A while ago I asked you, my lovely readers and lovers of London to recommend places to eat out at for a special occasion. That special occasion was my birthday which happened last Friday. Now as much as I love organising everything I gave my boyfriend a list of recommendations and asked him to pick one. He then teased me the week leading up, even trying to convince me that he had chosen somewhere that wasn’t on my list. You can imagine my surprise when we arrived at Sketch… a place on my list.
First impressions are always key for me and the first impressions of Sketch were very good. We were greeted at the door, welcomed by several members of staff and given clear directions to the gallery. The decor was a little dark as we walked in but it was still quirky and impressive. We dropped our coats off and headed for the gallery, it was every bit as magical and pink as the photos I’d seen online. We were greeted with the warmest of smiles before being shown to our table by the friendly hostess. At 7pm the restaurant was rather empty but it meant we were in our own private little bubble until later when it began to fill up. We were greeted and introduced to our waiters for the evening, each one offering their help with the food and drink choices.
Pop out forks on the menu
The Old Cuban cocktail
Throughout the night I could’t stop staring at the decor of this magical room. The art on the wall was modern, quirky and fun, with some pieces more controversial than others. It really felt like we were in an upmarket American diner with the style and layout in the gallery. We began the evening with cocktails, I chose the Old Cuban – after much indecisiveness and some help from the waiter. The Old Cuban was an earlier mix of our modern day mojito. It was delicious. I was as equally bad at making a decision with the food and again asked the waiter for help. I wanted to go for fish and the waiter helped me decide on the cod dish with mussels in a creamy sauce. JP went for the beef sirloin with some amazing gravy, we also shared a portion of onion rings. They were probably the best ones I’ve ever tried! Although I had read some bad reviews of the food, I was highly impressed and that was before desert – my favorite course.
Before dessert I was presented with champagne and a special birthday plate, all pre arranged by the boyfriend. It was such a cute touch and something I wouldn’t have imagined a place like this to do. I was fascinated by the champagne glasses, and held them with two hands due to their size. Dessert was then ordered and arrived very quickly. We’d opted to share the Melebar – a mix of ice-cream, moose and panna cotta. Before I’d even started eating a member of staff (who I assumed was a manager) came over and explained the best way to eat it. Stating how the citrus moose was bitter on its own and should be eaten with a little bit of bubble gum ice cream on the spoon – he was totally right. Dessert was an amazing array of flavours.
We finished the night with more cocktails this time I chose the Emnralda a tequila based drink which had a very sharp but delicious taste to it.
When booking the table JP had been told we would need to vacate the table at 9pm. However, we were never reminded or asked to leave despite staying until 9.30pm. The food and drink service was fast and professional – having worked in my fair share of restaurants, I feel qualified to say that. The waiters were very attentive, filling up your water constantly and always there when you wanted something. The customers were certainly the priority of every member of staff. I absolutely loved my experience here. It was fancy yet quirky and laid back at the same time. This meant I didn’t feel uncomfortable which has happened before in extremely fancy places. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the night and it was the little things that helped to make the evening what it was. I found Sketch to be full of surprises and even after a night there the place still felt like a maze of excitement with more left to explore.
It was an expensive treat and not somewhere I could afford to eat at regularly but for a birthday treat this fun yet fancy restaurant was the perfect place. Often something quirky and different helps you to see your city in a new and interesting light.
Peek in the toilets
Now I cannot talk about Sketch without mentioning the toilets, they are an experience themselves and all I’m going to say is ,ale sure you go at least once!
Sketch – Must Know Information
Address: 9 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XG
Sketch is located near to the Oxford Circus tube station.
Expect to pay between £20-£40 for a main course with cocktails starting from £13.50. Please note a 12% service charge is automatically added to your bill and you have a minimum spend for the table.
You can find more about Sketch on their website.
Tags: Eateries Review Eating in London England London Sketch United Kingdom