Sketch

I’m gonna start this blog by writing a first post about a place I discovered a few weeks ago, near Regent Street: Sketch.

This place is just AMAZING as its decoration is very original and really different than anything I’ve seen before in London.
You can go there for the restaurant, the bar or the “Parlour” (tea room).

== The East Bar ==

The first time I went there was a Friday evening with some friends – we wanted to discover a new place and have good cocktails. One of us had heard of this place and so we decided to test it. I have to say it’s not always easy to get in as it’s supposed to be hype and trendy. But anyway, we finally got in – what a surprise! 🙂 Chairs belonging to the wall in the main hall, weird sculptures and lamps. Note: cloakroom available.

Then we went through this strange place, passing a first restaurant room, then a bigger second one and finally arrived in the bar which is a quite small round room. When you enter there it’s like you enter into a spaceship – the bar is in the middle and you can seat on couches all around. The menu is varied and we went for cocktails – apparently the mojito is nice and I can confirm that alcohol-free cocktails are excellent!!!!

The music is kinda lounge music, but a good one 🙂 people are classy and I could easily compare this clientèle to the one of the Mahiki in Mayfair for example – “smart and trendy”. Don’t go there without a good bunch of friends, otherwise you could get bored quite quickly as most of people like to be there just to be seen (from my point of view).

== The Parlour ==

A few weeks after this memorable evening, I came back to Sketch with a friend of mine on a Saturday morning to have a brunch at the Parlour. The atmosphere was obviously totally different as it was day time, but actually really pleasant.
The Parlour is a big room well decorated with among others an original candelabrum, various couches, armchairs, a writing-table and a long grand bar. You can have breakfast till noon.
We had a “Parlour breakfast”: fruit juice, toasted bread, jam, tea or coffee £7 – you can add scrambled eggs/bacon or salmon £12.

I asked for a hot chocolate which was really good. The jam is not too sweet – don’t hesitate to order more bread as the first round is just 3 or 4 toasts. The tea set is SO KITSCH!
But people usually come to the Parlour at tea time to get a cup of tea and some cakes. So we decided to get one of those cakes (£5), just to test. No disappointment. It was a chocolate cake with several different layers, one cracky, the other one creamy, another one praline-flavored. I have to admit it was a delicious cake…

We spent about 2h or more there, ensconced in our couch, talking about everything – what a great time. Music as it should be, good playlist varying from lounge songs to Stevie Wonder, Pink Martini and others.

> Tips:

• go to the toilet! The one around the bar is really surprising! 😉
• there is another restaurant room upstairs, much more expensive and only accessible with booking. You can hire the room for private events.

> Verdict: Sketch is a great place in Central London. Of course you need to pay the price to enjoy it, but it’s a pleasure you can have sometimes.
If you want to test it at a reasonable price, I recommend to go to the Parlour for a brunch or lunch on a Saturday morning around 11am. It’s quite empty and so you can choose where you want to seat – appreciable thing.

Infos: Sketch – 9 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2WG – 02076794500 – Oxford Circus station