J Sheekey Atlantic Bar

We love sitting at the fish counter watching them prepare the shell fish and seafood platters. Really fresh fish and a lovely light menu for supper, washed down with a lovely cold white chablis. Perfect!

I have been here many times over the years and sadly, the last time I went is probably going to have been the actual last time. I'm not sure what has happened to Sheekey's but it feels to me that they have lost a lot of their appeal. The staff are nice but not the most welcoming and the service last time I went was questionable. The food just isn't as good or varied as it used to be. All things considered, when the bill arrived last time, it was the only time i've raised an eyebrow here. It just felt 'wrong'. I do think Sheekey's may be one of those restaurants who take their popularity for granted after a while and stop making an effort. It's a real shame.

Buzzy atmosphere, amazing fish.

Always feel welcome here. The service and the food are impeccable, and the prices reasonable. A joy of life in London.

We took advantage of one of the last nights of the summer to sit on their "terrance" and stuff our faces full of fresh shellfish. It is a surprisingly atmospheric place to sit, not disturbed by the passing tourists and of course, that incredibly rare thing in this great capital of ours - NO traffic! The wait staff are charming, friend and attentive without being intrusive. Nothing much to say about the fruits de mer except that it is as fresh as it should be from a place of this standard, but the wine list offers a great choice at reasonable prices as well as the high end bins. An added bonus is that they didn't turn our table, even though it was a Saturday night, in fact, once the terrace closed (2230 due to licensing) we sat at the bar inside and closed the restaurant. Sheekey's is a stallwart of the London restaurant scene and this new iteration is fabulous.

I dined at Sheekey's restaurant about 30 years ago with parents and my then girlfriend (Jacqui mark 1) whilst a student at London University. I remember being impressed by the fresh fish/shellfish, I had crab and it was delicious, but always remember the restaurant being a little dingy. Recently I read a review in one of the Sunday papers which portrayed it in a very favourable light. Jacqui (mark 2) had finally finished her MSc dissertation, informing me she had submitted it with 47 minutes to spare and had had no sleep, It was with some foreboding then that I took her along to Sheekey's Atlantic bar, having booked a reservation but now expecting her to fall asleep in the starters. She didn't , not I suspect because of the quality of my conversation, but because of the quality of the food, the ambience sitting outside in the busy little thoroughfare of St Martin's Court between Covent Garden and Leicester Square and the interesting waiters. Staying with the waiters for a moment, they were all very attentive and extremely polite. It transpired that one particularly interesting waiter was from Romania, spoke about 5 languages and doubted the validity of the myths of Dracula. We had a very simple meal, almost tapas like. A dry martini to start, not as nice as The Connaught but close. Grilled prawns, nicely cooked spinach, a shared portion of french fries and, feeling adventurous, some smoked eel croquets which were absolutely delicious. I had Greengage and Mirabelle Pie with Vanilla ice cream for desert, again delicious. The only slight criticism was the cost of the wine. Although the Muscadet was perfectly acceptable, it was a little overpriced at £35. The Atlantic bar itself is delightful inside with a very light, jovial atmosphere. Sheekey's main restaurant is adjacent and we had a look round. It has certainly been freshened up, much more airy and welcoming then I remember and it certainly cannot be described as dingy. I'm sure we will be back soon.

I visited the Oyster bar for a decadent christmas lunch and it was very enjoyable. Apart from the great atmosphere & bar design that gives a timeless elegant feeling to the room, the service was attentive and pleasant and the food rocked. We indulged in superbly fresh Oysters (half a dozen fines de Claire & half a dozen Natives), smoked salmon and crab and washed it all down with champagne. A great lunch followed by a great nap.

Made our first visit Friday 12th Dec 08 for a quick birthday lunch. We had half a dozen oysters, 50g of caviar, some smoked salmon and a bottle of champagne. The new Oyster Bar is fantastic! It was very busy so there was a great atmosphere, they have extended sideways by knocking through from the old bar. There is a bar with stools running around the centre and just a few tables along the front, all very compact but just perfect for what we wanted. If there is a very big group in a party it would be quite tricky but for two or four it's fine. The food was lovely, the champagne gorgeous and as always – service was with a smile! I couldn't recommend it any higher.