J Sheekey

Went to J Sheekey for the first time recently with someone who knows it well and highly recommended it. We had an interesting and enjoyable eating experience in this characterfull restaurant. If you are a big fan of sea food this is the place for you. The oysters were the best thing we had, trying four of each on offer: fresh, tasty and zingy, like diving into the open sea! The seafood platter was really very good but I have had better prawns (for me they were a little over and had lost some freshness). The frozen berries with White chocolate pudding was delicious and a great end to our meal. Champagne was perfect with the dishes we ordered and the sommelier helped us choose a suitable bottle. Service overall was excellent but I personally found the hyper-effervescence of the chap on the door too much, too over-familiar and somewhat off-putting. Putting that minor niggle to one side however, we had a great night and will definitely go back for more.
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Michael - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Been coming to J Sheekey from the start since it was resurrected from its old

moribund state many years ago , its one of the few , the very few , totally reliable restaurants in London , service is slick ,the food while not in any sense haute cuisine , is full of things you want to eat.

Those cosy rooms where although the tables are fairly close you never feel

hemmed in, that you are too close , and of course the usual buzz of conversation and laughter in the air adds a certain gaiety to the experience here

The Oyster bar where we often pop in for a dozen or so of the best washed down

with a few glasses of champagne looks as though its been here for ever, the staff are usually fun and add to the atmosphere,

Somehow Sheekeys finds special staff, from the guy at the desk who remembers

everyones name to the waiters who are discreet and speedy , all in all a gem.

I am writing this because even a great restaurant needs a pat on the back occasionally.
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alan fowle
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, September 19, 2011

The location and interior are lovely, but this place is extremely over-priced for the quality of food and wine being served. It is the sort of place where a footballer might be happy to take his mistress, it's not quite classy - but it is brashly expensive.

£14.25 for half a dozen Fines de Claires Oysters, £22 for a single Scallop, a small piece of John Dory and a small piece of Gurnard, well cooked and presented but not worth it.

A nice place if you don't care what it costs though.
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Michael
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 3
Friday, August 12, 2011

Replete with dedicated diners, discreet and considerate staff quickly earn mutual respect from the punters. A traditional london restaurant pursuing the highest possible standards of food and attention. Eat there with pride.
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anthony simcox
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Saturday, July 16, 2011

Just been back there for lunch (I wrote the review 2 down) and happy to report it had got much of its lustre back.

Still not quite the sheekey of old in my book. Slightly rough around some of the edges. But the service was as usual excellent, the atmosphere was buzzy and we had a thoroughly enjoyable lunch.

I had the roast seafood platter which was generously adorned and I couldn't help dipping into the lovely sauce that had collected at the bottom of the plate with the great bread they serve there.

The crab starter was fresh and generous and I didn't have room for pudding although one of us had the old frozen berries with white chocolate sauce which is always a winner.

I will put the experience before down to the rushed Saturday matinee rush and leave it at that. Sheekey's is still a wonderful place even if it's not quite hitting the heights of old at the mo.
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benjamin163 - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Had to write a review about this place as it still remains my favourite restaurant in London. Probably as I love seafood so much. The crab starter was amazing and for the main course I had the lobster which was seriously good. Everyone else loved their food and the service was great. The creme brulee to finish I definitely recommend. On another occasion I shared the seafood platter which was a sight to behold - beautifully presented and all the shellfish you could possibly wish for (although I have to say I am definitely not a fan of cockles).

I love the seating here also, the booths are just perfect, really cosy and intimate.
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rosieb - View all reviews by this user
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, March 10, 2011

First, let me make clear Sheekey has been our favourite restaurant for years. It's a special place. The menu is great, from quick pies to elaborate platters and some wonderful specials inbetween (I once had a most memorable pike dish). The service is always impeccable. Friendly and attentive. And the surroundings are very cool. A buzzy atmos and comfortable place even if you're sitting at the bar. It's a special place and I love it. Never had a bad meal there. Never even a bad course.

So when we were taking the inlaws out as a thankyou for some babysitting, there was only one choice. Saturday lunch booked. Same friendly welcome. Same lovely ambience. But after that things just seem to be slipping a little. It really pains me to say that.

First, it took us an age to get a drink. I'm not impatient and those small things won't ruin a meal for me, but it's not like Sheekey's. Next the water we ordered was still, not fizzy like I'd ordered. Again, not a deal breaker but it starts to niggle when you've waited 10 mins for it.

Next the menu. It's always been lovely. But after a few years one wonders whether they might want to change some of the stuff. I'd had everything on there and was disappointed there wasn't much new stuff to try out. Me and the missus ordered Pouting Goujons as a main to share as a starter. The inlaws had the whitebait and the herring. Herring was lovely as usual but the whitebait was seriously oversalted. Not inedible. But very very salty. Whereas our pouting goujons lacked any seasoning at all. And the dipping hollandaise it came with was very underflavoured, like they had forgotten to put the vinegar reduction in. So the two extremes in one set of starters.

My mum in law had the Dover Sole as a main which looked fab as usual. (It's £38 with no sides. It wants to be.) Two haddocks in batter were well cooked and the peas were really lovely. But the chips were totally tasteless and again underseasoned. The tartare sauce was good though.

Lacking inspiration for a main choice, I plumped for the fish pie which is always a winner in such situations. Again the pie was by no means bad, but it had definitely been chucked together rather than lovingly prepared like I had in the past. It came unevenly cooked and the wonderfully light breadcrumb finish of old had been replaced by something far more slapdash.

Puddings were good but by this point was I imagining that the chocolate sauce on the frozen berries wasn't quite as powerful as it used to be? Hmmm.

I left feeling that whilst the meal had been mostly good, it was nowhere near as good as it had been. Not special in any way. And for the price? Boy, cheap it aint. They were offering a seabass baked in salt for two for £60. £60? That would have to be some stunning seabass.

I felt that Sheekeys was catering for a passing trade. Tourists going for a pre theatre meal rather than regulars who would notice these small changes.

Shame. It's such a special place, so I hope we caught them on an off day for the first time ever. If I go again and have a similar experience then I would say for the money I would consider knocking Sheekey's on the head which would be a real shame as I've had some wonderful times in there.

I hope this doesn't put people off. It's a really lovely place, well worth a visit. But I hope the message gets back and they can start to concentrate on those finer details that made them so brilliant.
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benjamin163
7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Thursday, February 24, 2011

Visited 22/1/11. Exceptionally warm welcome as was earlier experience. However this time that was the best part of the evening.. We both had dover soles at £34 each. At that price the fish should be superb, but were in fact without flavour and loose flabby flesh.
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D.Wilsdon
3 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Thursday, January 27, 2011

Our experience at J Sheekey was amazing. The food was great, very fresh, cooked to perfection, and and the service was impeccable. The waiter spent 15 min explaining each item on the menu in detail. he even brought us a plate with a selection of the different types of shrimps so that we can see and choose. As main course, we had the Dover sole, which we asked to be cooked differently than on the menu (as meuniere). It came just perfect. We also had an excellent chocolate fondant as desert. The restaurant is for sure expensive, but worth the money.

Don't be discouraged by the street and the looks of the restaurant from outside. You will not be disappointed!
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, September 26, 2010

Having read such positive reviews of the restaurant, I went to J Sheekey on a recent trip to London, and it was by far the most disappointing (and most expensive) meal I had during my week-long stay in the city. I had reserved ahead of time, so we were seated promptly upon arrival. After that, it took quite a while for anyone to pay attention to us. When they finally came to take our food ordre, my mother and I being seafood lovers, we decided to order the seafood platter. The waiter asked if we wanted it as a meal or appetizer, and we said as a meal - so he suggested the platter for two.

Little did we know, and did the waiter fail to mention, the seafood was served cold and with very uninspiring dipping sauces. Half of the things on the platter were practically inedible; things so small that even the most intricate of our utensils couldn't get into. The oysters were tasty, the crab had been cracked open but most of it was inedible and slimy... we hardly ate anything.

Our waiter came several times to change our "waste plates", so the service was attentive in that regard. The food came out quickly once we had ordered, allowing us more than enough time to eat before we went to the theatre. That being said, we felt like the attitude of the waiting staff was a little bit condescending; perhaps because we were visibly tourists.

During our six-day stay in London, we tried nearly 10 restaurants, and this one was the ONLY one we didn't enjoy, and it was ridiculously overpriced. Extremely disappointing.
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3 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Friday, September 10, 2010