Sketch: Lecture Room & Library

No other restaurant in London looks like the top-floor of Sketch, which is suffused with a warm peachy glow that flatters the sumptuous, high-ceilinged room as much as the diners. And few other restaurants are as generous to their diners in other ways: the Lecture Room boasts acres of space between huge tables, velvet armchairs to sink into & a ratio of one waiter to every two guests. Of course, few other London restaurants cost as much as this, but it’s important to remember that the considerable bill covers the overall experience as much as the food devised by French masterchef Pierre Gagnaire & executed by his protegé Pascal Sanchez. Whether a starter of langoustines prepared & plated in five different ways to showcase a range of flavour & texture, or a main course of suckling pig poached in a sage broth & accompanied by traditional trimmings invented anew, the unrestrained invention of the cooking offers a feast for the senses that impresses with every mouthful. A true one-off that all self-respecting gourmands should experience at least once.

Wine List: This list improves annually & is now one of the finest in London. Of course it will never be cheap but every other facet now delivers. There is a stunning collection by the glass, including 1998 d’Yquem & an 1850 Madeira, while the Champagne section is breathtaking. Every wine has a useful note, while plenty of thought has been given to those on a modest budget. Best Buy White 2003 Jean Rijckaert Arbois En Paradis Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy, France, £28. Best Buy Red 2001 Domaine La Suffrene Bandol, Provence, France, £33.