The famous J Sheekey restaurant gets a cool, casual little sister in the form of a next-door oyster bar.

The Venue
One of the most famous of London restaurants, J Sheekey is as well known for its vast celebrity clientele as it is for its fish and seafood. The restaurant has now expanded with an oyster bar next door. From outside there’s the same dark red frontage that’s associated with the iconic venue, as well as mirrored windows so the celebrities (and everyone else) can have a bit of privacy. Although the doorman (complete with top hat) guards the entrance to the restaurant, if he sees you heading for the oyster bar he’ll open the door for you there as well.

Once inside the small, squarish oyster bar, the first thing you’ll notice is the actual bar, which almost seems crammed in the tiny space. It’s lined with high stools and decorated with mirrored tile mosaics on the outside, whilst in the centre staff in hats and aprons work furiously to put together the seafood dishes around a tall column tiled in shimmering blue. There are a few square tables around the edges of the room, but the majority of seats are around the bar; that said, if the bar seats are pushed a few inches further back than they should be, it becomes very cramped and hard for the staff to negotiate the space. A series of photographs along the wall and blue and cream tiled flooring gives the oyster bar an old fashioned feel.

The Atmosphere
Despite the exclusive reputation of the restaurant, the oyster bar is warm and friendly. Staff are happy to give recommendations and can answer questions about food and drink without hesitation. It seems like a very in-the-know place, perfect for impressing a date with a light dinner, but it’s also casual enough so that you’d be able to stop by for lunch after a morning’s shopping. Clientele is varied, from couples celebrating special occasions to groups of business colleagues out for a post-work drink (or oyster).

The Food
Although the celebrities that frequent J Sheekey are usually of the A-list variety, the dishes there aren’t as expensive as you’d think. Fortunately, though, the dishes at the J Sheekey oyster bar are even cheaper, with most coming in at under £10 a dish. It’s not a traditional a la carte menu, but if you’d prefer to have separate courses staff can arrange for them to come out at separate times, or you can have them tapas-style, as they’re ready. Portions are slightly smaller than what you’d typically find, but most of the food is quite filling so you shouldn’t be left hungry.

The jewel in the crown of the J Sheekey oyster bar are, of course, the oysters, and there are currently three varieties, available in portions of six or a dozen: West Mersea Natives, Strangford Lough Rocks and West Mersea Pearls. The latter (six for £9.50, a dozen for £17.75) are served on a plate of crushed ice, and as a result are deliciously, refreshingly cold. Half a lemon wrapped in muslin cloth is all that decorates the plate, but shallot vinegar and finger bowls are also brought out. The oysters are incredibly fresh; with the vinegar they take on a biting, smoky tang, but on their own they have a pure, clean taste.

Other dishes on the entirely-fish-and-seafood menu include razor clams with chorizo and broad beans (£9.75), which are lovingly and simply presented in the clam’s long, thin shell. The clam has been sliced into small, bite-sized pieces, which are well textured and savoury, whilst the small slices of moist chorizo and plump, green broad beans add colour and spice to the dish. Sheekey’s Fish Pie (£9.75) contains incredibly dense, thick mash, however the thick chunks of smoked haddock, halibut and salmon are hearty and can stand up to the well seasoned mash. Creamed salt cod with poached egg (£8.25) consists of a small plate of mashed potato with cod mixed in. It’s quite salty, but still a buttery, smooth, comforting dish, and the perfectly poached egg on top oozes bright yellow yolk when you cut into it.

The comforting theme continues with a dessert of baked rice pudding with Armagnac prunes (£7), an incredibly rich, creamy dish with a hit of boozy fruit flavours courtesy of the prunes. The cheeseboard (£9.50) contains decently sized chunks of fresh Lincolnshire Poacher, Cornish Blue and Tunworth cheese, with a variety of biscuits and chutney in a glass jar.

The Drink
With oysters comes, inevitably, Champagne, and there’s a choice of thirteen here, from £54 to £420 per bottle. Four are available by the glass, the cheapest being Theophile Roederer Brut N.V. for £11.25, and three half bottles are available as well. There are over a dozen red and white wines each, starting from £5 a glass and £18 a bottle – each choice is available by the glass as well. A 2007 Macon Les Personnets, Les Deux Roches Burgundy (£28 a bottle, £7.75 a glass) has a nice, heavy taste without being acidic. Cocktails start from £8 and the Champagne Cocktail (made with Champagne, peach brandy and bitters) is as nice to look at as it is to drink; a warm amber colour with a sugar cube in the bottom of the glass, the drink goes all the way down through the stem so you can see the sugar cube dissolve. Although it’s a girly, sugary sweet cocktail, there’s a good dose of brandy in there as well.

The Last Word
Casual but upmarket at the same time, J Sheekey oyster bar is a welcome addition. Expect the celebrity clientele to start drifting over sometime soon for oysters and Champagne.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (1)