j. sheekey
1st October 2015
On Thursday a large group of us went to J. Sheekey to celebrate the birthday of our recently departed friend Tim. It wasn’t a solemn affair (as you’ll see from the photo above) – we’d already been to his memorial the day before.
menu
J. Sheekey is a West End institution – it’s been serving fish to theatre goers for over a century. We went there quite specifically because Tim loved to cook Sheekey’s top selling fish pie (recipe here).
sheekey’s fish pie
As per the lunch menu (click to enlarge), we had a champagne reception, followed by the famous pie,
tenderstem broccoli
tenderstem broccoli with orange and toasted almonds,
mixed tomatoes
mixed tomatoes with basil, chia seeds and quinoa and there were also some green beans with lemon and roasted garlic oil that somehow didn’t get photographed…
fish pie interior
Much comparison was made of Tim’s version of Sheekey’s pie to the original.”Was the sauce runnier?” “Should one include egg in fish pie to give it body?”
Our conclusion was that Tim made a thicker sauce and he won by a narrow margin. Nevertheless, Sheekey’s pie is absolutely delicious.
We all rushed outside for the exterior group portrait (top) before pudding – our exuberance was such that the stage manager of the Wyndham’s Theatre, next door, came out and told us to be quiet, as we were disturbing the matinee!
apple crumble
The apple crumble with clotted cream or custard was very tempting – especially made like a small pie.
twinkle jelly
Similarly, the twinkle jelly with ice cream had a bit of a sparkle. I didn’t get to see the balsamic glazed figs, as no one on our table ordered them.
cheeseboard
I ordered the cheese (of course), which was at perfect room temperature and therefore at its peak – rich and creamy.
We drank vast quantities of Mâcon Villages 2013 René Michel Maconnais and Bellet ‘Domaine de la Source’ 2010 Jacques Dalmasso, Nice, Provence. Our waitress was so attentive that Oli offered to marry her each time she topped up his glass!
At the end of lunch, those of us still standing with hollow legs went off to visit the spirit of Jeffrey Bernard at the Coach and Horses…
J. Sheekey is at: 28-34 St. Martin’s Court, London, WC2N 4AL
Mad Dog TV Dinners 
What a wondeful way to remember a friend no longer with you. I bet he’d have been tickled to think that you rowdy lot were disturbing a matinee in the theatre! Can’t spot you in the photo (saw Oli though!) – or are you just unrecogniseable because you are “suited and booted”?
Thanks Tanya. No doubt Tim would have been tickled pink – we were told off for toasting him too loudly!
One of the benefits of taking the photograph is that I don’t have to be in the picture 😉
Sneaky…..;)
Sneaky at Sheekey’s 😉
You’re poet, don’t you know it 🙂
PS. Anything I can bring back for you? Can’t seem to find that salsa brava sauce you like here but let me know if there’s anything else!
Thanks Tanya, that’s very kind. I’m OK for salsa brava – Oli brought me 3 bottles earlier in the year. I have finally moved though and there’s a new vintage damson gin in the cupboard 😉
Hey hey! Will be able to mail you the cazuela then when I get back 🙂
That would be amazing!
What a nice way to remember your friend…I’m sure he was looking down on all of you with a big smile.
Thanks Karen – I’m quite sure he is too 🙂
Raden introduce my name, I am from Indonesia, whether you love the food of Indonesia such as rendang, gado gado, meatballs, skewers and others … it looks like food in your article is very good, I feel like tasting it, if I may know comes from where the food is it?
What a stunning idea to have lunch for your good friend and on his birthday, I am a great fan of fish pie, though my recipe is not really a recipe so I am going to zoom across and investigate this one.. it is getting colder here and fish pie sounds like just the thing for dinner tonight! And merciful heaven! what was the matinee you were disturbing! How delightfully NAUGHTY!! c
Thanks Cecilia! It’s an excellent fish pie. I believe the current play at Wyndham’s Theatre is The Father. One would think that a West End theatre would have suitable sound proofing – we weren’t that boisterous 😉
What a lovely send-off. But what’s twinkle jelly? Google is failing me on that one.
Thanks Michelle! It had little flakes of gold in it and tasted alcoholic, so I would guess that it contains Goldschläger 😉
Now this is the way to celebrate a loved one’s life, with laughter rather than tears. Great food doesn’t hurt, either.
Thanks John, I wholeheartedly agree 🙂