it looked pretty too!

MIDDLE TIER: port wine tartlet, coconut and praline lollipop, lemon meringue tartlet and lavender chocolate éclair. All very lovely but my absolute favourite was the coconut and praline lollipop which reminded me of a Rafaello (Ferrero's fairer sibling).

BOTTOM TIER: smoked salmon & Jacob’s cream; cucumber, ricotta & broccoli, comté cheese croque monsieur, egg & mayonnaise with quail egg caviar sandwiches. This was my ultimate favourite level as though  they were of traditional flavours (cucumber, smoked salmon etc) they were all done and presented in very unique ways. One was even tied up with a bow!

ON THE SIDE: sultana or plain scones served with clotted cream, fig and strawberry homemade jam. Simply, I love scones. Even more so when they're lovely and warm and served with clotted cream. They were the right density... the clotted cream amazing (can you go wrong?!) and the jams the right amount of tart and sweet. No left overs here...

LITTLE BITS: orange blossom and lemon & passion fruit marshmallows and passion fruit layered with berry marmalade and Greek yogurt mousse. Though nice enough, these probably weren't all that essential to the mix... I blame these for pushing me over the edge.

Service was attentive without being annoying, the atmosphere and vibe cool but fun and unpretentious. Would we go back? Yeap! There's different meals to try and I'd even go back for the afternoon tea alone. It's not often you do that once you've been to a place but Sketch is definitely up there! The price is £34 per person which isn't exactly cheap but you certainly get your money's worth. I was ready to pop by the end and my friend doggy-bagged a couple of things to eat later! You wouldn't go every month at this price but you'd want to go once a year at least! If not just to see how the menu has changed... it'd really be rude otherwise.

Lastly, don't forget to make a special visit to the bathrooms. They're amazing.

NOTE: the 'bathroom' is Unisex but the women have to veer right and the men to the left. Don't make the mistake I did...

Also, if you're in there, make sure to lock the door properly! You don't want a complete stranger surprising you mid business.... (sorry to the lady I walked in on... you really should have locked the door though!)

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Sketch can be found at:

9 Conduit Street
London W1S 2XG
T: 0207 659 4500

E: info@sketch.uk.com

Open 7 days a week:

The Parlour
All day from Breakfast to Cocktails
Mon - Fri: 8am - 2am
Sat: 10am - 2am
Sunday: 10am - 12pm

The Glade
Afternoon Tea

Mon - Sun: 12.30pm - 6pm

Bar

Mon - Sunday: 6.30pm - 2am

The Gallery
Dinner

Mon - Sun: 6.30pm - 2am

The Lecture Room & Library
Lunch

Tues - Fri: 12pm - 2.15pm
Dinner

Tues - Sat: 7pm - 11pm

You can probably pop in for a drink but I would strongly suggest booking for anything else!