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J SHEEKEYS


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I haven't been to Sheekey's but for top-notch classic French fish cooking I can recommend Pascal Proyart's Restaurant One-0-One in Knightsbridge where I went for lunch last week. There were only 3 tables in and although the room decor is a bit weird and the service perfunctory, this is made up for by the quality of the cooking.

One o One must be easily the best seafood restaurant in the UK, and one of the top handful in London overall.

fantastic place, great food, wonderful service, shitty room.

A meal without wine is... well, erm, what is that like?

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Would someone remind me why Sheekys is so popular? I had a very expensive, completely forgettable meal there last night - although the service was good.

...

It's a nice place, and good service, but I couldn't recommend it for serious food.

I've been puzzled by this as well. I've had a few pleasant dishes there -- potted shrimps, for example, and a Dover sole -- but nothing to write home about, certainly nothing in accord with the image this place has. Service is usually fine, and the atmosphere pleasant, but it can get ugly. And the prices are high.

I end up going to Sheekey's because visiting friends hear about it and want to go. I wouldn't go back otherwise.

Jonathan Day

"La cuisine, c'est quand les choses ont le go�t de ce qu'elles sont."

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We've gone there a few times and always had a great meal. Sitting at the bar and eating is especially entertaining. We even got talked into drinking some horrid concoction of ale? or stout? with champagne. Those Irish bartenders are very persuasive.

One standout dish was razor clams with broad beans. Another time the mixed seafood was absolutely perfect.

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We've gone there a few times and always had a great meal. Sitting at the bar and eating is especially entertaining. We even got talked into drinking some horrid concoction of ale? or stout? with champagne. Those Irish bartenders are very persuasive.

One standout dish was razor clams with broad beans. Another time the mixed seafood was absolutely perfect.

black velvet = guiness + champagne. particularly suited to oysters me thinks!

A meal without wine is... well, erm, what is that like?

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I haven't been to Sheekey's but for top-notch classic French fish cooking I can recommend Pascal Proyart's Restaurant One-0-One in Knightsbridge where I went for lunch last week. There were only 3 tables in and although the room decor is a bit weird and the service perfunctory, this is made up for by the quality of the cooking.

One o One must be easily the best seafood restaurant in the UK, and one of the top handful in London overall.

fantastic place, great food, wonderful service, shitty room.

Do One-0-One have a lunchtime deal? If not, roughly what would you expect to pay for lunch for two with a moderate-to-reasonable bottle of wine?

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I haven't been to Sheekey's but for top-notch classic French fish cooking I can recommend Pascal Proyart's Restaurant One-0-One in Knightsbridge where I went for lunch last week. There were only 3 tables in and although the room decor is a bit weird and the service perfunctory, this is made up for by the quality of the cooking.

One o One must be easily the best seafood restaurant in the UK, and one of the top handful in London overall.

fantastic place, great food, wonderful service, shitty room.

Do One-0-One have a lunchtime deal? If not, roughly what would you expect to pay for lunch for two with a moderate-to-reasonable bottle of wine?

it has a great lunctime deal - about 23 for 3 course. wine is expensive, stick with a Gavi di Gavi or Muscadet.

at that rate say 85 - 90 for lunch for 2 people.

what I like is that they are the only people who actually cook with fish, I hate this fresh produce, simple grilling, and expensive prices school of cooking. Simple food is good, just don't charge haute cuisine prices.

A meal without wine is... well, erm, what is that like?

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  • 7 months later...

I went for dinner on Saturday night. The food was fantastic, the service was poor. It was a post-theatre dinner, so we wanted something light. Two of us had the excellent fish pie, can't complain, one had the perfectly seared tuna with fennel salad and the other had gravadlax.

The waiter was thoroughly surly throughout the meal. When he spoke to us he mumbled, we constantly had to ask him to repeat himself. He seemed thoroughly disinterested at every stage of the meal. I appreciate it had probably been a long day for him but not much of an excuse as one expects decent service at the restaurant.

We weren't paying, those that did decided that his service was so bad they didn't include a tip. They were also somewhat miffed that the bread had attached a cover charge of £8 - as far as I was concerned it's a pain, but not the end of the world, but the bread should have been topped up.

Anyway, the not paying of service made me feel slightly uncomfortable as the food itself was excellent and in my view service also goes towards recognising the success of the kitchen.

It's a long way of asking if people have had similar experiences there and what the views are on not paying service (btw unusually, they don't include any service on the bill, it is entirely discretionary, unlike the cover charge)

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It's a long way of asking if people have had similar experiences there and what the views are on not paying service (btw unusually, they don't include any service on the bill, it is entirely discretionary, unlike the cover charge)

It's a discretionary service charge -- if the service is crap, don't pay it. It sounds like your friends did exactly the right thing.

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  • 3 months later...

Quick review -- despite some negative comments on this thread I gave Sheekey's a go on Monday for lunch before seeing Caravaggio at the National.

I started with the razor clams and chorizo/broad beans mentioned by Moby above. Fortunatley I had forgotten his comments as this time they were excellent - tasty and not rubbery; good chorizo and tender broad beans. A great combo but ouch £12.50 for a starter.

I followed up with whole gilthead bream cooked with olive oil and herbs - very simply done and perfect results. Sides of mash and creamed spinach were good.

To drink half a bottle of bourgougne blanc, very drinkable but ouch again £21/half.

To finish an excellent espresso and truffles.

I ate alone at the bar which was pretty comfortable with plenty of room. Service was efficient and just the right side of brusque, but for some may verge on rude (this was from the moustachioed chap that I assume from him manner is an "institution").

Lovely room and lighting; great food but close on £70 for lunch for one - ouch ouch ouch.

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