When in London, I crossed off a BIG bucket list item! Afternoon tea at Sketch.
Guys, it’s just as quirky and pink as you see in the photos. You feel like you stepped right into Alice and Wonderland and it’s oh so fun! The entrance has fake snow falling from the ceiling and every detail is magic. I actually went solo {Sean was in meetings all day} and I have to tell you…I had more fun taking it in all by myself.
Since there are one MILLION write ups about Sketch, I’m going to leave that to the experts. But there were a few details I couldn’t find when researching myself. So I’m leaving you with these 9 tips you won’t find anywhere else, in case you want to go too.
9 TIPS FOR BOOKING TEA AT SKETCH LONDON
- Is it worth it? Realize you’re going for the experience. If you don’t like high tea, appreciate art, interior design, trendy spots or themes – I wouldn’t go. Sounds obvious but I feel like people sometimes set themselves up for disappointment. It’s almost $100 per person too, so if this isn’t your thing, save your money for something else. Now for me? Worth every single penny and then some! And I have a trick ensuring you get your money’s worth too {keep reading!}. There are so many stories, a great deal of history and magical details around every corner. It’s unlike any place I’ve ever been. LOVE, LOVE, LOVED it! The food is good but equal to that of other high end tea places. Except they serve caviar!
- Reservations: Reservations fill up months in advance. And if you live overseas, it’s not like you can just pick up the phone. Although you can make rezzies online, I discovered it’s not completely accurate. 1. You can’t make a reservation for 1 2. It’ll most likely read full (even though it’s not) 3. It’s a bit unclear in my opinion. TIP: As soon as you get to your hotel, ask the concierge to make a reservation on your behalf. Despite it being full online, I got in no problem. So don’t give up!
- MAKE SURE your reservation is in the Gallery {aka pink room}. Sketch has multiple areas and dining rooms (which are stunning too!). But if you’re going for the pink experience (like I was!), make sure you’re making it for Afternoon Tea in the right spot. I would hate for you to miss out because of this! You can also go for dinner but I heard it’s just not the same.
- Get your money’s worth: The food and tea’s unlimited! Once you’ve stuffed yourself, simply ask for a fresh refill of scones, sandwiches and dessert. Then get it all to go. Not only is the doggy bag a souvenir in itself, you’ll have snacks and desserts for the next couple days. Sean and I ate cake and pettifours in bed one night!
- You get slices of cake at the end. The food keeps on coming. But don’t worry, you can take them to go!
- Ask your waiter/waitress about the art, history and everything you can about the building and Sketch itself. It’s like a mini history tour at your table. The staff takes their time telling you stories and tidbits about the building itself and how the concept of Sketch came to be!
- Great photos. If you want awesome pics, go as early as you can. 11 AM is the earliest time slot, which I got. When I arrived, there was only one other couple in the entire place. By the end, every single table was filled. I ran around like a lunatic getting as many shots as I could! No shame guys. No shame. And it was so worth it.
- It’s hard to find. So go EARLY. If you’re a late person, you NEED to leave 30 more minutes than you think you do. Google maps is a bit off in London and it’s not easy to spot. And you don’t want to loose your reservation because you didn’t plan for the worst! Not to mention traffic in London is miz.
- Got to the bathroom. Even if you don’t have to go! This may be one of the most popular pictures of Sketch – the porta potty pods. You feel like your in a spaceship! SO COOL.
- Dress Code. I encourage you to dress stylish but by all means, you don’t have to be fancy! However it’s absolutely appropriate to do that too. I wore jeans, this pearl sweater, and my Stuart Weitzman OTK boots. I just wouldn’t wear sneakers, sweats or t-shirts. But really almost anything goes.
Have you heard of Sketch before? Are you dying to go?! I’ll never forget seeing it on Instagram years ago for the very first time! Now I’ve got to replace it with something else 🙂
P.S. Tea at the Langham vs The Drake and the Perfect Paris 2 Day Itinerary!
SHOP THE LOOK
I am dying to go too!
It’s SO beautiful!!! What I personally loved were how dark/political the actual “sketches” are – then it’s juxtaposed with all the pink. It’s so cool!