Bars in central London are quite plentiful, and a visit to almost any one of them would make for a pleasant evening out. Visitors who are looking for something quite unique and delightful need look no further than Sketch. This glamorous destination has been wowing city residents and visitors since it opened in December 2002.

Sketch is the brainchild of Algerian-born restaurateur Mourad “Momo” Mazouz, and this rather aggressively upscale bar and restaurant is located in a converted 17th century building on Conduit Street in Mayfair.

The décor at Sketch has been described as Alice in Wonderland meets Star Trek, and it is just as weird and wonderful as you might expect. If you can imagine a spaceship filled with outrageously beautiful people, curious modern art, and thumping electronic dance music then you have a pretty good idea what an evening at Sketch will be like.

The East Bar at Sketch is a fantastic egg-shaped pod lit with colored lights and futuristic furnishings. You might feel like you are on the Starship Enterprise, or perhaps in one of the curious underground dwellings seen in the Star Wars movies. In any event, you certainly won’t feel like you are in a run of the mill bar at Sketch.

The drinks are equally unusual, and very good. You do pay a price for all this ambiance, but most patrons feel that the drinks and the experience are well worth the cost. Unique drinks like the Rosemary Martini can be found here.

As you might expect, Sketch draws in an upscale crowd of beautiful people looking to see and be seen.

What you might not expect is that the bathrooms are one of the most talked about aspect of Sketch. There are staircases leading to each set of facilities; lit with pink for girls and blue for boys. The toilets are located in egg-shaped pods that play an odd soundtrack of barnyard animal noises.

Bars in central London look a bit average compared to Sketch.

Visiting Sketch - The Parlour and Bar

Address: Sketch - The Parlour and Bar, 9 Conduit Street, Mayfair, W1S 2XG

Telephone: 0870 777 4488

Opening Times

Parlour: Monday to Friday 8:00 - 2:00, Saturday 10:00 - 2:00

Photo courtesy: Ewan-M

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