DISAPPOINTING Visit to a 3 Michelin Star Restaurant - Sketch

Sketch opened with such brilliance I was immediately amazed. But by the end of the meal, I had one question: What the hell just happened? In this channel, I take you to some of the world’s most exclusive My name is Alexander, I’m the co-owner of a ONE Michelin star restaurant, and I’m on a mission to find inspiration in gastronomy. Welcome to Alexander the Guest. Today, we’re heading to London, England. People don’t think of it as a culinary capital, but they really should. Other than Paris, no European city has more Michelin starred restaurants than London. We are off to a posh Mayfair district in the West End. Home of Savile Row, The Royal Academy of Arts, and one crazy, three-story townhouse with 4 restaurants known as Sketch. For 20 years, this iconic place has been a favorite among London’s who’s who. The owner is Mourad Mazouz. An Algerian-born business man, His vision was to create a place where music, art, food, design and entertainment create a unique experience for the five senses to the new wave French cuisine. The man behind the menu is two-time, Pierre Gagnaire. Who has more than a dozen restaurants across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. So we have the visionary and the superchef surely, these two can do something great, right? Before we go any further, I need to tell you I’ve been here. Back in 2019, just before the pandemic. That’s when Sketch was awarded its 3 Michelin stars. I tried it and I have to say… I wasn’t blown away. I’m curious to see what has changed in the past three years. Sketch is unique, I will give it that. There are 4 restaurants in this building, each with its own thing going on. Today, we have a reservation in the fine dining restaurant they call the Lecture Room and Library. We step into the building. The lobby is quite dark and a bit mysterious. The host finds our name on the list, and brings us upstairs. Standing there is a beautiful woman in a French maid outfit. She says nothing. She is art. Then, the host dramatically throws open the curtains and wow. This is another world. It’s like we are suddenly pushed on-stage

at the musical Moulin Rouge. Immediate sensory overload. It was the most impressive welcoming I’ve ever seen, Anywhere. The sommelier arrives and keeps the theater vibe going. He is Italian and is very friendly. His champagne options are extraordinary. Most restaurants don’t carry this mentality. We took our pick from the many high-end options including Krug and Jacques Selosse by the glass. It’s not often you get to just ‘have a glass’ of champagne from such prestigious bottles. Usually, if you want a taste, you need to buy the bottle. Not here. The lady welcomed us at our table, was very stiff and formal. She would fit perfectly in a standard, formal restaurant, but didn't really match the cool bohemian theater vibe they have going on here. They offer 2 types of tasting menu. A classic and a vegetarian. and there is the al-carte menu as well. The amuse bouche arrives, and I have it with an English sparkling wine I’m still a champagne lover but that was quite something. Then, the first course. Lobster. Prepared in 3 parts and served on 3 plates. First the tail with fresh turmeric root and wild mushrooms. The claws served cold with Yuzu on a lettuce leaf and a traditional bisque For me the sophistication was missing. Also missing was a sharp knife. I'm not sure if it was the knife, or the lobster but cutting it, it was mission impossible. Second course Fillet of Scottish Trout. It was very good. The flavors and textures really blended nicely. But then… nothing. For more than half an hour. Just waiting for the next course. Maybe there was an intermission, they didn't tell us about I don't know So naturally, we get bored and start looking around We start notice little mistakes now that we are up-close. For example: It's normal for the table to be cleared of any crumbs or pieces on the tablecloth throughout your meal. During our visit, they missed it. The fabric is faded and a little shabby. One thing that many people comment on are the bathrooms.

They may be the most instagrammed bathrooms in London. When you go in, you know why. What happened next was confusing. So we went for the wine pairing. Usually the pairing is great because you can try different grapes, methods and styles. But here, the sommelier was waiting on the food so he could serve the wine at the right temperature. So he comes out and shows me the bottle, then leaves without filling. “I came here to eat and drink! Please don’t take the bottle away! ” Half an hour with no food and no wine. It was clear that there was some confusion going on behind the scenes. I’ve never seen this before, and what I experienced is something you will probably never see at a 3 Michelin star restaurant. Normally, it flows, like an opera, with everything in the right place at precisely the right time. That may be the case here at Sketch, but it wasn’t on the night I went. After the long wait, the next dish arrives. Finally, the main course arrives! Two small slices of lamb and grilled vegetables arrive after 2 hours and 20 minutes. The flavor was nice, but not next-level. Same with the presentation you’d expect some creativity from a 3 Michelin star restaurant, but I didn up’t get it here. The problem with the finale was that they brought out too many plates with different kind of desserts at the same time, which caused imperfection. The ice cream started to melt the hot desserts started to chill the coffee foam was collapsed. I saw the potential in them, they just couldn't show it completely. and my final thoughts on Lecture Room and Library. Sketch makes an amazing first impression and has a stellar wine list. The visual experience is like none other. It’s simply stunning. From the service side, the sommelier was fantastic. These things gave me really high hopes for the whole show. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to them. The actors were great, but the production seemed to be having an off night. My recommendation? Check it out. Come to Sketch. See the amazing job the designers did transforming this space into another world. Have a beautiful cocktail or glass of champagne. But if you decide to eat at the Lecture Room and Library, don’t expect a showstopper. I personally not going to visit them again