Taking mouthful after mouthful (whilst stopping to take pictures of EVERYTHING), I was in bliss – everything tasted as exceptional as you’d expect from such artistry. Being sat in one of the most surreal places I’d ever been, as well as having all this gorgeous, refillable food placed in front of me, it was unbelievable. Minutes later, with tummies rumbling and Instagram feeds fit to burst, we watched our food being presented to us – it barely fit the table! At this point, I was blown away. The afternoon tea itself consisted of traditional-ish assortment of finger sandwiches, a sultana or plain scone with strawberry jam, as well as Sketch two-bite sweet treats, including a guariguette strawberry tartlet, a Battenberg cake, an Opera cake, a rhubarb cheesecake, a Malabar marshmallow, a Kalamansi meringue, a salted caramel chocolate fondant and a violet and raspberry choux. I had the Assam Breakfast as my tea and a non-alcoholic Raspberry Bellini as my birthday tipple. Running through both the drinks (cocktails and teas) and each part of the afternoon tea menu, we made our choices. When we’d taken our seats and had a few moments to gawp in awe at the truly unique interior, we were offered a menu by our waiter for the afternoon. It all worked together so well and with a stylish bar that looked like it wouldn’t have been out of place in ‘The Shining’ or ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’. The late fashion designer Richard Nicoll’s utilitarian uniforms for the staff only sought to emphasise the brightness of the room.
The wonders continued on the restaurant tables, with Shrigley’s playful ceramics featuring more of his drawings and texts. Coupled with India Mahdavi’s soothing pastel pink backdrop and bronze lighting, I couldn’t help but be struck by this room. Each illustration was as funny and satirical as the last. With 239 of his new works adorning the restaurant’s walls, I was ecstatic. One of the many reasons I wanted to go to Sketch London was because David Shrigley had transformed the Gallery.
Sketch london about full#
As we sat down for our afternoon tea, we realised the room was only half full which was a blessing – we didn’t feel rushed, we weren’t crammed in and it proved to be a very peaceful atmosphere. Arriving at the Gallery, we were quickly assigned a hostess, as she took our coats and bags, we were offered a table despite being half an hour early. Everything about the décor was impressive walking to the Gallery past various rooms was almost like walking through a fairytale, albeit a quirky one like ‘Alice in Wonderland’. We were greeted at the entrance, welcomed by several members of smiling staff and given directions to the Wes Anderson-esque Gallery. When walking into Sketch London, it was clear that they care about their visitors.
It just so happened, that as a surprise, my husband had booked afternoon tea for my birthday… First Impressions As soon as I saw its pink walls, David Shrigley illustrations and that bathroom appearing on my Instagram feed, I knew I had to pay a visit. For a few years now, I’ve wanted to go to master chef Pierre Gagnaire and restaurateur Momo Mazouz’s Sketch London.
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