Third Michelin star for Sketch’s ‘babysick’ food
A MAYFAIR restaurant that was panned by critics for serving “babysick” food when it opened has become only the third in London to boast three Michelin stars.
The Lecture Room & Library at Sketch in Conduit Street won the world’s highest gastronomic honour last night, joining Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
Algerian-born founder and owner Mourad Mazouz, 57, said the experience was like “winning the World Cup”.
In his first interview since the awards were unveiled last night, Mr Mazouz, said: “When I heard the award I was shocked, I was a bit knocked out and honestly I still don’t believe it.
“When we opened in 2002 we got so much criticism. The Guardian gave us nought out of 20 and one newspaper headline I particularly remember described our food as ‘dog’s breakfast and babysick’. The reviewer in one magazine said we had no future.”
Mr Mamouz added: “I understand today that when it opened it scared people — it was too grand and too unique. But I believe in luck in life. We worked hard but we had luck also, but most of all an incredible team.”
Other damning early criticism included describing the flamboyant interior design as “a load of bollocks” and “the most absurd restaurant in the country.” The opening was also dogged by misfortune: the bill ran four times over budget to more than £12 million, making it London’s most expensive launch at the time, and the start date was delayed by six months.
The Lecture Room & Library, where head chef Pierre Gagnaire oversees the kitchens that are run day-to-day by Johannes Nuding, won its first Michelin star in 2005 and its second in 2012.
A main course of Limousin veal sweetbread with purple polenta, wild mushrooms, veal blanquette with white alba truffle, pumpkin ice cream and mild garlic purée costs £67.
Mr Mamouz has lived in London for 23 years and opened his first UK restaurant, Momo in Heddon Street, in 1996 because he said he could not find anywhere to take his English girlfriend that served couscous.
The big loser at the Michelin awards last night was £310-a-head Japanese sushi restaurant The Araki, which was stripped of all three of its stars its chef Mitsuhiro Araki left earlier this year.
The other major London winner was Anne-Sophie Pic’s La Dame de Pic, at the Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square, which gained another star to hold two.
Four London restaurants earned their first star: Maos in Shoreditch, Endo at the Rotunda in White City, Da Terra in Bethnal Green and The Dysart Petersham in Richmond.