Sketch - The Gallery

 

Dazzling and design are the main buzz words here. A place where the toilets - a collection of bright white, egg-shaped, space-age pods - are as much a talking point as the food. Laid out over two floors, on the former site of the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Sketch complex comprises two critically acclaimed restaurants, an art gallery, un salon de thé and two spectacular bars. The Gallery at Sketch turns from an art gallery by day into a stylish restaurant by night. With Pierre Gagnaire overseeing the modern European menu you can expect dishes like lobster fricassée and Roast saddle of Limousin lamb wrapped in veal and pork. Just leave room for Gagnaire's signature chocolate cake, served with chocolate jelly, ice cream and chocolate sauce with shortbread biscuit and cacao beans. Not that any of the fashioniable carb-free diners would be seen actually eating this calorie laden dish. The gastro-brasserie Gallery seats 150 in style with its white leather seats and pink lighting, it's the ideal spot to people watch. Don?t be fooled by the decidedly ordinary-looking, pale 18th century townhouse building that meets you on approach, inside this is a pure sci-fi, space age fantasia. Prices are sky high but you'll spend so much time gaping open-mouthed at the décor that your chewing speed will slow down considerably.

Best for:
Space age and sci-fi, minimalism and Martinis, high-fashion, fantasy and flamboyance.