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Jamie's Italian
Address:
24-26 George Street
Oxford
Oxfordshire
OX1 2AE
Tel: 01865 838383
Rating:
(Review date: October 2009) your comments (0)
Given that Jamie Oliver has launched his Italian restaurant chain at the height of a recession and succeeded to the point where his restaurants are packed out all day and everyday demonstrates an almost uncanny ability to judge the desires of the dining public during trying times.
Jamie's in Oxford on a dreary Tuesday lunchtime in October was heaving and a near constant stream of people from all walks of life were arriving to wait for a table as per the chain's no booking policy.
Despite this demand for Mr Oliver's inexpensive Italian brand, the restaurant was not overwhelmed and we were found a table within 20 minutes of arriving and enjoying a drink at the slightly cramped bar.
Once seated, we were immediately caught up in the buzzy and vibrant atmosphere, uncomplicated and yet unusual selection of food which bore all the hallmarks of Jamie's hand - 'funky' chips and 'proper posh' descriptions were in abundance - and it was great.
Our meal consisted of olives (the greenest we've seen, served on ice like oysters and fantastic), crispy squid, pesto mozzarella, pork skewer, prawn linguini, funky chips and a bread bowl (a varied selection with plenty of herbs and oil).
The crispy squid came with a paprika mayonnaise and the mozzarella was fresh and complemented well by the pesto. Both starters were tasty, sparky and pleasing.
The pork skewer was rich and herby while the linguini was not overpowered by the well balanced sauce and well cooked prawns. The side of chips and bread went well with both dishes.
We chose a bottle of organic house wine to go with meal which was crisp and fresh and iced water was provided free of charge.
It was also refreshing to see that service was not automatically added to the very reasonable bill of £53.15 as is the case in so many restaurants these days.
This may seem like a lot of food for two people - and it was. It's worth noting here that you could go into a Jamie's Italian and have a hearty bowl of pasta and a glass of wine for under a tenner.
We felt warmed by the food which was generous and delicious in an indulgent and uncomplicated way and left us feeling satisfied and happy.
The staff, as we have found in other branches of Jamie's, came from a school of training which should be rolled out by the management of every organisation in the country.
They were relaxed, friendly and happy to chat in a way that was genuinely warm, despite the fact the place was rammed and they were under pressure. Everyone was endearing and informal, yet efficient and precise in a way that is rarely seen these days. It is difficult to compliment them enough.
This is not fine dining but for what it does it is superb all round and thoroughly recommended.
Visit: www.jamieoliver.com
« back
Address:
24-26 George Street
Oxford
Oxfordshire
OX1 2AE
Tel: 01865 838383
Rating:
(Review date: October 2009) your comments (0)
Given that Jamie Oliver has launched his Italian restaurant chain at the height of a recession and succeeded to the point where his restaurants are packed out all day and everyday demonstrates an almost uncanny ability to judge the desires of the dining public during trying times.
Jamie's in Oxford on a dreary Tuesday lunchtime in October was heaving and a near constant stream of people from all walks of life were arriving to wait for a table as per the chain's no booking policy.
Despite this demand for Mr Oliver's inexpensive Italian brand, the restaurant was not overwhelmed and we were found a table within 20 minutes of arriving and enjoying a drink at the slightly cramped bar.
Once seated, we were immediately caught up in the buzzy and vibrant atmosphere, uncomplicated and yet unusual selection of food which bore all the hallmarks of Jamie's hand - 'funky' chips and 'proper posh' descriptions were in abundance - and it was great.
Our meal consisted of olives (the greenest we've seen, served on ice like oysters and fantastic), crispy squid, pesto mozzarella, pork skewer, prawn linguini, funky chips and a bread bowl (a varied selection with plenty of herbs and oil).
The crispy squid came with a paprika mayonnaise and the mozzarella was fresh and complemented well by the pesto. Both starters were tasty, sparky and pleasing.
The pork skewer was rich and herby while the linguini was not overpowered by the well balanced sauce and well cooked prawns. The side of chips and bread went well with both dishes.
We chose a bottle of organic house wine to go with meal which was crisp and fresh and iced water was provided free of charge.
It was also refreshing to see that service was not automatically added to the very reasonable bill of £53.15 as is the case in so many restaurants these days.
This may seem like a lot of food for two people - and it was. It's worth noting here that you could go into a Jamie's Italian and have a hearty bowl of pasta and a glass of wine for under a tenner.
We felt warmed by the food which was generous and delicious in an indulgent and uncomplicated way and left us feeling satisfied and happy.
The staff, as we have found in other branches of Jamie's, came from a school of training which should be rolled out by the management of every organisation in the country.
They were relaxed, friendly and happy to chat in a way that was genuinely warm, despite the fact the place was rammed and they were under pressure. Everyone was endearing and informal, yet efficient and precise in a way that is rarely seen these days. It is difficult to compliment them enough.
This is not fine dining but for what it does it is superb all round and thoroughly recommended.
Visit: www.jamieoliver.com
« back
