J Sheekey

28-34 St Martin's Court, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4AL - View on a map
Telephone: 020 7240 2565

J Sheekey Restaurant In London
Details Image
Overall 5.5
Food 7.7
Service 3.7
Atmosphere 5.0
Value 5.7
Based on 3 reviews

your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne

Heard about Sheekey, tried it but would not go back. Food was good, no better than other fish restaurants we experienced in London. Service was over-efficient, eager to get next booking in - seating was very cramped for a party of 4 - Sheekey certainly belongs to another century, plenty of wood paneling, looks quite dingy.
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Robert Frigo - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 7 stars
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Ate this evening food was good service very poor

The young lady who took our coats was superb, the guy who greeted us v good, the guy in grey suit not interested. the service staff had very poor knowledge, weren't interested. we had to go and order drinks at the bar. they didn't serve us drinks we ordered so they lost out as we weren't charged. I personally would not have paid any service charge as service was so poor. they do not think of customers, they think its profit that matters. not a very relaxing or enjoyable experience.
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Overall rating 4 stars
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 5
Saturday, March 16, 2013

Had a family bash at Sheekeys this week and it was great. Fruits de mer was a mountain of delicious seafood washed down with a presentable Muscadet. The place was buzzy and the staff were great - friendly informal but very competent. Of course diners get what they pay for and JS doesn't come that cheap but who cares once in a while. Great value, great evening.
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David - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 8 stars
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Friday, January 11, 2013

J sheekey is always a good stand by restaurant where you will get good fish dishes.

The restaurant is let down by grumpy service staff. Is it because the tables are too close togther?
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Rich
Overall rating 4 stars
Food 7 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, October 09, 2012

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
Overall rating 8 stars
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
Overall rating 9 stars
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
Overall rating 7 stars
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
Overall rating 9 stars
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
Overall rating 7 stars
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
Overall rating 10 stars
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, March 10, 2011


what the bloggers say

A Rather Unusual Chinaman

A Rather Unusual Chinaman

Friday, September 02, 2011 - The portion itself was huge. Adorned with a shard of bacon, I was breaking off tender flakes of slightly salty fish, being mellowed out with runny yolk and potato. Rich and extremely satisfying. The other slabs of fish around me looked perfectly cooked and I even managed to snaffle a taste of the lemon sole which was simply done, finished with a squeeze of lemon and tasted excellent. A special mention needs to go out to the chips. Be they triple cooked or no, they were crisp and evenly fried on the outside, maintaining an almost silken texture on the inside. One of the best chips I have ever had in London.

London Eater

London Eater

Monday, March 08, 2010 - I usually prefer fish to be cooked just ever so slightly under. It means that the fish is still flaky and yet manage a consistent spring in its texture. And I judged this Pollock to be cooked to those parameters, just the way I like it. It was well salted, which brought out all the fleshy flavour, and the fish flaked off with the slightest prick of the fork. The cream sauce, dense, carried a mild flavour, with a mellow fragrance of leek and saffron. Accompanied by juicy river exe mussels and a coarsely tussled mash, the dish was another exemplary example of refined simplicity.

Gourmet Chick

Gourmet Chick - 7/10

Thursday, April 23, 2009 - The feel is very old school and clubby reflecting J Sheekey's history that dates back to 1896. It is wall to wall mahogany decorated with black and white pictures of theatre luvvies on the walls…Our plate of smoked salmon beautifully presented with lemon halves wrapped in muslin could have been more on the generous side but we had no complaints about the quality of the delicate almost buttery folds of salmon. The knockout dish was the squid with no issues about meagre portions here two giant pieces of squid are grilled and served with a slight smokiness permeating the white juicy flesh.

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