Sketch Lecture Room & Library
Another birthday, another night of haute cuisine. After CORE, RGR and Helene Darroze, Sketch represents the fourth 3-michelin star restaurant that I have visited in the capital (leaving just Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester to visit). Headed up by Pierre Gagnaire, The Lecture Room & Library is one restaurant inside Sketch, with others offering simpler fare, afternoon tea, and drinks (you may have seen the white pod toilets kicking about on social media).
Part bouncing nightclub, part arty wonderland, part shining French restaurant, Sketch is an odd place to describe, and something of an odder one to visit. With this kind of setting you would perhaps expect something in the mould of molecular gastronomy, but no, Sketch is very much a French restaurant.
i visited for my birthday, and elected for the tasting menu. I went for a glass of Lincolnshire red (Lincolnshire representing in a 3-star restaurant!)
Our meal started off with a host of amuse-bouches, really too many to list off. One that I'll definitely remember though is the curried oyster - a quick shot of flavour.
Our first course consisted of scallops three ways: raw, roasted, and as a sauce beneath raw sea bream. The latter really stood out, the thin slices of apple supplying a nice freshness - a formidable start to a meal.
Next came the agnolotti, with roscoff onion and juniper berry. A nice dish - where a well constructed pasta always has a place at the table - though not something I long remember after the meal.
After that, pan-seared gambero rosso with salsify seaweed and a seafood reduction. This was something of a nothing dish, both looking not particularly appetising and having very little depth of flavour.
Then came a warming dish of delica pumpkin, chestnut, and white truffles. Similar to the agnolotti, I appreciated the care with the dish, but it just wasn't particularly original or awe-inspiring, which is what one would expect from a restaurant with the highest accolades in gastronomy.
Thankfully, the following two dishes were very hard to fault, the first being Cornish turbot with celeriac and a parmesan tuile. The turbot was so tender, the crust so flavoursome, this was a delicate delight.
Similarly, the Welsh roe deer with red cabbage marmalade that followed was delightful, the deer perfectly cooked and the marmalade rich (almost excessively, however, with there being a strong balsamic note).
After the savouries came the desserts. Specifically, Pierre Gagnaire's grand dessert, which consisted of a smorgasbord of desserts. More spectacle than anything truly thrilling, I did however very much enjoy the tiramisu (a rarity for me, as I am not over-keen on the classic Italian dessert).
Finally, to finish, were the petit-fours, which were typically pleasing to the eye, but otherwise just not memorable.
We finished the meal with our bellies full and my wallet empty. I enjoyed my time at Sketch (it being a three-star restaurant, it is still incredibly luxurious, and we felt very well-catered to during our time there), but it's not a restaurant I would return to, and is not up to the same inventive culinary standards as CORE or Helene Darroze. Definitely try these first if you are considering a three-star outing!
Value for money?
Around £230 per person for the tasting menu, wine, water and service charge. It doesn't scratch the Top 10 for me, so no.
Would I return?
Glad I tried it, but no.
