Sketch: The Lecture Room & Library

“A cavern of opulence and decadence” is how one reader describes this three-Michelin-starred homage to glorious gastronomic excess at the top of sketch’s Conduit Street pleasure dome – a surrealistic wonderland full of dazzling delights.

The Lecture Room itself is a mind-blowing ballroom-like showstopper complete with stucco ceilings and jewel-coloured armchairs – a perfect backdrop for super-chef Pierre Gagnaire’s outlandish multi-layered culinary conceits.

Diners “should be prepared for an experience” as wave after wave of highly stylised, whimsical dishes arrive as miniature banquets guaranteed to send your taste buds into overdrive: ‘flotsam’, for example, is a cornucopia involving black olive jelly, borlotti velouté, glazed bluefin tuna, salted mackerel, razor clams and green bean salad, while ‘péir’ brings together a ballotine of French rabbit perfumed with marjoram, a gateau of Swiss chard and ricotta, octopus and cuttlefish carpaccio, chilled bouillon and more besides.

Mains from ‘the sea’ (well, Cornwall) and ‘the land’ offer further sensory stimulation, from complex arrangements red mullet, sole and wild turbot to pan-roasted veal sweetbread with angelica alongside crispy red quinoa, mild onion fondue, potato ‘bilou’ and green apple sorbet, while Gagnaire’s ‘grand dessert’ yields a six-plate sugar-rush of wildly creative patisserie presented in two services; alternatively, dive into the Lecture Room’s vacherin encased in a pink meringue shell with semi-confit melon and Muscat de Beaumes de Venise jelly.  

Thoughtfully matched wines provide the ideal accompaniment to such extraordinarily complex food, while passionately keen and knowledgeable staff in dapper outfits are ready to provide guidance along the way.  

While Sketch is a staunch long-time resident of Mayfair and famed for its unusual, artistic interior design, there's one room within the multi-restaurant venue that you probably won't have seen all over social media. On a private, upper floor, The Lecture Room & Library boasts a more exclusive offering, often used on a sole hire basis and only holding lunch and dinner reservations at restricted timings throughout the week - for example, between midday and 1.30pm, or 6.30pm until 9pm in the evenings. 

The Lecture Room & Library's kitchen was formerly ran by longtime Sketch collaborator, French chef Pierre Gagnaire, who was awarded three Michelin stars for his work here, but now the baton has been passed to head chef Daniel Stucki. The a la carte lunch menu begins with starters such as summer vegetables in herbal broth with Scottish girolles, and mains spanning fish, meat and vegetarian bases. Options here include sea trout with raspberry butter served with maris piper potato and confit shallot, next to creedy duck marinated in cumin and savory served with grilled fruits and nutmeg. 

In the evening, guests are welcomed to try the tasting menu which spans eight courses and includes vegetarian options, as well as a wine pairing. An example of the plates you might see here include roasted slice of pollock with aromatics, Anjou pigeon roasted and smoked with hay, as well as poached native lobster with leafy carrot, peach and watercress. 

As always, the space is also incredibly visually stimulating, making it more than just a feast for the tastebuds. High, corniced ceilings are enhanced by a wall of mirrors, elevating the space to ballroom-like proportions, while rich hues of red, orange, gold and purple flit across the furnishings. The centre piece, though, is without a doubt the huge, red chandelier hanging in the heart of the space, setting the tone for the whole experience.