Sketch - The Parlour and Bar

Dazzling and design are the main buzz words here. 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. This place is so fashionable, in fact, that even the toilets – a collection of bright white, egg-shaped, space-age pods - are a talking point. 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. The Parlour, a restaurant and bar reserved for Sketch members, club nights and private events at night, is decked out in pinks, oranges and dogtooth prints and 60 different fabrics and crushed velvet. Sofas are a mix of Victorian, Louis XV and French day beds. Meanwhile, the East Bar, with its white leather walls is the ideal spot from which to sip a superbly dry (if extortionately priced) Martini chosen from a drinks menu designed in the style of a tabloid newspaper. From the drinks menus to the handwritten napkins the devil is very much in the detail here at Sketch. The lighting is similarly spectacular – in the bathrooms, front and backlit crystals and glass shapes produce a stunning shimmer, while gentle washes of colour bathe the cylindrical pods and sweeping staircases dotted elsewhere. Prices are sky high but you’ll spend so much time gaping open-mouthed at the décor that your sipping speed will slow down considerably.

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

Did you know?
Sketch's resident chef, Pierre Gagnaire's French restaurant was ranked 3rd in the world in 2006 and 2007.