Sheesh Mayfair | Best Turkish Restaurants and Nightclubs in London | Cocktail Bar — Restaurant in London

As a remote worker, I frequently dine and work from various establishments around London. On this particular day, I chose to sit outside at Sheesh to enjoy the pleasant weather while doing some work on my laptop.

Within approximately five minutes of sitting down, I was approached by a staff member — later identified as Murat — who stood in front of me without any greeting and bluntly asked how he could help. I responded by stating that I would like to order a drink first, as I planned to eat a little later. He took my drink order, brought it out, and then unexpectedly stated that I needed to pay immediately.

When I questioned why this was necessary, considering I was dining and working there, he replied, "Because you might run away." I was taken aback by this remark, which felt accusatory and deeply inappropriate. When I responded with, “Do I look like someone who would run away?” he said, “I don’t know — this has happened before.”

The implication was both offensive and embarrassing. I felt stereotyped, disrespected, and unwelcome. It is common for people to sit and work in outdoor dining areas across London and elsewhere — I have never been asked to prepay for a drink in this manner.

I paid, sat for a while feeling unsettled, then went inside to speak with a manager, who introduced himself as Uzi. Initially, he insisted that no staff member would ever make such a claim, but when Murat was called over, he openly admitted to saying what I had reported.

While Uzi was apologetic and offered me a seat inside and a complimentary non-alcoholic drink, I explained that the gesture fell short given the gravity of the situation. Murat remained nearby, glaring at me in an intimidating manner. When I pointed this out, the manager merely apologized again, dismissing my concerns rather than addressing the hostility and insisting that I stay and have a drink.

I explained that I could not comfortably continue my visit and requested a complimentary meal instead of the drink I was offered — I was told this would not be possible.

At this point, I chose to leave, deeply embarrassed and disappointed by the experience.

This situation was not only unprofessional but also felt discriminatory. As a paying customer, I expected to be treated with basic respect and courtesy — neither of which I received.

I reported this via email and received no response. Luckily, I have a high social media following and will be documenting...

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!

I visited Sheesh London for what was meant to be a special dining experience and celebration, but it was disappointing from start to finish.

From the moment we arrived, the service was unwelcoming — and frankly, diabolical. We were rushed to order within one minute of being seated, before we’d even had a sip of our drinks. This immediately made us feel flustered and uncomfortable.

We had barely started our starters when the main courses were brought over and placed behind us, hovering while we were still mid-bite. This completely ignored basic dining etiquette — usually, plates are cleared once the customer has finished, and then you’re asked if you’re ready for mains. Instead, we were being pressured to move at their pace.

When we politely asked the waiter (who, truthfully, seemed incompetent) if we could have just five minutes to enjoy our meal, he told us he would fetch the manager. After some time, the manager arrived — abrupt, rude, and completely lacking in understanding. Rather than trying to improve the situation, he made it worse by continuing to rush us and making us feel like we were in the wrong. It completely ruined the experience.

And let’s be honest — if you’re charging £55 for a miniscule plate of poky pasta, the least you can do is let people enjoy it. But nothing about the experience was enjoyable thanks to the poor service.

We decided to leave and went across the road to a different restaurant, which turned out to be far better in every way. It’s a real shame, because Sheesh does have a great vibe and atmosphere — but the staff completely let the place down.

Serious customer service and hospitality training is urgently needed. As I told the manager before I left — I would be leaving a review,...

It was my first visit there yesterday night. From the moment we got to the restaurant it was a great experience. The doorman greeted us warmly and the staff immediately led us to the seating area. We usually book but on this occasion we hadn’t and found them very accommodating. We took in the surroundings and true to what we had heard it was quite grand. Tastefully decorated with a balance of being modern and elegant. Having skipped lunch we were ready to order immediately, so for starters we had the calamari and the shrimp. And for mains we had a lamb sheesh and a mixed sheesh. Dipping the bread into the sauce and taking the first bite was heavenly. The shrimp sauce was simply beautiful, not overpowering at all, it was well balanced, the bread was fresh, warm and soft. The calamari was equally good with a lovely crunch and a red topping (not entirely sure what it was) that was refreshing on the palette. We don’t drink so stuck to bottled water with a piece of lemon. When the mains arrived, what a visual treat. The lamb steaks looked mouth watering we had requested that they be cooked well done. It was without a doubt THE most delicious lamb sheesh I have eaten. The chefs definitely know what they are doing. The waiting staff were both exceedingly professional and remarkably attentive. Too full to have any desert we asked for the bill but they brought us the doughnut with pistachios and sauce served with ice cream on the house. We could only manage eating half so got the other half packed.

My friend pointed out the owner and told me there were other branches.

It was a great meal. Simply wonderful. 10/10

Ps: the toilets were well designed with sliding doors, they were very clean and...