Sketch marks twenty five years with The Twelve Days of Christmas

Sketch marks its twenty fifth year with an installation that treats the cumulative carol The Twelve Days of Christmas as a framework for theatrical splendour. Between November 2026 and January 2027, each of the restaurant’s rooms will elaborate upon the carol’s verse, each adding another layer to the festive narrative through contemporary art, floristry, music and theatrical design. The concept unfolds progressively as one moves through the spaces, building something akin to a visual carol itself.

The opening room presents a single sculptural moment: a partridge rendered in pale feathered wings, poised above a gilded pedestal, framed by climbing vines rendered in gold and blue. Silken drapery sweeps across the backdrop, catching the light in soft folds of blush and cream. The atmosphere is one of quiet wonder, a threshold between seasons.

Beyond this, the story multiplies. A second room introduces a gilded nutcracker, arms aloft in ceremonial pose, attended by wrapped gifts in jewel tones and scattered beneath a carved wooden mantelpiece. The palette deepens to emerald and claret. Each subsequent room compounds the imagery, layer upon layer, until the full spectacle emerges as something halfway between pantomime and installation art.

The design strategy draws on Sketch’s established vocabulary: the marriage of contemporary visual art with dining and ceremony, the precision of controlled abundance, the theatrical lighting that transforms ordinary materials into moments of revelation. Here, suspended foliage catches overhead light in cascades of white and amber, flowering shrubs frame the tables, and the air itself seems to shimmer with possibility.

Reservations may be made through the restaurant’s website or by telephoning the reservations team on 020 7659 4500. The installation runs through 6 January 2027.

Imagery courtesy of Sketch (@sketchlondon).