Excellent food, though depending where you come from in the world, you may find it a little pricey (especially the oysters, which at almost £4 each, are a little over priced). Still, exceptionally knowledgable staff, a great selection of fresh fish and seafood, and delicious flavour combinations. I had the Hake with chorizo and sautéed octopus. Unbelievably good. The only negative was the pace of service. Too slow. read more

Summary based on 1 dinner: --friendly, attentive service --good seafood, as recommended by the staff --possible to walk in without a booking I stopped by post theatre hoping for a opportunity to eat at this very well thought of place. The friendly front end staff was able to accommodate me and gave me a fine seat, not some awful place in Siberia. The waiter's recommendation were quite good as was the accompanying recommended wine. Recommended, but a proper booking is a good idea. read more

Wow. Another great restaurant in London near the St. Martin in the Fields church. It's tucked away in a little alley way and it seems to be separated by an oyster bar and the restaurant. We had reservations at 7:30PM and didn't end up there until 7:50PM because we got lost looking for it due to the detour we had to take. The reason? The London premiere of the movie "Salt". Apologies to Angelina Jolie, but we had already seen the movie and J Sheekey was more worth visiting that night than the cinema. We had actually wanted to go to the restaurant on a Sunday night, but the person we spoke to on the phone said there were out of, "cod, sea bream, salmon, oysters, etc". I was like, "Holy cow, what did they have left?" So we ended up going there Monday night when they had apparently gotten a new delivery of seafood. And boy, was it worth the wait. We ordered: Roasted Cod with herbs Herb Roasted Gilt Head Bream Side of roasted squash and broccoli The cod was tasty, but the star of the meal was the Gilt Head Bream. It's the whole fish that comes out with the herbs stuffed in the cavity. Just really fresh fish at its finest. The lowest point of the meal for us was the broccoli. It's a matter of preference I think, but the broccoli was overcooked. Limp, almost mushy, and lifeless. We were so full we did't get any dessert this time, but reserve ahead, because J Sheekey is not in need of business, that's for sure. read more

I have eaten here 3 times and for 3 memorable reasons. My first visit was for my graduation, 2nd visit was in summer for my anniversary and my third visit 2 weeks ago was for my partners birthday. Each and every visit has been an epic gastronomic treat. They just know how to cook food perfectly. The dover sole is beautiful, as is the roasted shell fish and lobster. I hate oysters but have been told they are sweet and taste of the sea. I have had scallops on all three occasions and have never been left other than gagging for more. The food is always exceptionally fresh and moreish. The wine list is varied and offers complex yet lovely wines and on the Champagne list I would recommend the Billecart Salmon Rose. It's not cheap but it is worth it. For desserts, there is only one dessert as far as I am concerned: Scandanavian Iced Berrries. These iced gems come with a hot white chocolate sauce which is poured over them in a true theatrical fashion. The hot chocolate makes the berries melt and they make their own sauce which leaves you wanting to lick the plate clean. It is a must try if you go there. Getting a table can be a bind but generally if you opt for a day in the week about 3 weeks in advance you should be fine. The food here isn't cheap, but the experience is amazing and you will not visit a finer fish restaurant anywhere else in London. read more

J. Sheekey was quite a delight. I took my uncle there as he loves seafood. We had lobsters for main course which was really a treat! No complain about the food at all. The taste was just great; desert took a little while to arrive at our table but generally we came out happy. The bill was a little on the high side though, the was about 200 for 3 person and we didn't even had alcohol. It very much like an 'English old coin' if I have to put an analogy against it. Hence, it kept my uncle satisfied! read more

Took advantage of their weekend lunch offer, first time to Sheekey's and it was absolutely fantastic. Almost felt like stepping back in time with wooden panelling, soft lighting and intimate rooms. Will be going back again and again. Service was excellent, discreet yet attentive and not rushed; atmosphere was very good. I had the Gem Heart Salad to start - short intense blue cheese flavours; the fish pie main - light, fluffy and very filling. The Buttermilk pudding with plums and custard were completely unpretentious. Good spot for a long Sunday lunch to catch up with friends or on a relaxed date. read more

Ate at the oyster bar. The decor was pretty old school classy, not in a cheesy way, and I was into it. Everyone working the bar was helpful, friendly, and humorous. Few tips: -The lobster is very "meh". Get a recommendation for something else. -The way they prepare their octopus dish made me want to request a trough of it. And I'm not a huge octopus eater. ORDER THE OCTOPUS. -Tandoori shrimp is pretty good too read more

This is my favourite place in town. Although it's definitely not a cheap eat it is an impressive date venue. The food is spectacular with out being at all pretentious. Amazing food at the both the bar and at the table. I have had lobster thermador here twice. I could cry just thinking about it. It should be compulsory for all restauranteurs, Maître d's, waiting staff and barstaff to come here just once to find out what good service really feels like. And the interior is delightfully deco. Although the prices may be intimidating, the staff are incredibly down to earth and friendly. Join the mailing list - there are some really good early bird deals being offered at the moment. read more

First time here, on the recommendation of a friend who's a massive foodie. We were taking a client, and it's a good spot for that - felt a bit too formal before it got busy, but by the end of our lunch (2.30 ish) it was nice and noisy. Wood panelled comfortably small dining rooms, an older and professional clientele. Nice location, nice ambience. Service was good, although our main very slow in arriving after starters were taken away. That was a shame but not a huge spoiler. The food was good but not outstanding or memorable. We had oysters to start - delicious - and then one of our group had Pollack, one Monkfish steamed, and I had Ray Wing, which was very interesting and tasty. The veg sides were a little disappointing - the mash was a bit smash-y, carrots very tasty but perhaps one degree too al dente but the spinach (I think) creamy thing was very good indeed. Our waiter recommended a fantastic minerally white wine to set the fish off, and all was generally well in the world. I'd definitely go back. It just didn't elevate me onto another plane, at least not this time round. But certainly good enough. read more

We were looking for a seafood restaurant close to where we were staying for our first meal in London, so we ended up making a noontime reservation at J Sheekey. It is centrally located to a lot of theaters in the West End, so perhaps unsurprisingly, the first question we were asked is if we had a time limit to meet to make a show. Since we didn't, it did allow us to enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant a bit more, and to be honest, I found it quite nice - despite the low ceilings, the floor layout is a bit asymmetric, allowing for spacious seating and enough room to make the seating feel cozy without resorting to NYC-levels of closeness. The service was a bit on the leisurely side, but everything came out in a well-spaced manner, although being next to the dumbwaiter was pretty fun...had never seen one of these food 'elevators' in action up close. The food...well, to be honest, my assessment went down as the meal went down, with the main course unfortunately being noticeably worse than the rest of the meal. We started out with some oysters to share, which were solid if unspectacular - the Natives were the my favorite with a clean and relatively smooth finish, but we were told the other two were similarly briny - not the case (one was extremely briny, with the others being of medium salinity). Additionally, the jalapeño-infused mignonette seemed like a good idea, but it was a bit strong on the nose and made it hard to really enjoy the flavor of either the mignonette or the oyster. Next up was the crab bisque (for me) and the truffle artichoke soup (for my wife). I liked hers better - it had stronger flavors - and while I did enjoy the bisque, the marginal amount of crab meat actually in it was disappointing. The mains are hard to explain, though, given the passable nature of the rest of the meal. My filet of cod was ridiculously undercooked...probably because the cut of the fish was way too thick. Eating undercooked cod with no flavor is just...not good at all. No amount of risotto (served under it) helped on that front. My wife's seafood stew was served out of a copper pot and looked promising, but it was devoid of any kind of salt, giving the broth a very flat tomato flavor that didn't even infuse any of the seafood into it. We skipped dessert because we were full (we were champs and ate most of the food, although I had to leave about half of my cod untouched). While the start of the meal was okay, the entrees were highly disappointing, and after seeing the bill come out to ~150 pounds...well, it's hard for the math to add up to a high rating. I enjoy the ambiance, and location is nice if you are going to a show, but I would definitely seek out another place if you are looking for a seafood-oriented meal first. read more

Tables are far to close to each other so don't come here for a discrete meal. The fish is always fresh and well prepared stick to simple dishes like dressed crab and a dover soul meuniere and you will not be disappointed. The wine list is good if on the expensive side. I cannot think of many better fish restaurants in London. read more

This wonderful fish restaurant delivers high-quality, delicious food and the atmosphere is like some of the best Parisian restaurants; you are fairly close to your neighbours but this adds to the ambience. We ate early after a matinee performance on a Saturday and booking the table was easy. read more

For photos see Greedy Diva @ http://greedydiva.blogspot.com/2011/01/j-sheekey-covent-garden.html Despite there being so many new and interesting restaurants popping up in Covent Garden, it's also nice to visit one of the more old school establishments every now and then. Lunch at J Sheekey was just the ticket. The old timer at the table next to us remarked to the waiter that her mother had brought her to J Sheekey as a young girl - and it feels like that kind of place. Black and photos of theatre starlets line the mahogany panelled walls. The long standing appeal of the place comes down to its history, effortless style, seamless (if a little stiff) service and well sourced ingredients executed properly. As part of the Caprice Holdings group (which includes stalwart establishments, The Ivy and Scotts), J Sheekey is predominantly a fish and seafood restaurant, and the best of its offerings is probably not on the set lunch menu that we opted for. The plateau de fruits de mer for 2 people looks stunning. However, the weekend lunch menu, at £26.50 per person for 3 courses, is probably the best means to get away lightly in what is otherwise a pricey restaurant. Gravlax with marinated cucumber and a Swedish mustard dressing was a small but silky starter, while my fabulous, tender grilled squid perched atop a sweet, nutty red pepper sauce. J Sheekey has a reputation for its fish pie - and while it's not as unctuous as the one you'll find at Bentley's, it is creamy and comforting, and laden big chunks of salmon and prawns. There's a satisfyingly thick and crispy layer of potato on top, although my pie was lacking in white fish. Since they had run out of salmon, TPG enjoyed the rich feast that was the grilled chicken with buttered cabbage and earthy wild mushrooms - a terrific, hearty option if you don't want fish. The clementine sponge pudding with warm custard is gorgeous - the perfect wintry dessert. The pretty raspberry ripple ice-cream was not as impressive, but the boozey cherries gave it a lovely kick and it came with a fine, crisp shortbread. J Sheekey also offers a fish and chips and glass of house wine deal for £16.50, and it's worth keeping in mind as a pre- or post theatre option, being in the heart of West End theatre land. You could also try the J Sheekey Oyster Bar next door, which is always bustling - reservations at either the bar or restaurant can be hard to come by, so plan ahead. read more

You'd better like seafood, but if you do, this is a great place to experience it. The restaurant feels like an institution: a top-hatted doorman greets you, and the walls are plastered with celebrity photo endorsements. More wait staff per table than I think I have ever encountered, which made the entire restaurant feel bustling, almost urgent. As for the food, I had a shrimp and scallop curry, which had a great balance of flavor with a nicely placed sharp sour cream. My husband had the special fish, which we both agreed was good, but not outstanding. We would return, but I don't think it stayed with us the way some of our other London restaurants did. read more

We ate in the Atlantic Bar and I really don't understand what the hype is about. Is it just that it is close to the theatre? The food was only fair. The sashimi starters were OK, nothing special. The octopus was fairly tasteless, the razor clams with chorizo should have been amazing but they were disappointing with starter sized portions. The banoffee cheesecake and the cheese were the best parts of the meal. We won't be back. read more

Hidden in the Piccadilly circle, this place s not easily located. It turned out worthy when the food were brought out. Decently plated and beautifully cooked octopus made my night. The oysters were a bit pricey but tasted really fresh. It was in general a good experience after the Harry Potter show. read more

I went to J-sheekey with a group of friends, we had previously been to some of the other caprice group resturants so had high expectations. The food did not disappoint, it was delicious and believe me when theres hardly any meat on the menu i am hard to please im totally won over now by the fsh resturant. The ingredients were so fresh and full of flavour, so light that you could just eat more and more. I had great john dorey dsh with clams for main and delilcious scallops with parma ham to start thers also a lovely dessert menu with some great classics such as bakewell tart crumble. The decor wasnt to my taste it was quite classic and typically english,lots of dark wood but there was a great atmosphere and w even spotted the odd celebrity. The food and wine was worth every penny. read more

Yes, the seafood is good. I do love the old-world charm and decor, and the service cannot be criticised. But, seriously, folks -- the prices are not justified. The fish may be fresh and well-prepared, but the markup is staggering and the sides are bland and mediocre at best. In the interest of full disclosure, admittedly I do dine here fairly regularly, but only on expense account or when someone else is treating. read more

We turned up without a reservation and were welcomed with attentive, careful service. No tables being available we were offered seats at the bar, but my wife didn't fancy that. Our gracious host immediately whisked us next door into the charming Oyster Bar and settled us in a cosy corner table. We really were treated like valued regulars rather than random walk-ins and that set the tone for an absolutely fabulous evening. Starting with the best champagne I've ever tasted we munched our way through a selection of some of the best seafood I have ever tasted. Fresh and cooked to perfection there was nothing to be faulted. Rich, thick home-made mayonnaise was the perfect compliment to crisp pommes allumettes. But the best of the best was a little dish of octopus with chorizo and beans. This was out of this world and quite the best octopus preparation I have ever tasted. The waiter explained with huge enthusiasm that the dish is cooked "sous vide" in seawater for three and a half hours at a low temperature. It was worth every minute. Dessert was a wonderful traditional steam pudding and custard, which I rounded off with an excellent espresso. One of the best meals I've ever had the pleasure of eating, and I have been lucky enough to eat in many fine restaurants. read more

Great food, I was just turned off that the server sat us by the bar said he was going to seat us when a table became available and never did. We spent over 180$ like nothing, I would just expect better service in the future. Although the food is good. This is a place you have to dress well for seems like they only serve people they deem worthy. I Recommend the food though if you don't mind spending. read more

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We totally enjoyed this place. The seafood was incredibly incentive and every flavor carefully designed and executed.

Some of the best seafood in London together with classy ambiance and attentive service and just off Leicester Square this venue is a good choice indeed. Great bar. read more

The best sea food I've ever tasted! Full house is a good choice. Truly recommend for a dinner with friends. Nice environment. read more

J Sheekey - Seafood Near Me - London, XGL

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I like the scene here; you can feel like you are part of the company, from preparation of the ingredients up to cooking, and most of all, eating. The ambiance was really entertaining. We loved watching the cooks preparing our foods. The food here is truly delicious that is why many people came here every day. The service of the staff here is excellent too. All the staffs are super friendly and skilled hurrying up and down delivering foods to all the customers and I gained some cooking tips while seeing them. The food is truly wonderful and the environment as well. read more

Came here tonight for dinner and absolutely loved the razor clams appetite and mixed shellfish grill entrée! Also ordered the monkfish plate as well but preferred the shellfish grill a bit more :) Definitely would love to come back to try other dishes. :) read more

When you get terrible service it's disconcerting. Is this just extreme incompetence or some kind of personal attack? Anyway, I asked the J Sheekey host if I could walk in. Wasn't a problem on the casual side so they seated me. And went out of their way to ignore me. I think I could have had a stroke and they wouldn't have talked to me. I left. 0% J Sheekey in 250 years or whatever you haven't learned to make sure everyone is polite?? read more

Was back here for dinner... Wow, what a horrible place it has become. Tables have been always quite small and settings just is not pretty - all of these have been there and nothing much changed.., what changed dramatically is good.., I tried razor clams, shrimp and sardines and my dad tried grotto misto and salmon. They were all very underwhelming..., first temperature of hot food is all off - food is slightly cold by the time they reach the table. Secondly sea food / fish are not fresh. I am not sure how this is possible in such high traffic seafood restaurant but it is possible... I could not eat my fish.., gave it to my cat later. How sad to see such a legendary restaurant turning into this tourist trap. Sadly, I probably would not go back for a few years until things change dramatically here... read more

Horrible food and service. I would give this place zero stars if that were possible. They were not able to make substitutions for those in our party with allergies. Vegetables we were served had not been prepared properly, and our sprouts still had stems and outer leaves on them. The seafood was below average, and everything was either under seasoned or over seasoned. One dish was so over salted that it was inedible. Also, it's incredibly overpriced. Our dinner for two was almost £300 (which is INSANE for awful food). The service was also terrible; we waited for what seemed like an eternity for someone to take our order, yet the service continued to worsen. Sadly, our experience was better than most. The group at the table next to us had to send back multiple dishes because they were cold. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

The raw oysters were great but all other dishes seemed mediocre....and was quite pricey. Not enough value for money here so won't be going back. read more

Shocked by the unfortunately rude maitre d'hotel Cedric who clearly relishes turning away overseas tourists eager to sample haute cuisine of the British Isles. Fortunately for me I found another brilliant restaurant and will return to my life while Cedric shall continue his obsequious service to the proprietor. read more

Outstanding well worth the value. Service was excellent! The Plateau de Fruits de Mer was a seafood overload. Ask for John Andrews , grout house manager, he is just superb! We will be back! read more

I've had J Sheekey on my list of go-to restaurants for several years now, so it was only fitting that my first dinner in London was at this celebrity hot spot! First off, service is impeccable and you will interact with several waiters and waitresses. For appetizers, I would highly suggest the beetroot and goat cheese salad and the gravlax. For my main, both times I dined at J Sheekey, I had the pan fried salmon which came with its own carafe of bubbling brown butter. I almost thought nothing could top that, but I was wrong because the desserts are even more sinfully delicious. I've tried the Cox's Pippin Apple Pie, the Sticky Ginger Pudding and the Rhubarb Crumble. You will always be offered a cup of custard to drizzle over your warm desserts and you'd be stupid not to take them up on this offer. I'm still dreaming about the two dinners I've had here! J Sheekey is a classic chic British restaurant and worth making reservations far in advance to score a table, don't miss out! read more

This is the third time I have been to J. Sheekey. This will be the last time. Considering the high prices and hard to get tables, one would at least expect top notch food and fine service. Instead you get a bored staff (does anyone smile in this joint) and truly mediocre food. The crab bisque was totally flat, the risotto was bland, and the monk fish and prawns were something you could honestly get at TGIF. We skipped dessert, as we just wanted to leave. Some long run restaurants lazily coast on their reputations, while others always seek to remain consistently excellent and strive for the best. J. Sheekey is a coaster and will most likely remain one for its next 100 years. It's a shame. read more

Had a really lovely evening last night at the J Sheekey Oyster Bar - where it's possible to book a few days ahead, even on a Friday night - and get away without needing a second mortgage for the bill. What made it so brilliamt was our Sicilian waiter who couldn't have been more friendly or helpful. I had the fish pie with some steamed spinach on the side - the fish was really fresh (although I could've done with a teeny bit more sauce) - and it wasn't padded out with too much mash. Now for me dinner is all about the dessert - and there isn't a very wide choice at the Oyster bar. Most of it involved some kind of ice cream which I don't like as it hurts my teeth. I guess most people don't go there for pudding... however the our new best friend the waiter came to the rescue by pointing out the selection of 'brownie, fudge, cookie, eccles cake' which was hidden in with the coffees. I said I didn't really like fudge - and he then came back and offered to substitute it with an extra brownie. Now for £4 I was expecting a couple of teeny squares to arrive - but it was just fantastic - one of the best desserts I've had in ages. Two quite reasonably sized slices of excellent, squidgy brownie - a small, slightly chewy chocolate cookie - and the most gorgeous eccles cake... I've never liked them in the past but this was like a taste of Christmas, lovely, crispy pastry, packed full of currants and some kind of spiced moist, almost marzipan stuff at the centre. Yum. And even on a busy Friday they never once hassled us to give back the table. The nicest service, and the best value meal I've had in a long time. read more

Stumbled upon this place and wow what a find! No reservation, so we sat in the Oyster Bar section. Amazing fresh seafood and exceptionally knowledgeable wait staff. This might be my new favorite restaurant in London! Right there in the middle of everything! read more

I've given it five stars because this is as good as it gets when it comes to fish tapas. I obviously ate in the bar. I'm not quite important enough to get a table in the grown up bit so sat in the bar with 4 friends and ate and drank away the night. 1/2 pint of prawns in pewter jug, classy! Roll mops, mussles, razor clams and a dinky little fish pie just kept coming out. The chef brought some dishes out, the barman brought others. It was a really nice relaxed introduction to what is a fish institution in London. The highlight of the service for me was when we ordered two portions of scallops at 2 a peice, this left one of the party without one. So the chef came out with an extra just for me. That is exceeding expectations. Next time I'm feling fishy that's where I'm going. read more

Awesome sea food. Pricier than a simple night out, but worth it. Great service at bar and food is super good. Must go. Theater crowd or date nite. Always a good choice read more

Amazing seafood! Fresh, tasty and cooked to perfection. We wanted to go to Scott's but this sister restaurant is quite good. Prices are relatively reasonable. Loved the oysters and razor clams. Make reservations. Would come back again. read more

Good location for a nice meal if you are staying near Leicster Square. Oysters were excellent. Nice seafood and drinks!

Excellent dining experience. Just stumbled across this place near the theater district. Very pleased. All sorts of fresh seafood options. The pea soup prior and Welsh rarebit afterwards were both excellent. read more