Sketch (Lecture Room & Library)

Our Inspector's view

This Grade II listed Georgian townhouse in Mayfair might look sensible and sober from the outside, but once through the door, you’re in for a treat for all the senses. A jaw-dropping interplay between food and design, the interior’s outrageously lavish colour scheme a joyfully theatrical explosion of pink, orange and gold. It's a suitably unforgettable spot for some ground-breaking cuisine. The effortlessly polished service is exemplary, and the cooking is innovative, provocative and skilful, overseen by Pierre Gagnaire and produced by head chef Johannes Nuding. There’s a six-course tasting menu, with a vegetarian version also available, or you can go a la carte. The menu descriptions may be lengthy but the complexity they hint at is just that, the merest hint of the thrilling rollercoaster of extravagance and delight you’re about to experience. A plethora of small plates will bring you more ingredients, concepts and techniques than you could dream of. It’s breathtaking, a clear demonstration of a chef and brigade at the very top of their game. You might begin with ‘Parfums de Terre’ – which is duck foie gras terrine marinated with crème de cassis; Sauterne jelly with juniper, caramelised onions and celeriac cream flash-smoked cocotte: stuffed baby artichoke, baby spinach, beetroot syrup, pluma puff pastry, Dorset snails, aubergine cream with Crozes-Hermitage Domaine des Lises 2017, corn ice cream with Madagascan vanilla, and English peas. For your main, choose ‘from the sea’ or ‘from the land’ – maybe salt-chamber-aged Creedy duck, marinated with coffee beans, buckwheat grains, angelica and grapefruit, roasted ‘en bateau’ with braised turnips and radishes coated in a foie gras sauce; with pickled apricots, daikon, and potato knödel filled with smoked duck leg. Chocolate soufflé may sound simple but involves a similar list of techniques and ingredients. The 25 minutes you’ll need to wait for it will give you some time to recover from the intensity of your dinner.

Awards, accolades and Welcome Schemes

5 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence

AA Notable Wine List