Sketch

Recently, Sketch have been offering a £50 off voucher which myself and my mate, being the skintoid food-lovers that we are, snapped right up. A table was booked at the Gallery.

Sketch is seriously cool. The decor in all of their many rooms is stunning, even down to the strange towering sculpture of childrens' toys spray painted grey, terrifyingly topped with a Chucky-esque doll. On our initial visit (yes, there were two), we were shown to a table which was disconcertingly close to our neighbours. This is not conducive to a good gossip that my friend and I are prone to indulge in. We were so close that we could see that they got an amuse bouche, and we didn't. Not the best start to a meal.

To start, I ordered the "Red tuna: Cubes of red tuna and vegetables / artichoke, red tuna and soya sauce on toast / curried fruit and vegetable smoothie with olive oil". This was pretty weird - fridge cold slices of raw tuna topped slightly soggy pieces of toast and the tuna cubes floating around in a cold curry sauce was rather unpleasant. Reading back on the menu description I'm not sure what I was expecting really - I was blind-sided by my love of raw tuna.

My main was rather more delicious: "Veal « Palais Royal »: Head and tongue of veal / braised veal cheek /Lentil and herb salad". The meat was tender and succulent, yielding gently underneath my fork. Unfortunately, the lentils were aggressively salted. In contrast, my companion's dish was woefully underseasoned. Perhaps she should have smothered her beef tartare with the lentils. When we complained to the waitress, she looked at us witheringly and said "we don't usually get negative comments about our food. Maybe it's not your style". She's quite lucky she didn't end up with my fork embedded in her face.

We then decided, to get a really rounded experience, we'd have a dessert to share. Having heard that the "Malabar: Bubble gum ice cream / lemon Wurtz / orange blossom marshmallow / pannacotta /crispy green tea" was popular, we thought it best to try this. We were instructed to mix the plate up, which made it look rather like a plate of sick. Upon the second mouthful, my friend made an "errrummpphhh!" kind of noise. I looked at her with horror. She pulled two shards of plastic out of her mouth. At this point, it really was so farcical that all I could do was howl with laughter much to the disgruntlement of our neighbours. It really was the last straw. The manager was apologetic and looked disappointed. Our bill was heavily discounted.

So, when we were offered a complimentary meal, we pondered whether or not to come. But then, I think if a restaurant has ballsed something up so royally, we should give them another chance.

We were treated rather differently. A lovely glass of Champagne in the bar adjacent to the dining room allowed us to catch up over various amusing anecdotes of the weekend passed. We were then seated at a table for just the two of us. Cocktails were proffered, wine was placed on the table, and our meal commenced.

To start, I ordered "Oyster and scallops: Irish rock oysters / sliced scallops and smoked parsley galette /diced cucumber and green apple with Espelette pepper". When the dish was placed down, a pleasing waft of the seaside accompanied it, as did a shot of intense apple foam which I was instructed to eat between bites. Why a plastic shot cup? I thought those days of plastic tableware were over when I turned 5. Anyway, the dish is certainly not for one who may have a problem with textures. The oysters were creamy, the raw thinly sliced scallop beneath it was slippery and delicious. The apple foam was a perfect palate cleanser.

My main, "Roast rump of lamb with Indian spices /spinach and watercress velouté with Roquefort /braised turnip in beetroot stock" looked great when it was placed before me. However, from this dish I have learned that Indian spices, lamb, and Roquefort aren't a combination I would like the try again. The lamb was cooked beautifully but it was too many dominant flavours fighting with each other. In contrast, the beetroot-braised turnip was exactly that and was rather refreshing and sweet over the rest of the dish. Sides of gratin Dauphinois (surprisingly topped with cheese - "Cheddar. Well, Emmenthal, which is like Cheddar") and round lettuce with anchovies were perfunctory.

To finish, we decided on "Dessert for two: Coconut lollipop / prunes / pear and Yuzu / fruit tart / blackcurrant biscuit". Probably a case of eyes bigger than our bellies, but in the name of the full experience, we soldiered on.

I'm glad we did, because although we were unable to finish all the dish, the desserts were very good indeed. The super-sweet prunes stuffed with marzipan was an incredible contrast to the tart, slightly bitter yuzu and pear (far left of the picture).

A final surprise - we finished with espressos, which when stirred seemed thick and viscous but in actual fact were served in silicone cups. Why? I'm not sure, but it's not every day you can squidge your espresso cup.

It's been hard to write about this meal. Our first visit was almost ridiculous, but the way Sketch made up for it was exemplary. The service was impeccable throughout; napkins were picked up and folded on the chair for absent occupiers without making us feel like we were being watched. There was no sign of our nemesis waitress. I'm not sure I would visit again because even though I enjoyed many elements of the food such as the oysters and scallops, there were others which I found misjudged and borderline repulsive - after the first or second taste, I left that Roquefort off my lamb.

However, both times the dining room was packed with beautiful people and people genuinely seemed to be enjoying their meals. Perhaps the waitress was right, and Gagnaire's food is just not my style.

Hollow's profile     Other reviews by Hollow     Hollow likes    

Have I been transported to another time and space? Nope, it’s just the loos at Sketch - the restaurant that considers itself a bit of a hipster and is head cheffed by Pierre Gagnaire, famous for his challenging (some might say jarring), texture and flavour combinations. Sketch have been offering 50% discount vouchers recently and so my mate and I jollied on down to The Gallery one evening looking for some top notch grub on the cheap.

We were shown to our table which was uncomfortably close to another group of three, who irritatingly seemed to be getting preferential treatment with an amuse bouche and flashy chat but we tried our best to ignore it.

To start I chose the ‘Tahiti’ - a ceviche of grouper, barramundi and red snapper, marinated in coconut and lime, with pineapple sorbet and coconut shavings. I was excited as I’d never tasted any of the fish before but unfortunately, I didn’t get to taste them here either. Any flavour was so overwhelmed by coconut that the fish was merely a texture. The different types were indistinguishable from one another. The pineapple sorbet was delicious though - a very welcome palate cleanser.

For the main I immediately zoned in on the beef tartare - one of my all time favourite dishes. Sadly, it was almost completely lacking in seasoning (my mates main by contrast was almost inedible due to over salting).There was no egg yolk on top - fine, I realise it’s not essential but it disappointed me nonetheless. The accompanying ‘egg mollet’ did go some way to compensating when I mashed it up on top.

The most confusing element of the entire dish however, was the ‘fresh spicy tomato’. Talk about false advertising. What I actually received was a plastic shot glass (classy), with what tasted like the watery juice from a cheap can of tinned tomatoes with a bit of black pepper thrown in. I am absolutely clueless as to the point of this - the waitress didn’t seem to know either.

She had asked if we were enjoying our meals. When we raised our issues she looked confused, “oh” she said, “we don’t usually get any negative comments.” Right, so er, it’s our problem then? No matter, we decided to soldier on and give them a proper chance by sharing a dessert. “What do you recommend?” we asked. Our waitress faltered and stuttered out a few dishes. My mate enquired about the ‘Malabar.’ “Ah yes” she said, “everyone likes that.” We struggled to work out how this was not a reason for her to recommend it in the first place.

Apparently, you are supposed to mix the whole thing (bubble gum ice cream, orange blossom marshmallow, crispy green tea) together, so that we did. A couple of spoonfuls in and I felt it…something hard and sharp. I looked up at my mate’s face, a mixture of anticipation and horror as she watched me pull the two small shards of clear plastic from my mouth.

The manageress was clearly shocked and upset. She apologised profusely and invited us back for a meal, on the house, as an attempt to compensate for our unpleasant experience. Fair enough.

So it was that we returned to Sketch with open minds and empty bellies. A better table this time started things off on the right foot and we refreshed ourselves with a vodka and rosemary based cocktail which I really got into - like drinking alcoholic herby juice, it made me feel healthy.

To start this time I chose the terrine of foie gras with smoked duck breast, gingerbread, courgette chutney and apricot. “You can’t go wrong with foie gras” my mate remarked. A good smooth swathe of terrine on toasted brioche, a nugget of caramelised peach and a sprinkling of crispy gingerbread bits - heavenly. Courgette chutney was sweet, intense and jammy and actually re-ignited my interest in courgettes, something I feared may never happen.

I threw all ideas of balance out the window and followed foie with roast rib-eye, served with olive and potato cake. The beef was cooked perfectly rare as requested although could have packed slightly more flavour. The potato cake however was just plain weird. You know how mashed potato turns gluey when you over whip it? Well the texture was like that but formed into a cake. On the side, arrived another of those plastic shot glasses, although this time filled with a sorrel flavoured dip and some puffed crispy quinoa wafer things for dipping. It was surprisingly tasty but turned frustrating halfway through when the wafers started to break and I could no longer reach the dippy stuff. Pierre, I urge you, ditch the plastic shot glasses.

For puds we settled on the ‘dessert for two’ - a selection of petit fours basically - the most pleasing of which was a little layered opera cake style chocolatey thing and a sweet and fruity raspberry tart.

I also had high hopes for these posh jammy dodgers but by this point we were suffering the effects of over-indulgence and had to leave the majority of the intensely confected biccies just nibbled.

So, did Sketch make up for our shocking meal the first time round? Well, in short, yes. In terms of customer service, they were faultless. They took all complaints squarely on the chin and went all out to repair any damage. During our first visit, we speculated, is Sketch simply a case of style over substance? It is the sort of place people go to see and be seen, and I’ll admit I often glanced around wondering if diners were loving their food just because they think they ought to. I don’t think I’ll ever be the biggest super fan of Pierre Gagnaire’s food but I certainly admire Sketch’s standards of service and you’ve got to admit, those toilets are pretty effing cool.

Helen's profile     Other reviews by Helen     Helen likes    

The Gallery is on the ground floor, just past the patisserie. The trendy bar is to the left as you go through, the dining room to the right. The place is beyond pretentious. If I may quote from their web site: “the triple dream of creating a “lieu” or destination place for food art and music has been realised…..” which gives you an idea of the kind of thing to expect. The room is very grand with an extremely high white ceiling, with walls panelled up to about eight foot, and above this an elaborate light show plays on the white walls, tonight a series of moving green spots on a purple background. Tables are white with no tablecloth (though there are white linen napkins) with a single nightlight in a glass jar, and the floor is red and black with intermittent light patterns projected onto this also. Seating is a mixture of white leather sofas and uncomfortable oddly shaped chairs, also in white. There are four ghastly screens, each appearing to be covered with wallpaper, but with appliqué animals such as stingrays and snails, while each screen has a sprinkling of sequins. Lighting is from directed ceiling spots plus spherical side lamps on the walls, and though it is by no means the worst lighting I have encountered, my small torch was invoked in order to make out the menu. Modern dance music plays in the background. Essentially this is where Austin Powers would eat. It is utterly hideous in my opinion.

The toilets, which are up the stairs, are large white eggs, with an attendant on hand to open the door of the egg and seal you inside. The designer must have been on drugs. Booking was as much of a nightmare as I recall last time, with credit card number required and the comment “we don’t let just anyone into Sketch you know”, said in a tone that clearly implied that I may well not be someone, and could so easily fall into the sad “anyone” category with just a twirl of the receptionist’s moustache. I am not making this up, by the way. That is exactly the phrase used by the receptionist. The place was packed with an odd assortment of Americans, sleazy-looking businessmen and pretty girls in black cocktail dresses. The place is owned by Mourad Mazouz (creator of Momo) and the culinary input is from Pierre Gagnaire, who was allegedly here this evening, but proved immediately elusive when I asked to say hello to him.

The menu is enclosed. There are no amuse gueule, and indeed bread is a chargeable extra (£3.50), which is outrageous. The bread did not bode well, since it consisted of some cold toasted poilane, a white baguette and a simple roll which was overcooked (bread 1/10). Oddly, a very capable walnut bread turned up later that was comfortably 6/10. The wine list is fairly short and has some eccentric prices. There are little colour pictures of some bottles, but not others, and the list is heavy on France and Australia in particular. Standard Pol Roger champagne is a hefty £83, while Antinori Tignaello 2001 is £130 against a retail price of £27 i.e. almost a five times mark-up. However the prize for the biggest mark-up goes to the Petaluma Chardonnay 2001. This retails at £14.81, and is on the list here at a little matter of £145. There is virtually nothing under £40. While the sommelier was formally dressed, the waiters and waitresses wear black trousers and smart shirts that are white with a grey pattern. It has to be said that the service was exemplary, our waiter being friendly and attentive, and well drilled on the menu. Wine and water were topped up faultlessly.

Stella had Pizzaladiere, which consisted of six triangular slices of flaky pizza-like tart topped with button mushrooms drizzled in white truffle oil and garnished with a little pink garlic and a few leaves of lamb’s tongue lettuce. While pleasant, the button mushrooms inevitably had the limited flavour that button mushrooms have, and though the leaves were fresh and the pastry base had good texture it is hard to see that this was more than a pleasant 3/10.

I had “gambas” that were really three prawn tempura, served with two croquettes of foie gras, a few dried vegetables and a “sketchup” tomato sauce, served in an impractically steep-sided dish. The tempura were superb, the prawns of high quality and perfectly cooked, the batter very light (the prawns themselves were comfortably 7/10). The foie gras croquettes were less good, a pleasant crisp outside but lacking in more than a hint of foie gras flavour on the inside and rather dried out for what is intended to be a liquid centre. A deep fried green leek was superfluous, though the reduced tomato sauce laced with spices was tasty. Overall 6/10.

Stella’s Cornish Dover sole was pan-fried and served with mashed “Paris” mushrooms that were cooked with a very light curry flavour, diced onions and a little green pepper. The fish was very fresh and timed well, having excellent flavour; the mushroom mash worked fairly well with the sole. This was served with a separate (in a little white dish) sauce of melted butter containing diced tomatoes and pepper topped with lemon cream (6/10).

I had an odd-sounding dish, duck magret and red tuna. The wisdom of combining these can be debated, but the ingredients were top quality: raw blue fin tuna with a miso glaze (four superb pieces that would shame most Japanese restaurants) and half a dozen slices of perfectly pink duck from Landes, cooked in an infusion of green cardamoms, coriander and Szechuan pepper. The duck rested on a bed of carefully cooked courgette, sweet onion and very fresh watercress. The sauce had excellent balance, the pepper and spices just giving a bite as contrast to the richness of the duck (7/10).

A green salad had very fresh mixed herbs leaves such as chervil (6/10) while steamed vegetables were served in a dim-sum basket, and were steamed to perfection (carrots, broccoli, courgette, green beans, cauliflower) - 7/10 for the vegetables.

There were just three cheeses brought, each resting on a few salad leaves, but these were no ordinary cheeses. The supplier here is Bernard Anthony of Alsace, perhaps the pre-eminent cheese supplier in France, who supplies most of the top 3 star Michelin restaurants in France including Pierre Gagnaire. Here St Maure was superb, fresh and delicious without a hint of chalkiness. Teleggio from Italy was tasty and had fine texture, while Roquefort was in perfect condition. This was served with some of the good walnut bread and some excellent toasted hazelnuts and halved white grapes. These cheeses were the kind of thing that virtually never appear in the UK, from the very finest supplier in superb condition (9/10 for the cheeses). Gordon Ramsay can only dream of cheese like this. The difference in taste is huge, as evidenced tonight.

Stella had an odd-sounding dessert of blackcurrant marmalade, blackcurrant sorbet, coconut mousse and lemon crumble. I’m not sure about the harmony of this combination, but the components were very good indeed the sorbet having smooth texture and great depth of flavour, the crumble tasty, the marmalade having good balance (6/10).

I had a chocolate dessert served in a cocktail glass. At the bottom was a praline, above which was suspended a layer of smooth chocolate ganache (chocolate and cream), above which was a chocolate tuile. The presentation was pretty, as each layer was suspended with a clear gap between each (a clever trick with the ganache) and the chocolate was of high quality (5/10).

Filter coffee and espresso were very good, though the milk for the filter coffee came in a ludicrous little bowl with no handle, another example of form over function (5/10 coffee).

I must admit that when I saw the dining room, following by the astonishingly attitude-ridden booking experience, that I was almost looking forward to panning what I suspected would be an equally pretentious meal. However, the bread aside, the meal was vastly better than I expected. Ingredients are of the highest quality e.g. the superb tuna, fine duck and cheese from Bernard Anthony. Technique was also excellent, with light-as-air prawn tempura and superbly steamed vegetables. Even the service was faultless. I am only giving this 5/10 because of the lousy bread and the mediocre pizzaladiere, but I am probably being harsh by not going for 6/10.

Andy's profile     Other reviews by Andy     Andy likes    

YESTERDAY MY father and I went to the former members bar of Sketch, Mayfair, which is now a lunchtime brasserie known as Glade. It joins an already vibrant portfolio of eateries and event spaces under one roof.
To say the site is odd is to simplify its complexity and to perhaps ostracise the fact that its customer-facing goal is to give sheer pleasure. This attitude was evident right from the fino aperitif served by a young lady employed for attributes other than her knowledge of drinks and placed down on napkins inscribed with scrawled telephone number (alas, Sketch's), to the music box loos serviced by a lady in exaggerated French maid's costume.

Unintimidating unconventionality makes this building hum.

I had the pork belly terrine (succulent) served with a smoked tomato sorbet (icily titillating), followed by roasted then slow-cooked cuttlefish (think big squid; incidentally cuttlefish are said to have similar eyes to humans) with pomme allumette chips (the size of matches).

Smoked Idiazabal - a hard ewe's cheese originally infused by the aromatic smoke of shepherd's fires in chimneyless hovels - was placed alongside a small club sandwich of melted mozarella, sprinkled with peppery rocket leaves.

Throughout the maitre d' asked "are we happy". We were, and so too it seemed were the staff, gently padding the malacite-coloured BR print carpet in regulation plimsols.
A slightly chubby Sardenian Vermentino helped wax lyrical the food.

Douglas's profile     Other reviews by Douglas     Douglas likes    

Situated in a amazing grade I listed building Sketch is renowned for housing one of Europe's most expensive restaurants and also interestingly for their toilets, which are pod like with different colours and ambient sounds in each one, situated above the circular bar of the gallery. With Sketch i find there are many different bits to explore.

With going there for a meal you will definitely have to be feeling flush to enjoy a good solid meal, however the reputation of this place place being a monumentally expensive restaurant is just for the upstairs dining room, i think known as the Glades. The Gallery however, a huge high ceiling room with arty projections bouncing off the walls, is defo not a cheap night out, but a steak will set you back just marginally more than any other expensive restaurant. The food has been excellent each time i have been, and the whole lay out seems to make for a special meal.

With just nipping in for some drinks The Parlour has a chilled out bar where it is great to have a couple of beers before you get yourself into the West End proper. Best if there are a few of you as early on it has a quite vibe and you might feel like you need some hustle and bustle to keep you from building up a hefty bar tab. All in all i think Sketch is great when you manage to use its flexibility, track down the reasonably priced house spirits, and have a posh one in the circular bar. This place is great if you are visiting London and want to see something unusual and kinda cool.

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