Jamie's Italian

oxfordian1

I buy the food, not Jamie 11th January 2009

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Jamie Oliver now sells scented candles amongst his other J'me' (geddit?) merchandise. In my unreasonable and decidedly stilted view that is reason enough to take all of his books, DVDs and all earthly traces of the man and burn them in a pyre. Ultimately he is a chef, a very good chef, possibly a great chef. As a chef, when you find yourself contemplating a range of candles, that is when your ladle should start to vibrate at warning frequency, and your hat wilt, because you are moving too far away from your true path. That said, its impossible not to feel some residing warmth for the sheer enthusiasm and apparent good nature of the guy. He probably gives all his candle profits to a home for retired kittens with poorly paws.

And on my visit to Jamie's in Oxford the evidence is that his food standards are still high enough to keep most people happy, including me. The decor is simple - sturdy furniture, not too closely packed in, which is just as well given that it is constantly stuffed with us eager Oxfordshire bumpkins eager to get close to objects which JO may have at one time looked at. The music is upbeat and noticeable, giving the whole place a buzzy feelgood youthful vibe. And the staff are plentiful and attentive. The place is child friendly too, with the staff apparently under clear instructions to welcome the pesky creatures, rather than shoot them on sight.

The food is interesting and wholesome. We had three starters - a vegetarian anti-pasto (delicious but a bit light for £6.50, a bread basket with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (did as much as could be expected with different breads, and a very interesting looking sausage papardelle(declared 'very good'). For main course we had grilled mackerel with crushed fennel, tomato and caper sauce. It was well cooked and delicious. The other adult main course was pumpkin and ricotta ravioli with rosemary sauce, which was very tasty, but ultimately a bit boring - it would have benefitted from less ravioli and something else, even if only a side salad, to offer a different sensation.

The kids food was, for ours at least, a step to close to fancy food. Admittedly it doesn't take much, but an option for very simple food still separated into its constituent ingredients is always a good menu option for boys! Desserts and coffees were all good - nothing too spectacular, but done well enough. A bit more froth on the cappucino would not have gone amiss, but that really is splitting hairs.

Pricewise it came ot about £23 per head per adult for three courses, not including drinks but could easily have been more. Overall I would go back with no qualms at all because the food was good, but I did feel that were the great man's moniker not attached to the place I would be paying 10-20% less. And then there is that candle issue...

jazs_angelface

Well worth a visit 23rd August 2008

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If you would like to experience the flavours of Italy without boarding a plane Jamie’s Italian is the place to go. Even though you have to queue to get in (they don’t take bookings for small parties) the food and atmosphere are well worth the wait. The restaurant is decorated in a relaxed and rustic way giving the place a lively feel. The waitress took great pains to tell us about Jamie’s own hand in choosing the décor! The food, although a little pricy (£10 for an average main course), won me over completely. Everything we ate, including the rather extravagant bread basket, was packed full of quality and flavour. I will definitely be going back!

drjohnson

Very Busy when launched 23rd August 2008

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You'll have to queue for the experience but it is definately worth it. The location is good and the place a lot larger than it looks. The place is extremely busy but nevertheless did not disappoint. The prices aren't expensive either but they often run out of things if they are too busy and dissapoint the clients! Didn't see Jamie which was a shame but he has too many restaurants across the country. Portions were fair.
Jamie Oliver's friend and mentor Gennaro Contaldo has been in the kitchen over the opening period, and it's possible standards might slip once he moves on to the next launch. But the young staff generate such enthusiasm and excitement, and there's such a buzz about the place, that it's hard to imagine it going too wrong. At the centre of Jamie's Italian, there's a real passion for the food and food rituals of Italy, and that's a testament to Jamie Oliver and his lifelong love affair with the country. Not only has he put his money where his mouth is, he has obviously put his heart there too. Tracey MacLeod was voted restaurant critic of the year at the Guild of Food Writers Awards

idiophreak

Good Job, Jamie 22nd August 2008

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I went to Jamie's Italian in Oxford about a month ago, a month or so after it opened. Overall, I was very impressed.

There's a first time for everything and I think when I visited Jamie's Italian it was the first time I've ever had to queue outdoors for food. We decided to stick with it however and the queue moved along surprisingly quickly and in the end I was glad I did.

Once we were ushered through to the bar, it was quite crowded and the restaurant seemed quite small, after a quick drink however, and watching the chef's cooking on the TVs up in the bar, we were seated.

The restaurant was actually much larger than it first seemed, with a number of different rooms. We were seated in a room with picture frames all over the walls, which, our waitress informed, us Jamie himself had picked out on a trip to Italy. The little touch linked back to Jamie Oliver "the man", but also have a feeling you were eating in a Jamies Oliver theme park. Which, I guess to some may seem naff, but I thought it was quite cute.

Once seated, the rest of the experience was extremely pleasant, service was swift, the food was lovely, simple recipes served well, great tastes, all the ingredients seemed fresh and the staff were attentive and friendly.

If it weren't for the wait, it would have had 5 stars - and I guess the queues will die as time goes on.