Photos of sketch's infamous bathrooms flooded everyone's Instagram feeds this summer. Tourists and study-abroad students alike strived to get a famous selfie--not with the food, but with sketch's bathroom. Sketch takes the definition of a mirror selfie to a new level with its intriguing egg-shaped bathroom stalls and colorful window panes. While these bathrooms are architecturally stunning, the meals at this restaurant come at a high price. As a broke study-abroad student this summer, I was unsure whether this restaurant was worth the hype, so I decided to investigate myself.
I went on their website to find out more about what exactly this tea-room by day, bar by night actually was. Masterminds Mourad Mazouz and Pierre Gagnair opened Sketch in 2002. Mazouz's expert taste in interior design and Gagnair's culinary mastery combines to make sketch a unique hub of art, food and culture. Within the restaurant, there are six different rooms: the Gallery, the Lecture Room, the parlour, the Glade, and the East Bar. Each room has its own ambience. I ate in the whimsical Glade which was decorated like a fairy-tale forest.
The Glade
In addition to serving food, sketch often displays contemporary art exhibitions in their restaurant. When I was visiting they were displaying an exhibition called "Women Empowered." Moreover, on its website it requires that its guests dress "art smart," which it defines as dressing with a sense of style and character. After reading this, I became a little intimidated about dressing appropriately; however, I believe that they want to encourage their visitors to dress with the same attention to style as the decor in the restaurant. TIP: sketch is constantly full, so make sure to plan ahead. Usually you can find availability around one week in advance.
Bread and Butter
To start off the meal, we were given a warm and hearty rosemary bread with butter balls.
Starter
For a starter, I chose a Courgette spaghetti with Parmesan and herbs covered in tomato veloute. Unlike normal pasta, this pasta had zucchini noodles. It was very light and summery -- perfect for the warm London afternoon. The tomato flavor was not too overpowering.
Main
My main was the Babette steak with potato croquette, lemon and tarragon with vigneronne sauce. The steak's outside was very crispy; however, the vigneronne sauce saturated the meat and gave it an amazing savory flavor
The Bathrooms
Of course after eating our meal, we went to the famous bathrooms to find out if they were just as breath-taking as the posts on Instagram. When I entered the bathroom, it felt like I had entered into the future. The white, sterile ground and walls contrast with the colorful windows above creating a spectacular experience. Although I hate to admit it, we spent quite a bit of time trying to take the "perfect mirror selfie," but had so much fun in the process.
Although I had an amazing time at Sketch, I would not recommend this restaurant for someone who is solely interested in the food. In my opinion, Sketch should be seen as a full. fledged attraction--not just a culinary experience. Like the London Eye, Sketch provides a rare photo opp, but for a hefty price. While the food was good, I did not believe it was worth the 40 pounds (about 52 USD) for a two-course meal. London is full of incredible restaurants and vendors that make exceptional meals at reasonable prices. Later that day, I went to the Camden Market where my meal was 7 pounds, and in general, it was a more filling, satisfying and unique meal. While the meal was pricey for what we got, I would only recommend visiting Sketch if you were willing to splurge to experience the restaurant's aesthetic. Despite the millions of selfies that left me without anymore storage, I did not regret my visit to Sketch. It truly was an experience unlike anything in the United States or anywhere else in the world.