How many times would you try to get into a restaurant before you give up? Since it opened a few years ago I’ve tried numerous times to get into Jamie’s Italian for an evening meal, but have never been patient enough to wait the two or three hours for a table to open up. It probably doesn’t help that I generally try my luck on a Saturday night after a day spent in the city, and spend my time jostling in the line with a hundred other people who had the same idea!
Finding myself in the city during the day recently, I had the bright idea of jumping into Jamie’s Italian for lunch rather than battling the dinner crowds. And finally, I was successful in my quest for a table!
I started my meal with a side of the posh chips with truffle oil – I’m a real sucker for truffle chips and this menu item really called to me. The chips were hot with a really satisfying crunch – the parmesan was a fantastic touch, but I would have preferred more truffle oil! This is a great choice for a single side serve, and perfectly sized for a single person.
I’ve always admired Jools Oliver since seeing photos like this – she seems very real, very down-to-earth, and not at all like the usual celebrity wives that you might find in magazines. It’s very naive of me of course, to believe that a ‘celebrity’ is the same as their carefully crafted public persona, but I’m a real sucker.
In any case, if Jamie Oliver was going to nominate one single dish as his wife’s favourite, then I was going to try it! After all, why not trust the judgement of the woman who gets to eat chef-quality dishes every day? I definitely made the right choice – a tuna pasta may sound boring, but it had a real chilli kick that turned it from something simple to something simply scintillating. The herby crumbs on the side also added extra flavour to the dish.
Delicious, rich, chocolatey goodness with bursts of sweet raspberries throughout…this brownie was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Combined with the creamy house-made vanilla ice-cream, was absolutely to die for. It’s the type of simple brownie that everyone should know how to make as a standard household recipe!
Overall, I rate Jamie’s Italian a strong 9 out of 10.
Attentive service, good presentation, casual chatty atmosphere and impeccable food combine to create a reasonably-priced and memorable dining experience.
Oh those posh chips look good. Gonna have to try Jamie’s Italian when I return to work next month. They’re just next door to our office.
I also went on my own and got in straight away! I was impressed – 3 courses for under $40. Great food and affordably priced. I must try those chips next time!
It sounds like tings are looking up here! And yes trusting a chef’s wife is a good idea :)
I’ve been meaning to try Jamie’s Italian for ages now but you’re right that it is difficult to get a table, esp cos you can’t book for one under six people! Definitely seems like they have some good dishes worth trying though!