I remember the first time I saw a photo of the perfect pink interiors of the sketch gallery room: the most posh and cool pink interiors I’ve ever seen. A few months ago – before they changed the gallery art! – I was lucky enough to have afternoon tea, sitting in those instafamous delightful puffy pink chairs and having the most whimsical and delicious experience.
A self-playing pink piano welcomed us into the stunning gallery room, where we were quickly seated and introduced to our charming waiter, who introduced us to the menu and the most beautiful tea cart. I chose a hibiscus tea, and pretended like it was normal for me to sit in a pink paradise being completely spoiled. Totally normal.
The David Shrigley drawings lining the walls broke up the sweetness of the pink and sparked great conversation.
Moving right along to the other reason we came to sketch: the food!
We started with eggs and soldiers, a classic British treat. But this wasn’t eggs and soldiers like you know them. The egg “white” was actually a rich bechemel sauce with an in-tact egg yolk (HOW?) and cheesy crispy breadsticks were the soldiers. Ok, I was so excited to try this, but before I could start eating it, the Caviar Man came to our table.
How can I explain the Caviar Man? I wish I’d snapped a better photo of him, but I was too shy! Wearing a straw boaters hat and donning a smart pink suit, he came to our table and convinced me to try my first caviar by explaining the superiority of Italian caviar to its Russian counterparts and how smooth it was. OK, CAVIAR MAN, I’LL DO ANYTHING YOU SAY.
I’m glad I gave it a whirl, I actually liked it! The whole time I was thinking of that scene from You’ve Got Mail where Meg Ryan admonishes Tom Hanks for eating caviar (“It’s a GARNISH!“).
After our eggs and soldiers and posh Italian caviar, the afternoon tea tier arriiiiived! My favorite, coronation chicken, was on the sandwich tier and rich and beautifully presented desserts filled the top two tiers.
Just look at these amazing desserts! That chocolate hazelnut cake and strawberry tart were TO DIE FOR, but I was pretty obsessed with the savory tea sandwiches, too. The marshmallow knots on top were so cute, too, and reminded us of a similar looking sculpture in Regents Park.
Buzzing from the sugar high, our waiter came by again for our second round of tea – this time offering us tea-infused champagne over ice. I opted for the non-alcoholic version, and it was a perfect refresher to prepare us for the next course: scones. Fluffy scones with jam and clotted cream AKA the reason for living. We could hardly move at that point, but managed to eat an entire scone and even considered asking for a refresh (everything is refillable!).
Don’t you love the crockery at sketch? I need to save up my pennies for a piece or two!
We obviously had to pop over to the ogle the famous spaceship loos and take our photos, because if you don’t get a photo of the sketch loo pod, did you even go? I snapped a sneaky photo of this girl and her amazing pink hair and consider it a missed opportunity I didn’t introduce myself to my potentially new best friend. Pink lovers have to stick together in this world, after all!
Did you know the sketch gallery room hasn’t always been pink? Every few years, the gallery changes and hires a new artist and chef to design the concept for the interiors and menu, down to the clothing the staff wears. Look here for past gallery designs. So what I’m saying, is GO NOW before they change the pink interiors!
sketch has perfected the art of creating a whimsical immersive experience, and I was so impressed with the service and all the endless food. Everything was perfect and delightful. Thank you sketch for the unforgettable afternoon!
London is Pink 