Afternoon Tea in Sketch London

In Mayfair there’s a townhouse and in that townhouse there’s a room, a pink room and it just so happens to serve one of the best Afternoon Tea’s in London

I’d heard lots of good rumblings about Sketch, so when Katie said she would be in town I booked us a table straight away. We arrived just after the lunchtime rush and wound our way through various rooms before reaching our destination – The Gallery – or as Katie so aptly put it “the inside of a marshmallow!”

Naturally the tea menu is pretty fantastic with everyone’s palate well catered for

The Gallery exhibits the largest group of original drawings by British artist David Shrigley, he created 239 new works which line the restaurant’s walls.

Using Shrigley’s designs, the British heritage brand Caverswall manufactured all the ceramics at the tables which are also available to buy (oh the temptation!)

And it’s designer India Mahdavi we have to thank for the lavishly pink surroundings!

After basking in the rooms decor for a few moments, your waiter arrives to politely refocus your attention back on the menu – you order your preferred tea and then you choose which afternoon tea you want (we went for their “Sketch Afternoon Tea”)

There is a Champagne Afternoon Tea, but since I was dashing off to catch a flight directly afterwards, I decided to be a sensible girl (….next time I’m going to be all over that champers! Or their cocktails, which, by the way looked divine and were also pink!)

Tea was served just long enough before the food so that the leaves could breathe, we could pour our first cup and enjoy a really good sup!

I went for peppermint….quelle surprise!

Three tiers of loveliness were delivered to our table – sandwiches on the bottom and then two levels of pure indulgence!

We were earnestly reminded that we could have as many refills as we wanted – delightful!

The sandwiches were cornfed coronation chicken, smoked salmon and Jacob’s cream, cucumber and ricotta, egg and mayonnaise with quail egg and caviar

Our favourite, by unanimous decision, was the only hot sandwich served, a beautifully nom panini with mozzarella and pesto, wrapped in some greaseproof paper (highly needed!) and tied closed by a petite yellow bow

After wolfing down several sandwiches and having a mighty conflab in the process, we finally turned our attention to the scones, we were offered either plain, or fruit – being equal opportunists, we decided to order both for the table. They were nice, nothing to write home about really and the jams were tasty, but not a patch on the stuff my Mom makes (however, I might just be a little bit biased there!)

We were both quite taken with the chevron flooring, it was a gorgeous mix of patterns, colours and textures and together, they just worked!

Now, we must discuss the bathroom. It’s insane – in a good way – and really has to be experienced because it’s absolutely mental – again – in a good way!

^ Eggs, they are giant, individual, eggs and – wait for it – they play rainforest sounds once you close the door

RAINFOREST SOUNDS!!

mad right?!

Have to say though, thoroughly enjoyed the ceiling, surrounded by all that stark white, the candy squares really popped!

Pink Shoes

After exhausting all the tea in china, Katie and I bid adieu to the marshmallow room

Stopping briefly by the ceramics display (again, the temptation…!)

and then, right before leaving, we were met by this sign – it was an offer we couldn’t refuse

So we hopscotched our way out the door to a rather wet and chilly London, vowing to return to sample more of what Sketch has to offer!

Rxx