The Parlour at Sketch is a full-on sensory extravaganza. There's enough wit, taste and eccentricity in even a simple afternoon tea to make it impossible to single out specific elements for praise.

The Venue
The Parlour treads a fine line, reminiscent of somewhere classic, yet adding extravagant, unexpected touches, a sliver of cool and a bucketload of glamour. The Parlour embraces that feeling of a bygone era beautifully, with a stucco ceiling, decorated walls and plenty of curiosities to highlight its stunning 18th century surroundings.

The furniture is a knowledgeable mix of antique armchairs and sofas, with a subtle hint to eccentricity provided by the contemporary patterned upholstery. If that was it, The Parlour would be striking but not exceptional. Look further up however, and you'll notice the contemporary pop twists of a striped and spotted ceiling, of transparent deer heads, of knitted spherical lamps and of colourful cabinets, enabling you to appreciate the impressive picture in full. And a mesmerising picture it is too: the old furniture may look familiar but this is a revamping of a period space as powerful and creative as you're ever likely to see.

The Atmosphere
You might expect the Parlour’s customers to be dauntingly fashionable - leaning toward the eccentric - considering its flamboyant aesthetic. In reality you're more likely to meet a mix of equally daunting businessmen, wealthy regulars and the slightly older Mayfair crowd - most of whom are female friends and couples. You'd not describe the clients as particularly trendy, and their relative normality manages to add and detract from the atmosphere at the same time: if it spoils the edgy picture, it also makes The Parlour more accessible. And the service is a proof in point - their extravagant outfits of rouched patterned shirts with balloon skirts and fluo Converse adds to the flamboyance, but their attitude toward customers is extraordinarily friendly and tactful, immediately putting everyone at ease.

The Food
Afternoon tea is the highlight of The Parlour, and the space gets so full after the busy lunch hour that there's an overflow into a second room in the basement (certainly not a bad thing - it's every bit as sumptuous). The first option to choose is a simple cream tea (£10.50) which still allows you to sample Sketch's perfect, homemade scones, served with their excellent (and again, homemade) raspberry jam and clotted cream - almost as thick as butter - for only £10.50, including a tea from their lengthy selection.

However, splurging on their high tea (£27), or even Champagne tea (£38), and adding finger sandwiches and pastries is absolutely worth it. The sandwiches are deceptively simple: cucumber, smoked salmon, cooked ham and Dijon mustard, and egg and mayonnaise. And yet you will be enchanted. The presentation is excellent, with the sandwiches cut into dignified and sophisticated rectangles, and the ham cuddled by a mini baguette that looks like it's come straight out of a doll’s house. The flavours and textures are exquisite too, with the soft, light and spongy bread and its filling elevating the humble sandwich to something close to perfection.

And then onto the wonderful mini pastries, all baked in house. Choosing what to start with from the delightful macaroons, the deliciously dark Manjari chocolate tart, the miniature fruit cakes, the raspberry petit choux or the almond Florentine is a hard task. Novel flavours and unexpected textures abound in the the raspberry petit choux, thanks to incredibly fresh pastry and an impressive filling of raspberry puree. The chocolate tart is intense with a surprisingly soft consistency, whilst the more traditional fruit cake and Florentines are every bit as good. The brightly coloured macaroons are perhaps the highlight though. The outsides are thin and appetising, and crack easily to reveal luscious cream infused with things like cinnamon and orange or the very sweet, tangy and downright excellent lemongrass.

And there's even more to choose from as you find yourself perusing the all day menu or, even better, the cake display, where you're greeted by more culinary art in the form of Mont Blancs, multivitamin tarts and other wonderfully tempting delicacies. Whatever you choose though, the food will be just as much a sensory pleasure as the captivating splendour of your setting.

The Drink
You can order virtually anything, but the Parlour specialises in teas (£4.50-£6.50 for a pot) - it is afternoon tea, after all. And with more than twenty carefully selected blends on their list, it would be foolish to order anything else. White, green, black, puehr and oolong are all represented and even if you consider black tea unfashionable, you may want to try their organic Bohea Lapsang Supreme, which takes smokiness to a whole new level. Herbal tea lovers won’t be disappointed either since the selection at the Parlour ranges from the fruity to the flowery, with the subtle and comforting whole lemon verbena being particularly worth trying.

The Last Word
The Parlour is an incredible combination of setting, service and experience, with all of it to be found during a civilised and relaxed afternoon tea. It's so good, in fact, that a visit to The Parlour is mandatory for anyone who wants to see the very best London has to offer.

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