Dem Shish in Eastbourne

Good portions great taste very polite staff

Bottomless brunch means you feel ashamed to ask for a drink refill… If you advertise a bottomless brunch deal stick to the T and C’s and don’t make people feel uncomfortable about having a few drinks…. There are plenty of other places to eat!!!

I believe Dem Shish has the tastiest food in Crawley 😍 and the menu has a variety of options for you to choose 😊 The staff is amazing, very knowledgeable and polite 😍 definitely recommend 💯

Three of us went to the restaurant for the Valentines event. The food was delicious. However the service from the front of house team was to say the least disappointing. Most unusual having dined on many occasions there. On two occasions we had to call for drinks as no waiting staff came to check if all OK. The atmosphere was flat. Not what one expects at Dem Shiz. A dissaponting evening apart from the excellent food.

Just amazing. No other words needed. The food, the staff, the atmosphere are all fantastic. I’ve eaten here now 4 times, had different food each time and it has been bloody lovely. Can’t wait to go again

I've worked in hospitality for many years. Really liked it here. Food was great - best kebab in Eastbourne by a mile. Open kitchen was cool to see and also spotlessly clean. Service was actually fun and great banter from the waiter. It was actually entertaining with all the birthday songs going on and the staff that actually wanted to be there. Great venue will go back again soon

My husband and i booked for our 22nd marriage anniversary. We had tasted different types of foods and when we got into Dam Shish website my husband and i said that was the right place for our dinner night celebration. We booked and went there. On our arrival we where welcomed in a cheerful manner and offered a table. One of the waiters came to save us and was so lovely and pleasant, we told him that it was our special day today and he was so excited and congratulated us. After our dinner we asked for a bill. Little did we know that the staff had prepared to celebrate with us and celebration music started playing oooh my lord, all staff and people in the restaurant joined in the celebration. It really made our night very special i wasn't expecting such a beautiful moment with the restaurant staff that night. We really had a good night and a night to remember. Thank you very much.

Dem Shish is the best Turkish restaurant that I have ever been to! The food is exceptional and the atmosphere is wonderful. I would definitely come here for birthdays as they do a great job. Overall this is definitely the best place to visit. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND! P.S: The lamb mince is amazing.

food and staff were both amazing. were brilliant catering for dietary needs. highly recommend cant wait to return in the very near future

I had read the reviews on Dem Shish and was excited to visit with my Partner and my son, however, there were several parties going on and we had to wait at least 40 minutes for our meal, this was understandable given the circumstances and the waitress offered us free shots as compensation. The food was excellent and the waitress friendly and helpful, however, it was like eating dinner in a Discotheque, The noise from the disco was so loud, we had to shout at our nearest partner to make ourselves heard, consequently, everyone else in the restaurant had to shout to each other as well! it was like they had turned the volume up to get rid of us quickly because people were queuing to get in. No chance of an intimate meal and conversation. I also didn’t like the fact that they automatically added a 10% Service Charge to the bill. I would have preferred to have decided myself how much tip to pay, whether more or less. To be fair to them, the noise might have been a one-off due to being a Saturday and just before Christmas but I would have to look twice at visiting them next time on a weekend, if at all.

I took my partner for dinner and it amazing the food was amazing and the service too, stuff are really polite, helpful . I would recommend it to my friends and family lovely restaurant to go to .

This was our first visit and we will definitely be back again. The food was amazing and the staff were great.

Delicious Turkish food experience at centre of town ... Wonderful ambience ..., friendly staff ,

My place of choice to eat every Monday. The food is authentic, traditional (believe me I've lived in turkiye), the staff are friendly and efficient and backed by entertainment from the talented Rick Bonner and his saxophone. Final icing on the cake is the 20 per cent discount mo day to Thursday

Top Turkish Restaurant in the Area. Very nice food

Unexpectedly, they made my birthday special. Thank you, Dem Shish! 🥰

Amazing staff fair priced food cocktails are amazing will definitely be back a must visit for people staying or visiting Eastbourne thank you to all your staff had an amazing night out with my wife and we both loved the food and drink and also the atmosphere inside the restaurant

We asked for a take away from this restaurant that doesn’t normally do takeaways as we just finished the South Downs Way, then had to catch a train. They staff could have done more for us, giving us our meal to eat on the go and not miss our train back. Fantastic food, attentive staff and great end to a long day that started in Falmer.

Lovely atmosphere, staff and food.

All good but Adana kebab was over salted both times I went there

Great place to eat. Great staff, great food and great atmosphere to spend time with friends or family. Highly recommended

Me and my husband had a lovely meal here. The portions were very generous. Had we known we’d have shared a starter as they were so big which would have left room for us to finish our main. We went on a Thursday and there was live music which was great. I was worried it would be too loud when they started but it wasn’t it was just right. Would recommend.

After reading many positive reviews we were left very disappointed. Everything was rushed and we hadn't finished our complimentary starter of bread but this was taken away and our main arrived in twenty minutes. The main was piled up on the plate with a massive dollop of yoghurt.and didn't seem appetising however just tasted OK.Need to look a quality not quantity.Everything finished within 50 mins..Not a relaxing pleasurable experience.

Restaurant is beautiful. Food is so delicious. Service is so attentive will be back loved it :)

I walked in with my friend at 12.30 for lunch. It seems to be a very fancy restroom, BUT there are so many bugs flying around, and unfortunately one of them flied INTO MY FOOD. The service lady says they cannot control the bugs flying around, making me kind of speechless. I am very concerned about the sanitizing condition of this restaurant, even if all the utensils are very clean.

From the moment we walked in there to the moment we left, everything was excellent. The food was amazing, the service was fantastic and the atmosphere was beautiful. Would highly recommend

Amazing experience, really nice food( oh gosh the lamb shops delicious), singers amazing with good selection of musics, friendly staff food came fast. Definitely will go back again.

Hot very noisy expensive beige food. Not for those who want to talk in a calm atmosphere

Asked if I could take my cold meze home in a takeaway box and this is what they give me…All my dips slopped together in one container 🤣 not even individual sauce pots, so gross

Had a great evening here for a friends birthday. Service was good, the staff were attentive, so much so, they noticed my friends birthday sash and brought over a birthday cake, sparklers and sang happy birthday, which was a really nice touch. The food was perfect and all reasonably priced. Will be returning next time in Eastbourne.

Fabulous food, excellent service and lovely ambience. The helpings are very generous and deliciously flavoured. We were made very welcome by everyone, and service was superb' We had beautiful hot mezzes to start, and delightful mains which followed - we have fairly light appetites, so did not do full justice to the wonderful food. The night we were there, there was a saxophonist playing very tasteful music which added to our enjoyment. Clearly a very popular venue, and we can't wait to go back. Very highly recommended

Umut provided excellent customer service and great atmosphere. Recommend 💋

Great food, great service. Draught beer available. On the evening of our visit, there was live music. Couldn't have been better.

What a pleasure. Great service, great food. Their chilli sauce is next level, salad delicious, as are the grilled options. I had a word with the chef and front of house and you can tell their deep passion for great culinary cuisine. Will hopefully be back.

We went to Dem shish for a Hen party of 16 this saturday. The food was amazing, the cocktails were fantastic and all the staff were so nice and had a joke and a chat with us, there was also a dj playing good music. Staff were also happy to take a group photo for us. Everyone had such a great time. We found the prices were really good for the high quality of the dishes. I will definitely be going again and would recommend to anyone If you let them know you are celebrating something you also get cake, sparklers and singing from the staff which was an added bonus for the end of our meal

Excellent meals and service. Highly recommended . Top class staff who are very professional and go out of their way to ensure you are well catered for

Absolutely amazing food and atmosphere. Staff provided amazing customer service to the point where I was shocked at how well this establishment runs. I wish I could give over 5 stars this place is 11 out of 10! Thank you for your service it really made our day

Trip to Eastbourne for the tennis. Great adult & kids food. Nice atmosphere & service impeccable although wine list not my bag.

Good food and service. It was a bit noisy with live music, but it's Friday night. If it's your birthday, the restaurant sings happy birthday to you and staff arrive with a cake and sparklers.

Great experience Really lovely food and live music Always my to go restaurant

Had early dinner here, table for two. Great friendly welcome, super service and lovely food. Lamb & chicken shish are really good. Staff are friendly and fun, we’ll definitely be back.

Absolutely amazing time for my Husband 's birthday.

It was a spur of the moment booking. Staff very polite and attentive. Food tasted amazing. We weren't rushed to finish our dishes. Atmosphere brilliant. Music various artists and genre. Restaurant clean and tidy, toilets the same. Sidad and the team certainly know how to look after there guests. Keep up the good work 👏..

Went for bottomless brunch. Had to keep asking staff to refill our glasses, not attentive at all unfortunately.

Lovely music and food. Great service with staff

Improved vastly throughout the years. With the weekday 20% discount, it's now very good. The charcoal grilled lamb chops are highly recommended. They were so good I had to order another portion!

Best place to have a dinner in Eastbourne. Good atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious food and very good value for money.

Absolutely wonderful in every way

Unfassbar gutes Essen. Die Portionen waren sehr gross und alles war perfekt abgeschmeckt und von bester Qualität. Wir können das Restaurant inkl. Bedienung nur empfehlen.

I visited this place for dinner alone while on business in Eastbourne it was one of the nicest meals I have had in a long time. Beautiful food so delicious, lovely staff and atmosphere. Don't miss out on this absolute gem.

The food was cooked with good quality ingredients. However, the service was a let down. There are quite a team of waiting staff, all equipped with radio etc. but we had to call over a waiter to order some drinks after sitting there for 15 minutes. Some of the tables are quite close. So close that you literally have to squeeze through. A waiting staff chose to squeeze through two tables to get some wine glasses from the bar (thighs touching both tables that kind of close) instead of getting them from the other side where there were no dining tables.... Not sure why this member of staff had to do that to disrupt both tables... There are many more examples like this with almost all members of staff that served us. It was quite a strange experience where the restaurant gave an look of a "posh" but the services quality is no where near that look.

Came here on a date and the customer service was fantastic I wasn’t sure what cocktail to try so I asked the waiter to ask the the bartender to pick a cocktail of there choice and I was sent over a delicious espresso martini and then food came out very fast and it was fresh of the grill 10/10 would recommend to anyone who what’s a good meal and a fair price

Me and my partner went for Bottomless Drag Brunch. It was excellent, staff were kind and generous with the Prosecco! Drag Act Carmel Toe was brilliant, good mixture of chat, performance and reading the room. Food was good, thank you to wonderful team we had a great afternoon

Huge portions so don't overdo starters with bread. Enjoyed the cocktails. Garlic mushrooms like nowwhere else i have been. YUM! However 1 or 2 areas. The seats had not been cleaned from previous evening (we were 1230 lunch sitting) crumbs etc all over. Ladies loos no paper and only 1 cubicle could be used as toilet seats loose.

Had a meal with a few friends the other evening. The atmosphere was nice although at times was very loud due to birthday parties but this is their vibe and they are known for this so expect it to get a bit fun and rowdy. Live dj playing throughout the evening. Again this is known for it so be aware not quiet. The food was good but I expected it to be better from a proper Turkish restaurant. Some of the dishes were very basic and I wanted a little bit more wow for the prices. Side dishes were pretty plain. Meats were good but again I've had similar if not better from a good Turkish take out. If you want a fun night out with friends and just want to eat then and not to worried about the quality of the food then this is a good place to hit. Staff were really, really nice and friendly and could find no fault with anything apart from wishing the food was a bit better.

😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀I have just finished my dinner in this Resturant, I have to say the food was absolutely delicious me and my friend chose a mixed kebab. The chicken was juicy and tender as was the lamb and everything else on the plate was fresh crispy even the rice was good as well. 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀I’ll be sure to come here with friends and family without a doubt I also like the way they cook the food because it’s done on a barbecue not a gas barbecue it’s fantastic. I also complimented the chefs. The staff was friendly. Outstanding service from Victoria and Amber, and Sidad also Tory is a nice lady 🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠 THANKYOU a nice chatty friendly bunch.

I come to this restaurant often, but this is the first time I'm writing a review, the food is always delicious, but the new service guy, I think his name was Steven, made this experience better, he was elegant and a gentlemen. These are the images I like to see in Eastbourne.

Loved this place. Great food, great atmosphere, great service. The meat was superb cooked to perfection.

It was very noisy with live music which was too loud service was a bit slow. We'd not tried this food before so I'm sure it was OK but not to our taste. Too much yoghurt and not enough salad

Not a resident of Eastbourne and arrived without a booking for a birthday. We were treated well from the start. Good friendly service, attentive and free Turkish bread provided whilst looking at the menu. Had starters, main course and drinks. Quality of cooking excellent and flavoursome. Turkish drinks made a change from the usual. Did not have dessert as we were full with the generous portions. Would recommend, absolutely lovely evening and the live music was an unexpected treat! Thank you.

Food is absolutely amazing, you will not be disappointed. As for the service, polite staff, but as soon as you put your fork down they are taking your plate away and trying to serve your next course, there was 2 of us and I had finished my starter but my colleague hadn’t and my plate was gone and my main was on its way, when I asked them to hold fire they put our mains under a hot lamp until we were ready. From starter to bill was 1hour and 10mins, far too quick and could understand if fully booked but restaurant was half empty, such a shame cos the food was out of this world and would return just because the food was amazing.

I suppose I went to Dem Shish with an open mind. This was my first visit but I had heard good things about it and my partner was keen. We entered and were placed on a table that felt rather cramped and too close to other diners. We asked to have a more spacious table and were put in a corner away from other diners. Much better! A lady nearby smiled at me and told me she and her husband had been put on the same table and they had also asked to be moved. We ordered our mains and olives to nibble while we waited. Two plates of the most delicious kebabs with rice and salad arrived and we enjoyed them enormously. The entertainment was the resident singer who also played the saxophone. He played and sang a string of romantic songs. This was the icing on the cake for me. Excellent food and wonderful entertainment!

Went to Dem shish for my nieces Hen do, food was great, however customer service was shocking, no desserts offered, was sat there waiting an hour to be asked if we would like to see dessert menu, then we were asked to leave because they needed our big table for another booking. Staff all stood around starring at us making us feel uncomfortable. Despite the good food will not be going back there

Second time coming here. The place was excellent again. Great food. Lively atmosphere. Definitely going to come again.

Orderes a mains so called 'lamb' kebab dish ..had to ask the waitress what the meat was...apparently the lamb was probably over marinated in kiwi to tenderise the ..boiled mutton dressed as lamb taste.. served on a limp piece of bread...asked for more bread for our original starter ( for 2 )..usual olives...humous etc ..got further charge of £4... A good will gesture by the premises....take off the table service charge...

Lovely food. Will definitely return. Good service too

Food was amazing, great atmosphere and staff are all so lovely!

Delicious, good value food. Would 100% recommend

Nice, clean shop, with great service and live music. The food is just as good as at the grill house you trust in Germany. My recommendation Adana.

Nice food, slow slow slow service to many waiters serving the same tables so no consistency if service, felt as if you’ve been forgotten, needs some one to take charge as you could see they where hard workers but disorganised

I really like this restaurant. Really tasty food. But the toilet are awful. One almost completely sideways with flush hanging off. Bin lid broken, toilet roll dispenser broken and various other issues. They charge premium prices for a premium experience. However you can’t charge what you do with such awful toilet facilities. You are going to loose returning customers. Please look to re-invest your profits into the business!

This really is a 5 star restaurant. We had the DemShish sharing platter and it was delicious. The cocktails were just as good and they even made one for me which wasn’t on the cocktail menu . The staff are attentive and friendly… NO bored or grumpy faces serving you here !!! . The evening was a delight , a must “ eat at “ when in Eastbourne. Big Thanks to you all for a delightful evening.

We visited this restaurant with a friend having been before just over a year ago and loved it. This restaurant has received numerous national awards so we have been looking forward to visiting again. The atmosphere is still very fun and it seems to be at least one persons birthday on every table. We booked our table for 20:30 and it was pretty full when we arrived although it quickly thinned out. We had the cold meze between us to start which was absolutely delicious and the highlight of the meal. For mains we had the mixed shish which was ok and the Ali Nazak Lamb Kebab. The Ali Nazak tasted like a pasta bake. Overall it doesn’t seem to be as good as it was a few years ago this combined with the price increases facing the entire industry mean that whilst the food is still nice it feels a lot of money for what your get. Our bill for what the two of us had was just under £100. This included around three drinks.

Been a few times before, food good but last night we ordered a platter for 4 and we were fighting over 2 chops. Come on, you don’t pay for 4 and have enough food for 2? I was asked if we wanted more food, yes of course we did, but we had to pay for it. The salad served was enough for one person, when we asked for more, over came another big dish, which we were billed for. I know we are in a cost of living crisis but to cut portions? After complaining the manager agreed a paltry 10% discount and waived the service charge. Did they really think we would have paid it! We won’t be hurrying back.

Manager was really rude, wouldn't refund a ticket for someone who couldn't attend. Didn't provide us with the extra food and when we said we wouldn't be back he said he didn't care and wasn't apologetic at all. Drag act wasn't entertaining, spend your money elsewhere.

The manager was really rude to us The service was good but the manager was really rude. Me and my family went to drag brunch for my mums birthday but someone could not go and when we asked if we could have the money off the drinks for the ticket the manager was really rude about it. The food was sub par and the drag left a lot to be desired (we could not understand a single word) nothing special and would not go back.

Very disappointed by the manager on my birthday. I booked for 6 people for a drag brunch but my son was unable to attend. The manager wouldn't refund the £25 or take it off our bill

It was my birthday and I booked a drag brunch for 6 people. Unfortunately my son couldn't come. They wouldn't refund us the money or take the £25 off our bill. I complained to the manager who really didn't care. Don't waste your money. Drag was below average and food edible but not anything to go back to

Literally not one bad thing to say about this place! Me and my boyfriend went out for dinner on valentines and we had the best night ever! Service was so great, food was sooo nice!! Prices were reasonable. They had a singer there and a complementary glass of Prosecco! Absolutely loved it, definitely recommend going! Great place great atmosphere. Drinks were very nice as well we had cocktails.

Good food..Good atmosphere. This was my second time and I want to say that I was very disappointed how I was treated. Was ignored by the waitresses, passing next to us didn't even bother to serve us , waited 30min to be served after several attempts to get anyone's attention. Instead the ladies next to us who git in the same time as me ,got what they needed in seconds as they knew the waitress and giving them all the attention. I don't care who gets attention or served but I don't like to be ignored and not be served. Even when asked for desert waited 20min and after I just need to stand up and walk bcoz all the staff were just chatting in the front of the bar and couldn't get anyone's attention to get a desert. Instead they rushed to give me the bill to pay without even any apologies for not attending in taking my order. Very disappointed..horrible treatment received from this place wich is an award winning restaurant. Basically ruined the nice evening.

Traveled a long way for a special birthday party and we were not disappointed. The food was delicious and plenty of it. The service was quick and very friendly. Highly recommend.

Absolutely great night great food and the restaurant The service was amazing.a

We had a celebratory lunch for my grandson's 21st. The food was superb and the staff made it very special for him.

First time going and it was brilliant

Fantastic chic venue in Eastbourne; live music and space for private events in a tasteful and atmospheric room. Great team with lots of energy, and the food and drinks are varied and of superb quality. Highly recommended.

Good service tasty Turkish meze starters the Turkish baklava was the best I ever had in a while worth a try

Food is great i highly recommend. Best food in town. Excellent friendly service 👍👍👍Amber and komer very frendly excellent sevice

It was such an amazing experience! Food was incredible, and live music as well as the atmosphere. The waitress that i believe was called Reyna was really lovely, loved her service. Definitely coming back soon!

lovely food and drinks been here a few times and always superb

WOW! What an amazing experience. I totally recommend Dem Shish. Thanks to all the staff, I had an amazing Birthday and an evening that I will always remember. Wishing you all an amazing 2024 and many more years to come.

The food was ok; whilst eating our starter the staff wanted to take it away because our main meal was ready; I was always under the impression that the timing should be with the customer and not the kitchen. I thought the staff were quite abrupt and not particularly welcoming. The music was quite loud which isn't a problem if the quality is good which it wasn't. I think for what it was; the food is expensive for what you get; one of my vegetarian friends had some chicken on his plate having point out that he is a vegetarian when he ordered, not the best and sorry to say wont be going back.

Food very good but very very busy

Terrific food not so keen on the loud live dj music but after a few glasses of wine it grew on us properly wouldn't go there again as we are of an older generation but the food was good

My first visit to Dem Shish, food was good, having visited Turkey a number of times and enjoyed the food I was loving the authentic tastes at Dem Shish. Cocktails were good, priced in line with local bars. Live music was good too! Were quite a few people eating mid week, would suggest reserving a table on a weekend.

Food was great, but flies and cobwebs everywhere (Baklava wasn’t fresh)

Staff make the experience far less enjoyable. Love the food here, been a few times and it’s always been delicious. However every time I’ve dined here, the staff have been generally unpleasant. The food was the only thing that brought me back but have decided it’s not worth it. Better places to eat with more friendly staff.

Overcharged watch your bill should be 20% off did not take it off. Staff standing around watching

Visited Dem Shish last night to celebrate a birthday and it’s safe to say they did not disappoint! The food was absolutely gorgeous and you can tell it was made with heart and cooked perfectly, the cocktails were also some of the best in Eastbourne. Service was excellent, both waitresses and the owner himself made sure everything was okay, and the Celebration cake did not disappoint with the sparkles, music change and everyone joining in to celebrate!!! Overall I would recommend to anyone wanting to go on a date, celebrate a birthday or an overall night out, 10/10

We had a good dinner out celebrating my Dad's birthday. The staff attended to our mixed up orders as soon as they can and got it right. The ambience and the live band was really nice. I would strongly recommend this place an definitely will come back here again.

Delicious meal, good music, excellent value for money