Brought to you by The Imperial Hotel. 

The buzz about town has reached fever pitch.

Cork’s newest bar Sketch has opened its doors at the Imperial Hotel, rolling out the pink carpet for the city’s most stylish on the South Mall.

Steeped in over 200 years of history and tradition, The Imperial was Cork’s very first hotel and is regarded by many as the ‘Grande Dame’ of Cork.

The new destination cocktail bar will spill onto Pembroke Street, which is being redeveloped into Cork’s latest pedestrianised outdoor hospitality space, seamlessly blending old and modern and completing the Imperial Hotel’s trio of food offerings, adding to the sustainable restaurant Thyme at Seventy-Six on the Mall and Lafayette’s, which serves breakfast, lunch, and a famous Grace Kelly Afternoon Tea.

“We are truly excited to share Sketch with the people of Cork and our hotel guests, and are very proud of our focus on local and sustainability,” said GM Bastien Peyraud.

“I anticipate it will be a fantastic melting pot of people, style, music, good food, and great drinks.”

Here’s everything you need to know:

THE DRINKS

Cocktails embrace experiential mixology and include a delightful range of bespoke Irish drinks including ‘Sketch Garden’; a cocktail made Maharani Gin, Poachers tonic, lime, pear, and mint; The Princess Grace made with Ketel One Vodka, strawberries, Triple Sec, Champagne and syrup topped with prosecco.

Others include the Killahora Orchard, Eau de Champagne, Whiskey Mellow, Lemon Meringue, Baileys Affogato, Mon cheri, Oriental Martini, Rós and the R&C Sour.

There are three show-stopping smoked cocktails the Spike Island, Smokin’ Roe & Co, and the Colreevy, which is made with Smoked Jameson Caskmates Whiskey, lemon and tonic with a splash of Tattinger Champagne. There are also lots of fun options to customise your Espresso Martini with your choice of gin, Baileys, vodka, whiskey, or poitín.

The cocktail menu is rounded off with a non-alcoholic option of a Sparkling Pear Kombucha and you can even purchase an invisible zero calorie cocktail and make a €5 donation to Cork Simon.

THE FOOD

Cocktails can be paired with a selection of beautiful birdcage sharing platters inspired by mouth-watering delights from the nearby English market from 5pm until close, seven days a week.

These include a Seachuterie, a Charcuterie, A Cheesy, a Meaty, and even a Vegan, all from a brilliantly reasonable €20-€22 for two sharing. You can also opt for small plates, including sticky sesame chicken wings, BBQglazed pork ribs, or ham hock croquettes.

And there’s even a Sweety, a “Café Gourmand” selection of three smaller pastries.

THE DESIGN

Inspired by the stylish and adventurous spirit of Grace Kelly, one of the hotel’s most famous guests, this is a venue that is all about fun and fashion.

In fact, Sketch has undergone a complete exterior and interior redesign spearheaded by owner and design lead Allen Flynn and overseen by General Manager Bastien Peyraud.

Custom sketches of iconic Cork buildings, created by local graphic designer, illustrator, and interior architect Ethan Desmond, adorn the walls, while stylist Sandra Looney of ‘To Have and To Hold’ was enlisted to create the illusion of a contemporary night-time garden within a city.

The result harks back to a glamorous Hollywood era, with tactile wicker recliners, verdant fresh planting, and a feature wall covered in foliage (utterly Instagrammable by day or by night).

Find Sketch @ The Imperial Hotel on Instagram for regular updates. For bookings call 021 4274040 or use the reserve a table widget on imperialhotelcork.com.