It’s All About the Atmosphere

The Gallery

Sketch restaurant in London is far more than just a restaurant with a cool atmosphere. Sketch has five different restaurants, all with a different and unique atmospheres that make it such a neat stop. First, there is the Gallery, which is a true dining experience. This room is only for dinner, and has an inventive menu with delicious meat, fish, and pastas for a high quality dinner. The reason this particular room is unique is because it is redesigned by a new artist once a month. I had the pleasure of viewing Martin Creed’s work, who won the March 2012 Turner Prize for his artistic creativity and ability. It is an artistic creation, art exhibition, and restaurant all in one. The Lecture Room is where the real fine dining is, where Sketch has a two Michellin star restaurant that has tasting menu options as well as a la carte. I did not get to try, but the two Michelin starts speak for themselves. Next comes the Glade, which is decorated with wood linings and a fairy-tale forest ambiance. This is the perfect place for afternoon tea and snacks to dip into the culture of London, or evening cocktails as well.

Chicken Cocette

Then there is the Parlour, which has a great lounge atmosphere and has options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tapas. Here, you will lay any comfy couches or soft cupcake stools and enjoy a casual and comfortable meal. I highly suggest the Chicken Cocette in peppercorn sauce that is perfected by light chips, as well as the Macaroni Cheese that is anywhere from simple. The cakes are their most famous, with many choices from the delicious Gateau Chocolat with salted butter caramel, chocolate mousse, and sponge cake, to the Lemon Love with macaroon, lemon, and basil curd, lemon coulis, soft meringue and shortbread. There is truly a cake for any taste pallet. The Parlour is also available for afternoon tea, as where I suggest for amateurs like me, the simple Breakfast Tea, a perfect taste of London.

The Bathrooms

This then brings us to the East Bar and the bathrooms – the most unique aspect of Sketch. Nuzzled into a two-floor room of sheer white is the pod-shaped, circular East Bar. Small, cozy, intimate, and very modern, the East Bar is an added treat. And the rest of the white? A completely open bathroom, with tiny pods for the toilets. Only a picture can really do them justice.

As delicious as the food is, this restaurant(s) is truly all about the atmosphere, which, I can fairly say, is far from Sketch-y.

The Ultimate Food World

I was told it was a “cool department store” on my way to Harrods in London. This couldn’t have been more of an understatement, as I was more blown away by the extravagance of this “mall” than anything else abroad. From the gorgeous and exquisite chandeliers to Egyptian-themed escalator with a live opera singer solely for the staircase, Harrods was unlike any other department store I could have imagined. After touring room after spectacular room, from the Milkshake room to the tearoom and past the Prosecco Bar, I could not imagine what else this palace had in store for me. And then I was taken to the food court.

To start off, calling this spectacle a “food court” is almost disrespectful. It was the most extensive world of food I could have ever dreamed of. Every corner was a new surprise for me, from the rows of cheese through the sandwich shops, to the make-your-own salads, on to samples of food from around the world (Vietnamese, Indian, Moroccan, and so on). The layout was impressively elaborate and gave me an upscale decadent feeling nowhere near a “food court.” The options were overwhelming and everything looked unique and incredible.

And when I thought I couldn’t be more overwhelmed and excited, I found the Bakery, and then I found Chocolate World. The bakery has gigantic and beautiful cakes, adorable pastries, and mouth-watering cupcakes. Clearly I couldn’t stop from immediately trying one from the row of red velvet ones. Then at chocolate world, there are rows and rows of chocolate truffles and the works. Finally finding truffles in a country with English descriptions, I take my time in picking out the best. The winner was the milk chocolate and butter truffle, and right in second place was the mint and chocolate one. Surrounding me is tea world, coffee world, and every other type of food room, from vegetables to meats to a sushi bar. For a once in a lifetime experience just walking through it, don’t even get me started on the food options. It had been a while since I had a normal American sandwich, so I settled for that before I could even fathom deciding what else to try. It was fresh perfection.

The rest of Harrods is definitely worth exploring. What I enjoyed the most were Harrods Disney Magic and Christmas World (highest renowned as well). Alongside life-size Disney princesses you can find a Cinderella shoe interactive exhibit, the Mickey Mouse apparel, and of course everything Toy Story. The Christmas World was picturesque as well, with stunning ornaments and vivaciously decorated trees. A highlight for me was watching powder and water instantly dissolve into fake snow, fluffy to the touch and ready for purchase. For a place I must return to again, I booked my last trip abroad back to London. You can find me in Harrods exploring again for hours.