Review: Afternoon Tea at Sketch

Style Points: 5/5
Price: ££
Overall: 5/5 

Michelin star-awarded Sketch is composed of two expansive floors made up of a variety of spaces that serve food throughout the day. The beautiful Gallery is one of these spaces where Afternoon Tea is served.

Decked out in the style of a 1930s tea room, the Gallery is often referred to as the Pink Room, with its pink walls, pink chairs, and delicate rose gold detailing. Although this is a luxurious setting, it doesn't feel formal. This is mainly because of the deliberate juxtaposition of 239 pieces of art lining the restaurant walls.  Created by celebrated British artist David Shrigley who is part of a long-term programme of artist-conceived restaurants, his work also includes ceramic tableware featuring Shrigley's distinctive mordant drawings and texts.

Would I Want Seconds? 

I headed to Afternoon Tea with fellow food blogger Amy from Yummei on a cheerful weekday afternoon. Sketch’s Afternoon Tea begins as usual with assorted finger sandwiches. These include corn-fed coronation chicken, smoked salmon and Jacob's cream, cucumber and ricotta, egg and mayonnaise, quail egg, caviar and my favourite which was a warm mozzarella and pesto panini.

Next we moved onto the warm scones which are served plain or with sultanas, served with clotted cream, fig and strawberry jam. We tried to pace ourselves as the waiter were kindly and repeatedly asking if we’d like anything and we didn’t want to overdo it before we had even reached the pastries. The Sketch Afternoon Tea pastries include passion fruit tartlet, lemon and raspberry cake, pistachio choux, blueberry cheesecake and finally a delightful chocolate and mint gâteau. These come with tangy citrus meringue and malabar marshmallow.

The Afternoon Tea also includes unlimited amounts of tea, and all different flavours too. As a result I ended up trying quite a few different specialist teas such as phoenix honey orchid, jasmine pearls and silver needle. 

Could I Afford Seconds? 

By the end of our Afternoon Tea we were gloriously stuffed. Especially as the waiter are happy to refill your plate with whatever you need, including the sandwiches, scones, pastries and tea. This is all included in the £41 per person, £54 upwards if you choose to go for the champagne option.

This is immensely good value for money, especially as they will pack up anything you cannot eat in a lovely pink sketch bag to indulge in at home.

Overall: 5/5

Afternoon Tea at Sketch has a very decadent, avant-garde feel to it because of its decorous setting and the naughty amounts of food you end up eating because the seemingly endless offers of more. As there are no time restraints on your table, this results in an evesketchn more dangerous combination.

Next time I head to Afternoon Tea at Sketch, I’ll make sure I’m starving, early enough to spend most of the day there, and with a large group of lovely friends to while away what seems like unlimited time in Sketch's Gallery.

Website: sketch.london/afternoon_tea.php
Address: Sketch, 9 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XG
Closest Tube Station: Oxford Circus