Hugh's review of J Sheekey

I love J Sheekey like a member of my own family, so it made perfect sense to take another one, my mother, there for an indulgent Saturday night treat. It's one of very few restaurants I've eaten at with which I've never found any fault and this visit was no exception. From the top-hatted doorman at the entrance, through the warm welcome at reception, to the clubby banquette seating (and note – there's not a single ‘bad’ table in the place) and elegant napery and glassware, everything about the decor and ambience is just so. Service too is exquisite, the experienced, discrete and enthusiastic wait staff adopting a ‘nothing is too much trouble’ approach. As for the food, well that of course is the real star; it's one of the very best fish and seafood lists in town, always market fresh, beautifully-presented, adeptly seasoned and to be honest, not too hideously priced for this level of quality. Sure, prices soon mount up – ‘Ignore the prices,’ I said blithely to my normally frugal mother; she took me at my word and plumped for mixed roast shellfish at £39 – but for those on more of a budget there's plenty of relative bargains both for food and wine. The famous Fish Pie (I've had it before and its renown is justified) is just £13.50, about the price of a main course at Brown's across the road but with rather more cachet. Meat lovers might feel limited by the scant choice of non-fish dishes (though there are always two or three on offer) but to be honest coming to Sheekey's if you're not into fish is rather like going to a Grand Prix when you're not into motor racing.

The newly opened Oyster Bar has garnered some good reviews but for me the star attraction here will always be the beautiful, swish, inimitable restaurant. Mum loved it too and has hardly stopped talking about it; well, there's nothing like keeping it in the family!