Afternoon Tea at Sketch London

Let's talk about Sketch.

From the second you walk in the door there is an artistic vibe. Lights down low with neon accents, and a single desk in the foyer when you walk in. As we are guided to our tea time residence, we are walked through what looks like a NYFW Vogue Jungle created for a posh and adventurous culinary experience. Upon arrival, the pink lounge is exactly the kind of space I was hoping for: elegant yet popping with creativity and fun. The walls are covered in uniformly framed sketches that are both quirky and lewd, yet also amusing and bring a lightness to the air. Lining the room are puffy pink booths that are "at home" comfortable yet carry an elegance that befits the pearls and jewels that walk into that room every day.

The first person who helped develop our experience was the drink master, who took care of any beverages outside of the teas everyone has come for. Following him was the Caviar Man! He was decked out in a pink suit and expelled a profusion of caviar education. The caviar and quail egg we were given was absolutely delicious, and finally gave me the explanation as to why the elite rave about this animal byproduct. Next to come over to us was the Tea Master, who was wearing the most lavish dress uniform I have ever seen. This dress was so fashion forward and intricate that I was hoping it was just hers and I could find it somewhere to buy it! Some might think a Tea Master is too much; however I was quite thankful for them (yes there are more than one walking around) because as much as I like tea, I am not an expert on different blends and the like. I ended up ordering a pot of vanilla chai and another of a citrus variety. Did you catch that? A POT. Yes folks, everything (aside from caviar) was unlimited! Including the array of finger sandwiches, petits gateaux, scones, and cakes. The menu (link here) was intricate to say the least, however every item blended together on the palette beautifully. 

After all of the exquisite food items and delicious teas, I had to use the loo! I was actually quite startled when I walked in because nobody warned me of its intense white light and quirky design. I don't want to share too much about it because I want you to have the same jaw dropping experience as I did, but let's just say egg shaped bathroom stalls are involved!

Afternoon tea at Sketch was one of my favorite culinary experiences in my lifetime, and that's saying something considering I am a train ride away from New York City! Thus, next time you're in London, you need to visit! 

Quick Info: 
Link for Reservation: http://sketch.london/afternoon_tea.php#gsc.tab=0
Cost: 
sketch Classic Afternoon Tea, £58 per person
Champagne Afternoon Tea, £72 per person
Children's Afternoon Tea, £30 per child - including Pat the Bear
*First two photos in this post are from the Sketch website (link provided above)
 

Stockholm, Sweden: Medieval Streets, Magnificent FIKA, and Many Cuisines

Last month I trekked all the way to Sweden to see my friend who goes to school at the Karolinska Institute. I set up my trip for 8 full days, and I'll be honest - afterwards I decided I could have had the most fun in only 4 if I was only there for the sights. The added time was nice though because I got to spend time with my friend after not seeing her for two years!

The old architecture was the main part of my "touristy" agenda for sure. I love the idea that an entire area is based on buildings that date back to the 13th century and even earlier. Modern shoe stores and cafes are in buildings surrounded by medieval alleyways and cobblestone streets that transport you to another time.

Pro: Absolutely gorgeous landscapes and building structures that have a lot of detailing and artistic add ons (Best spot: GAMLA STAN and OSTERMALM!).

Con: They all look the same after 3 days and get boring. Thus, if this is a major part of your trip, you can see most of Stockholm in 4 days. 

FIKA is a mainstreamed daily necessity, even for professionals during the work day. This is the time in the middle of the day you stop what you're doing, get a banging cup of coffee and TREAT YO SELF with a piece (or 2!) of delectable sugar artistry. I actually loved this one cafe so much for my fika break (Vete Katten) that I took the time and went back several times during my trip. My top fave pastries included the traditional cinnamon bun, smultron, and a mini chocolate mousse dome cake-which was so rich, it took me 30 minutes to eat it! Also, go to the bathroom while you're here before leaving because: 1. It's a gorgeous mini bathroom with french doors 2. You gotta pay to go everywhere else that's public!

Speaking of desserts, let's talk about regular food. Believe it or not, Sweden does not have it's own "cuisine" per say.

YES I KNOW SWEDISH MEATBALLS, but that's not a full menu cuisine! (However, delicious Swedish Meatballs can be found at Meatballs for the People!)

What I did notice is that Stockholm is quite the melting pot for amazing international cuisines including Austrian and Ethiopian. The Ethiopian place I went to was called Gojo, and the Austrian place I went to was called Moldau. FYI this was the first time I ever ate Ethiopian food thanks to my widely cultured friend Victoria! 

If you want to see more details of where I went, take a look at the vlogs below! (Full list will be updated within the next week for full vaca experience!)

PS: I recommend picking up a Papyrus note card set to give little thank you's along the way while you're traveling! They are a nice touch to give a little extra love to the people who make your traveling special =) The Lela Rose set I used is HERE.