Lecture Room & Library at Sketch
Above: Sketch
A couple of months ago, London was named ‘the most expensive place in the world to eat out’ and, since then, there’s been much talk about whether our restaurants offer value for money. One dining room that is rarely left out of such discussions is the Lecture Room & Library at Sketch, where even starters can cost upwards of £50.
The fact that meals here are expensive is, of course, nothing new. When Sketch first opened, back in 2002, it did so in a flurry of publicity, with reviews mostly focused on the ‘outrageous’ prices charged for meals in its upstairs fine-dining room. Five years on, the place is still going strong (we spotted just two empty tables on a weeknight in September), with plenty of people clearly prepared to pay the premium.
So what do you get for your money? Well, first of all, the Lecture Room menus are overseen by Pierre Gagnaire, who is widely recognised as one of the greatest chefs of our time, so the cooking isn’t half bad. But, perhaps more importantly, what you’re buying here isn’t just a meal – it’s an experience.
Everything about this place, from the intricate cooking and flamboyant art right down to loos that make you feel as though you’re inside a jewellery box, is really quite unique and, while it’s hard not to flinch at those prices, it soon becomes clear how much effort goes into the creation of each dish.
You also get plenty of bang for your buck. Butter-roasted lobster, for instance, came with sides of lobster ravioli, red radish and beetroot purée and lobster bisque – each more beautiful and delicious than the next. But what really makes this place stand out is the service. We’ve rarely been made to feel as special as we did here.
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