![]() ![]() Graham gives us a vivid sketch of the mess the team was in before Southgate took over: seldom winning, yet still considering itself a “top talent”. The play’s title, said Susannah Clapp in The Observer, alludes to an open letter Southgate wrote to fans in 2021, pleading for a “more generous” and “interesting view of what the country could be”. Some of the characterisation, however, is cartoonish: Harry Kane, Gary Lineker, Greg Dyke and many others appear in no more than amusing caricature. The staging is “thrilling”, and Joseph Fiennes gives a performance of “almost AI-grade exactness” as Southgate, said Quentin Letts in The Sunday Times. And with “Dear England” – a “wildly entertaining romp” given a pulsating staging by Rupert Goold – he has “hit the back of the net once again”. He has made “genuinely classic work” out of such unlikely subjects as “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, and parliamentary whips’ offices in the 1970s. As a playwright, James Graham has long displayed the world-beating form that still eludes England on the biggest stages. Groundhog Day review: a simply sublime return to The Old Vicīut fear not.42nd Street review: new production has ‘energy and pizzazz’.A generous portion of spelt risotto, on the other hand, was cooked al dente with a ‘veil’ of Balvenie whisky, which sounded interesting but wasn’t potent enough to stand out against the otherwise perfect poached egg cooked in a water bath at 67 degrees-celsius to produce a runny yolk whose richness completely transformed the dish. For mains, Cévennes onion was served en cocotte and celebrated alongside daikon braised in blond beer and lentils in a creamy sauce ‘perfumed’ with juniper. Often overlooked in restaurants, or considered unexciting, The Glade’s soup favoured chilled petit pois with verbena bringing even more freshness to the dish’s slight sweetness, bolstered even further by a rocher of subtle sweetcorn ice-cream and popcorn in place of croutons. Although seemingly simple, the dish was an exercise in showcasing both remarkable produce and considered attention to detail, resulting in perfect balance of complementary flavours. Even better was a salad of poivrade artichokes served raw under a blizzard of parmesan shavings, embellished with pine nuts and a whisper of mint, finished with a good drizzle of olive oil. A salad of raw asparagus shavings joined the tart, dressed with olive oil and garnished with just a suggestion of tarragon. With the set menu offering either two or three courses, with a generous selection of dishes for each course, seasonality is a particular focus here, with exceptional produce showcased.Ī recent lunch began with a substantial slice of tart, featuring spears of green asparagus and a gorgeous base spiked with ground almonds and pistachios, working exceptionally well with the asparagus. In addition to the new menu, Wine Director Frederic Brugues has reshuffled the restaurant’s still and sparkling wine list to include some of the finest English wines, working directly with various vineyards and producers to bring the wine directly from farm-to-glass, ultimately supporting family-run and small businesses.Īs for the food served, the Garden Menu is as creative as we’ve come to expect from sketch over the past two decades, and although it’s vegetable-based, it’s certainly not solely aimed at those following a plant-based diet. Having used the third national lockdown as an opportunity to reflect and experiment, Pierre Gagnaire conceived the new Garden Menu in response to guests’ increasing desire for vegetable-based dishes to be in the foreground of the restaurant’s menus, executed by Executive Chef Frédéric Don. Yet while it’s certainly a fine dining restaurant, lunch isn’t superfluously fussy it’s actually quite relaxed, aided by service that’s polished yet particularly charming. The room has clearly been designed with painstaking attention to detail, just like the food. Re-imagined as a mythical forest, the space has a deep, fluffy carpet designed to evoke a forest floor, paper trees, a stained glass ceiling, and velvet seating. Redesigned in 2017, The Glade occupies one of the most beautiful rooms within sketch. Set over multiple floors, the space is home to a number of restaurants and bars, including the Lecture Room & Library, the Parlour, the East Bar, the Gallery, the Glade, and – of course – those famous toilets. Having reopened in May, after almost six months of forced closure due to the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, sketch has introduced a new vegetable-based ‘Garden Menu’, served in The Glade restaurant and bar.įirst opened in 2002, by restaurateur Mourad Mazouz and three-Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire, sketch occupies the former headquarters of the Royal Institute of British Architects before later becoming the London Atelier of Christian Dior. ![]()
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