Jamie's Italian

I had very high expectations and was disappointed. First the food was simply okay. It wasn't anything special that you couldn't make at home. I was a little sad that even the pasta sauce was not that spectacular. The service staff was nice and service relatively quick. Ambiance is great, but I just think the food is too hyped, especially for the price.

zoineos (DI User), 02/04/12

---

I used to eat at Jamie's some few years ago, but had a few bad experiences and got a bit disillusioned with it. I also felt it was a bit of a rip off.

However, just before Christmas, I met up with a friend in London and he recommended the Jamie's in Islington so I went along with it. It was so gorgeous that when I next went for dinner with a friend in London, I suggested we give it a go again.

I had the same meal - because once you've had Jamie's "posh chips" (three times cooked, sprinkled with sea salt, truffle oil and parmesan) nothing else will do.

The food is just as good in the Oxford one except that the portions are twice as big! My partner had a breaded turkey escalope that was bigger than her head!

She was so excited about it all that she later took a London friend to Jamie's in Islington! I challenge you to find a better chip in Oxford than Jamie's posh chips, (and the steak I had was utterly divine too).

Dangerweasel (Unverified), 03/03/12

---

Went there Sat 14.1.12 with my partner. It was highly recommended to me by a colleague and we were told to sit downstairs as it's very nice. We indeed sat downstairs, next to a graffiti wall & air con units & right next to the kitchens - very noisy. Portions are small - cured meat antipasti to share was only enough to feed one. Breads were nice though. My Ossobuco Milanese with ozzy polenta was nicely cooked (like lamb, it fell apart) - however, it was tasteless, on the bone & fatty, very little of it and the polenta which was already very wet was made worse by the thin juices around it. You get nothing more on your plate unless you pay extra. My partner had the lamb/ricotta favioli from the specials board which was swimming in fatty lamb juices - not to my taste at all when I tried it but he finished it. Extremely disappointing - best thing was the wine. Fair dos the antipasti was nice but too little to share. I won't be recommending to my friends.

Chris (Unverified), 16/01/12

---

On top of the list of my "no go" places. The food is below average, and the prices seem to be cheap, but everything is billed as an extra. For example: If you order some cheese, it comes with no bread. You have to order that too, and pay extra. A very annoying and mediocre place.

Gabilein (Unverified), 10/10/11

---

Quite disappointed with the main meals. My mother had the cockles pasta and it would have been good if the cockles weren't filled with sand. I had the mushroom ravioli which was quite bland and the texture of the sauce didn't mix well together because it had some sort of crispy cheese sprinkles but everytime I took a bite of it, it felt like I was eating eggshells. The steak dish was not worth the money as it cost about 13 pounds for a handful of spinach and a couple of sliced steak in this extremely large empty plate comparing it to the amount of food that we got.

So overall it wasn't a good experience eating there and afterwards we were still hungry and ordered a takeaway which suggested that the portions were not filling at all.

Mann (Unverified), 21/04/11

---

Beyond disappointing! For someone who goes on about food so much you'd think his restaurant would have a clue. Pasta like rubber and a paste that is supposed to be bolognese. Service was nice but I came for good food, not... well, I have no idea how to further describe that tasteless, warm stodge. In this town you need to do way better with all the quality that abounds.

Dyson (Unverified), 13/04/11

---

What's happened? - I've eaten here twice before and on both occasions, the food was excellent. Tonight however, it was dire. I took my mother (for Mothers' day) and although we were seated immediately which was a good (and surprising) start, the food was just awful. Bruschetta was stone cold (bread should have been warm), overcooked sphaghetti was stuck together in a clump and the bolognese was dry. So disappointed - this place has gone seriously downhill and I, for one, would not want to eat there again.

Alison (Unverified), 04/04/11

---

Very disappointing! We'd seen the queues outside so thought we'd try Sunday lunch for our daughter's birthday. We arrived just before 12 and there was a queue outside even though the place was totally empty. (This is the Hard Rock Cafe principle I guess - make sure there's a queue to hype the place up.)

We did seriously consider going elsewhere but finally after 12 we were all allowed in. Staff very friendly, great decor but none of the dishes lived up to the wonderful descriptions in the menu. Our daughter's carbonara was unpleasant; thick strands of rubbery pasta in a tasteless sauce, hardly any bacon. We told the waitress who was very sweet and assumed we wouldn't be charged for this dish but we were. My wife's bolognaise was fair, a bit bland, but there was hardly any sauce! My ink linguini with scallops had about one scallop thinly sliced and the linguini in a tasteless sauce was so bland I had to ask for extra parmesan.

We started with the breads - a small tin cup of fresh breads and two bread sticks. This should have been free or part of the cover charge not over £3. The buscetta with sun-dried tomatoes was OK but over-priced. A weird experience. Everything over-hyped and weirdly tasteless.

Phil (Unverified), 13/02/11

---

Visited Jamie's again for lunch on a weekday and the experience was memorable. This is not a place where you can expect to have a quick lunch so put aside 2 hours to enjoy a culinary treat. We started with the vegetable plank for 2 people which was enough for 4. For mains we ordered the special spatchcock chicken which was served with mouth-watering grilled vegetables, the others ordered the lamb cutlets, the squid as a main and the fish in the bag which are standards on the menu. The wine was once again their Primitivo which is rich and delicious. For dessert, we had the espresso tart, the polenta cake and the cheescake which were divine. A rich and rewarding experience worthy of the price-tag.

Ileana (DI User), 22/09/10

---

Sadly we were very disappointed with the meal we had at Jamie's. It started well with the meat platter being accompanied by a good variety of breads, but the chilli in the arrabiatta was so hot it rendered the dish inedible (by us, at least). The specials board described a delicious lamb stew; it was tasty but the portion was so small that I was able to pull all of it to one side of the dish and leave the other side empty and I regretted not ordering more bread. Certainly not worth the £13.50 charged for it. I had to have a third course in order not to leave the restaurant still feeling peckish enough to eat another meal - and I rarely eat a pud.

A local. (Unverified), 12/09/10

---

This restaurant has good ambience, good food, and good service at a reasonable price. What more can one ask for. Well done Jamie and the team!

KIAN (Unverified), 28/08/10

---

It is a very overhyped place. I guess people should realise that in time. I have been there a couple of times; the atmosphere is always buzzing and it is very busy. I had ordered for the beef carpaccio as mains which I thought would be rare slices of fillet beef thinly sliced, but I thought what was served to me was bresoala cured beef hung for a period of time. My other half's catherine wheel sausage was charred. I think it is a beautiful high street concept but overhyped and expensive. Much better than other high street brands though.

shell (Unverified), 28/05/10

---

Given that the ambience and prices are quite glam in an earnest yuppie "real foodie" way, the food ought to be better. There are a number of very good "homemade" Italian eateries in Oxford, and after last night, despite the pretty and delicious starter platters, I think I'd always choose one of the alternatives as better value. When the menu uses that many superlatives about its own food, the food does need to be really rather good to cancel out one's reaction of "Oh yes?".

The pumpkin risotto definitely needed to be cooked for longer than mine was last night. The rice was really rather too al dente for me! I'm also not too sure about the amaretti biscuits crumbled on top. Interesting but a bit too sweet, given that there was only one chunk of pumpkin in the whole dish.

However, the starter meat and veg platters were tasty and attractive. And the panna cotta with rhubarb conserve was heavenly - I might go back and just have that!

One does get the feeling that one is being kept unnecessarily long at the bar in the hope that one will order more drinks. There seemed to be plenty of free tables when we finally got allowed downstairs. 

If you're going to have a gimmicky place where you offer "fabulous" rustic food with rustic levels of inconvenience (eg no booking) then you should make sure every dish really does something very special. Edamame is a good case in point - highly erratic opening hours and lots of queueing, but the food is to die for. For me, Jamie's didn't quite cut it.

One other thing - I think they should sell cheese and ham and preserved figs and their super-delicious peppery olive oil to take away - George Street SO needs a deli.

Minnie the Muncher (Unverified), 16/03/10

---

I was slightly dubious about eating at Jamie's Italian, as I know you can't book and didn't want to wait outside in the cold with our toddler. As it happens we were seated within 10 minutes of arriving in the queue (at 7pm on a Saturday) - the restaurant was very busy. The courteous and enthusiastic staff invited us to wait inside and apologised for not having a spare high chair but stacked two chairs together to put our little boy at table height, which was a nice touch. He was immediately given crayons and colouring book to keep him busy and the kids menu was varied and good value at £5. We enjoyed our meals and found the menu sufficiently varied and the food enjoyable. Price wise, it was reasonable and the atmosphere was bustly and lively. On the down side, my pasta portion was not very generous and some specials had run out. However, it is refreshing to be able to eat at a good restaurant which caters for families with young children. It really highlights how many other restaurants in this country lack family orientated dining.

Mark (Unverified), 09/03/10

---

My partner and I visited on a Weds night on the way to a film, thinking one and a half hours would be enough on a week night; the experience was pretty disappointing - we waited an hour before we actually got our food - 20 mins upstairs in the cramped bar with pushy people and nowhere to stand comfortably, and then more at the table downstairs. When the food arrived, the 'fish in a bag' I had ordered was really bland, and a really small piece of fish. My partner was more into his steak, but I wasn't that impressed by it. The sardine starter was literally about 6 pieces of sardine spread out over a plate - v. unexciting and pretty stingy. Yhe meal came to over £50. Good news is: there were lots of trailers at the start of the film, so we didn't miss the beginning. But that doesn't say much about Jamie's.

Imi (DI User), 04/02/10

---

Incredible: the sirloin steak (which my companion had) was simply divine, the fish in the bag (which I had) was full of delicious surprise, the crispy squid served with garlic oil was exquisite while the vegetarian plank and the bread basket were the most appetising and mouth-watering starters I've ever had! All this feast was washed down with the Italian Primitivo di Salento from the menu (wonderful flavour and body) and followed with the lemon ricotta cheesecake - possible the most refreshing dessert I had in a restaurant.

This review is not coming from a sycophantic Jamie fan (in fact I find the bloke's attempts at personalising the menu as naff as), but from a big skeptic who scorned and puffed at all those crowds queuing outside the restaurant every Friday and Saturday... in fact queuing added to the thrill especially when followed by an aperitif such as Milano (prosecco, campari and orange) while waiting at the bar for what was to come. One word: GO!

Monica (DI User), 18/01/10

---

My partner suggested we visit Jamie's Italian after having been impressed when she visited with a group for their Xmas meal. We arrived and were given a beeper so went off for a drink and returned about 8.30pm. The restaurant was about 2/3rds full.

Considering that this is Jamie's Italian menu, I was disappointed at the range of dishes available. The specials were all sold out. I expected something different from the menu but there were very few Italian main dishes: a range of pastas in various sauces but then steaks and a burger. So not off to a good start. The waitress was inattentive, so it took a while to get served and even longer to get a drink. About 15 minutes after ordering our antipasti starter arrived. Nothing special but bread was good.

It took a while for the waitress to collect the plates and then 45 minutes for the main course to arrive. We almost walked, wish we had. I had ordered pasta with a sauce, my partner lamb cutlets. The lamb cutlets arrived without any vegetables, something the waitress had not made us aware of; we would have ordered some if offered. Both dishes were barely warm and we sent them back. The manageress came over to apologise and tried to tell us that because the lamb cutlets were served 'pink' they wouldn't be hot. Come off it! Both meals had probably not been collected when the chef had called.

Second time around the meals were hot, mine seemed to have been reheated despite the offer to do them again. It was just plonked down without asking if we required parmesan etc. We didn't stay for dessert. Wasn't a lot of choice anyway. We won't be going back.

Geoff (DI User), 16/01/10

---

Disappointing all round. I ate here a couple of times when it first opened and it was okay food for the price but it has fallen drastically even from those hardly heady heights. The food last night was dreadful; rubbery pasta and muted flabours. The service was similarly lacklustre. The final nail in the coffin was the state of their stunningly designed toilets which obviously hadn't been cleaned in ages- there were several empty loo rolls and bits of paper on the dirty floor- a sure sign no once there cares any more. Jamie's good name will keep it ticking over with tourists but there are too many better options to waste money trying here again.

local (Unverified), 29/12/09

---

Never made it to a table. On arrival we walked in through the open door. The waiter didn't greet or welcome us but simply said "you need to join the back of the queue outside". We were then escorted to the back of the "queue" (two other people who been smoking out the front and didn't look much like a queue to us). We were then told "you'll wait here about half an hour to get into the bar. You can have a drink, then after another half an hour or so you'll get a seat". That was enough, we weren't interested in seeing any more. We turned on our heels and had a wonderful meal and evening elsewhere.

mmm food (Unverified), 20/10/09

---

Well, what can I say, except to agree with those few dissenters around. It feels almost like attacking Mother Theresa, given Jamie's good work towards better meals in schools and so, but having visited this restaurant on Sunday I am afraid I need to agree with what Francesco and Dr hoodlum said.

There was a lot of hype and a huge effort in making it feel like a really special experience, but the best part of my meal was the bread. I didn't have any pasta dishes, as being of Italian origins and travelling to Italy quite often I know that nothing can quite compare, so I decided to opt for main courses. Yawn... everything seemed to be accompanied by polenta, even when Italians would never really do so. For example the porchetta would have been better served accompanied by 'patate arrosto' and the polenta fritters I had were a novelty, though a very boring one. There was a lot of olive oil around, actually far too much. My flash steak was swimming in it, so much that even with a generous drizzle of lemon there was no way of lifting its flavour up. I guess Jamie wanted to recreate what in Italy is called a 'Paillard ai ferri', a simple yet elegant dish if properly done, consisting of the best quality meat (normally veal, but being in the UK, beef would do, I guess) with a drizzle (drizzle Jamie, did you get that? Not a deluge...) of olive oil and served with a wedge of lemon. His take on the paillard was accompanied by a salsa, which really did absolutely nothing to enhance the flavour of the meat, which was also tough. The final insult came with the espresso, which was really shamefully watery.

Given that this restaurant isn't cheap either, I can't honestly say that the value for money ratio was a high one. There was I must say a plus: the waiters are exceptionally nice and obliging, but one can hardly justify going to a restaurant because of this. Finally, I would tend to agree with the other comment that Carluccio's offers a much more authentic take on Italian cuisine than this place.

josh (Unverified), 07/09/09

---

We have eaten at Jamie's several times since the opening and been really impressed - until last week. Every aspect of the restaurant and the food had changed completely, for the worse. The conveyor belt processing of getting people to the bar, even when tables are free is now overt, but it is possible to avoid that by being firm.

Lots of staff, so service is quick but pretty formulaic. The meal was disappointing in every respect, all the portions have been reduced and some are really quite mean now for the prices charged. The bread, starters, side orders were a shadow of what was being served a few months ago, and one main course was virtually inedible - tough, stringy chicken.

Friends have had similar experiences so we won't be going back until we hear some good reports again, Oxford has too much choice and better restaurants to enjoy elsewhere.

fizzychris (Unverified), 02/09/09

---

Having read all the reviews and seen the queues, I had been looking forward to eating at Jamie's Italian for a long time. I finally got to go at the weekend but I'm afraid that it was all rather disappointing. Things began quite well with our shared starter of a bread tin with an oil and vinegar accompaniment and a vegetable antipasti plank. Among other things, the plank featured some fantastic buffalo mozzarella, lovely olives, a nice, light coleslaw and marinated veggies, and was probably the best part of our meal.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. My penne arrabiata was overcooked - not in the slightest bit al dente - and absolutely dripping in oil. I appreciate a little oil in my pasta but this was just swimming and the tomato sauce was completely overwhelmed. My partner had the crab fritti which, while tasty, was really more batter than crab - hardly the "lightly battered" as described on the menu. It was also tiny. With a minuscule accompaniment of coleslaw, this dish really wasn't worth £13.95.

On the side, I'd ordered "flash fried seasonal greens", which turned out to be a tiny bit of spinach and what looked like celery and onion, all cooked within an inch of their lives and so coated in salt that the dish was practically inedible. The one saving grace of our main course was a side of slow-cooked balsamic chick peas, which were very nice and the only thing worth eating. We tucked into these to stave off hunger!

On the whole, I felt rather let down by the whole experience, having hoped for a good quality, well-prepared, tasty meal. I've had much better food elsewhere! I can't help thinking that Jamie's Italian really is style over content, trading on the name and hype. The "authentic and affordable Italian" refrain that accompanies this place is meaningless and far from the truth - the food is overcooked, overseasoned and overpriced! Don't believe the hype, people - I recommend you take your custom elsewhere.

Dr Hoodlum (DI User), 22/07/09

---

My husband and I visited Jamie's Italian on 15.03.09 for an anniversary celebration meal. The service was friendly and the food was incredibly good. We had lamb chops and mushroom ravioli as our main course. The ravioli was mouth melting and lamb chops were fresh and juicy. The price was very reasonable. In fact it was cheaper than most gastro pubs in the UK with better quality food.

I give Jamie 10 on 10 for the quality of food, service and ambience in this restaurant.

We look forward to going back with family.

Murrays (Unverified), 25/03/09

---

I have now eaten at Jamie's Italian twice, once with family in Oxford, once with friends in Bath. What did I think? Both times were absolutely fantastic. The food is good and honest, no fancy items on the menu here (pricing reflects that). The recipes have clearly been honed and devised meticulously. I for one was not disappointed.

From my point of view, Jamie's Italian is not fine dining. Although it may look as though it is from the outside, Mr. Oliver really has stirred up a great recipe for a restaurant, a recipe likely to flourish into a very successful chain.
The other thing I really liked was the music, which in all honesty was refreshing. I suppose I am a little younger than the average restaurant goer; at twenty three I'm bound not to worry about a little light rock in the evening! Although of course that wasn't all being played, it was a complete mixture. I asked and was told that the playlists had actually been chosen by Mr. Oliver himself, which made sense to me: his restaurant, his choice, I guess!

Anyway enough about music! Basically put: if you enjoy good unpretentious food, have an open mind and want a casual unstuffy dining experience (at an incredibly competitive price) go to Jamie's, you might just enjoy yourself.

J.B. (Unverified), 19/01/09

---

We did lunch at Jamie's - it was superb. Had about a ten minute wait - not bad at all for a Friday lunchtime (and we coped quite nicely, with a glass of red whilst waiting). The food was delicious and the olives we had to start were gorgeous and so fresh - bread and dips also really tasty, different but most pleasing - the main course a small portion of pasta each with bolognese, which was more than enough to fill us up (don't think we could have managed the large portion). All in all, a very pleasing lunch and would definitely return again - definitely worth the money.

Monty (Unverified), 14/01/09

---

As an Italian lover of good food and Oxford resident of 20 years any exciting new Italian addition to the restaurant scene of a city that has an endless stream of freshers and tourists and therefore does not need to try, and indeed does not, is a matter of curiosity.

My son and I competed to be seated, via an aggressively marketed bar that did not have the limonata that was promised on the menu, for a very early dinner on a Friday. He opted for the bolognese, a classic and favourite of mine, which was darkly drenched in an overpowering wine sugo, entirely over-herbed and runny, certainly not al dente. Very English pseudo attempt at a bolognese, where the sauce should be a bright red, cling robustly to the pasta asciutta (meaning dry pasta) and the meat is minimal but simply tasty on account of the meat and tomato quality itself, without the need for copious lacings of herbs.

The polenta fritters were pleasantly croccanti, but rather tasteless and dry on the inside and would be better honoured by some dip. The side salad had pesto added and there is nothing I detest more than the British fascination with all food pestoed, leaving no room to taste the delicate natural flavours of the main ingredients.

I opted for the organic burger, which despite its good barbecued sapore and considerable price at around £10, arrived lonely on a plate in a soggy bun with some limp salad leaves and promptly fell apart in my hands, leaving me to eat it with a knife and fork.

Despite the relative failure of any Italian restaurant in Oxford to come up to the mark of your average joint in Italy, I would opt for a traditionalist such as Carluccio's any day.

Francesco (DI User), 30/11/08

---

We moseyed down George Street with the intention of feasting upon sushi, but saw Jamie's Italian en-route.
"Oooh. There's no queue... let's go in." "D'oh."
A waitress standing inside the door with a clipboard took our names and told us that there was a 25 minute wait. After a drink at a local pub, we returned only to be shown to the bar for more waiting. Methinks they wanted us to spend money at their bar. Cheeky monkeys. 10 minutes later, we were shown to our table.

Seats were comfy and table of suitable quality. However, we did notice a small tray of black powder and a crystalline substance on the table. Was it for snorting? No. It was salt and pepper, except that it was left in the open air. Amusing, but hardly hygienic. The décor was rather quaint with kitsch in the front window and items of food hanging from the ceiling.
My friend ordered the Wild Mushroom Ravioli and myself, the Pumpkin Ravioli. They arrived after a short wait. The meal was inoffensive on the taste buds, but rather lacking in amount. The presentation was acceptable but the method in which is was served (small amount in a high sided bowl) did not make it easy to consume with a knife and fork. The waitress hovered like an invigilator, and immediately asked us if we wanted the dessert menu before I chewed my last mouthful.

We paid, left a tip then departed elsewhere for dessert. All was hunky-dory.

All things considered, the positive experience was due to the company rather than the establishment. A quiet civilized meal out it is not. Having a conversation in there is unlikely to succeed due to the noise levels. The food was worth eating. I'd like to let it go down before leaving the table for another set of customers.

Pandora Cassandra Cooper (Unverified), 19/11/08

---

Finally we got the chance to visit Jamie's Italian in Oxford, having waited months to get in as everytime we've passed the queue has been ridiculously long, but last week we were incredibly lucky and just walked past the restaurant and got a table within 5 minutes. Having heard great things about the food and the staff from friends, I was expecting to be amazed and have a great dining experience, sadly that was not the case, perhaps in our case our young waitress was having an off day, as she wasn't at all attentive, she was quite rude in fact when taking our order and I felt incredibly rushed and unlike the other tables around us, who had their anti-pasti board described to them, she threw it on the table and rushed off. All in all though, aside from our waitress, I have to say the food was fantastic and the restaurant is lovely, we will return but next time we will request another waitress as that kind of spolit the evening for us!

John Davis (Unverified), 16/11/08

---

Got a table for 4 instantly [Monday 8.30pm], which felt lucky as it was pretty busy. Food was all truly excellent and reasonably priced. Service was almost disconcertingly quick. I lived in Italy for about 12 months and I'm quite fussy with Italian food. None of the other Italian restaurants in Oxford come close in terms of food quality. Gino's is a bit cheaper, has a more pleasant atmosphere and more genuine Italians working there, but the food at Jamie's is head and shoulders above any other competition.

Joss (Unverified), 11/11/08

---

As an innocent passer by, the sudden appearance in the George Street landscape of the mysterious “Jamie’s Italian” was a puzzle which had to be investigated. Craning my neck to see past the various “rustic” contents of the window (swinging hams, cheeses, and a few impressively misshapen seasonal legumes) I was confronted with the disgruntled face of a young woman who was operating an enormous pasta machine in the middle of the (by now slightly floury) restaurant. Suppressing the first warning bleeps of my irritating “gimmick radar” at the incredibly inappropriate location of this pasta-woman, I decided to investigate further, persuading various family members to accompany me that very evening.

The restaurant has a no reservation policy, designed, so the website informs me, to “keep things simple”. Simple was about the farthest description from my mind of the start of our evening. Arriving at the unappetising hour of 6, our name was added to a 45 minute waiting list scribbled down in pencil by an elegant but stressed woman, who ushered us into an overcrowded bar area, where my sister (still blissfully young enough to do such things) resorted to sitting on the floor. We stood propped up against what looked like a bar, but what we soon discovered was actually a barrier between us and the kitchen. Like the pasta production display of that afternoon, I wondered over the practicality of such a public display of food preparation, as my father was informed by a chef that the bread sticks he had been contentedly helping himself to from the counter were actually kitchen ingredients not bar snacks for the waiting masses.

Having never previously visited a “celebrity” restaurant, I was struck by the fact that the food was by no means the only thing up for sale her; recipe books, t-shirts and even Oliver-endorsed olive oil were all up for grabs, and pictures of the man himself littered the walls. The menu was equally Jamie-esque, with dishes described as “lush”, and “loadsa” used as a frequently reoccurring quantifier. Looking down the menu, I was surprised by the degree to which Jamie had stuck to pasta based dishes, although the prices were admirably reasonable, sticking to the restaurant's policy of making “fresh, quality dishes that are quickly produced.”

The waitress took our order on what looked like a blackberry, (a wise choice to bring a little technology to this aspect of the Italian country fare!) which meant that we could be informed immediately that the last lasagne had just been sold. Our appetiser of the (now paid for) bread sticks arrived unfortunately close to our mains, which were for the most part tasty and filling. Particular praise must be given to the meltingly delicious mozzarella in my side salad. During our meal the service was rushed but friendly, again testimony to the fact that this restaurant was never really intended to be an upmarket eatery, but rather a drop in place where you could get a good solid meal for under a tenner.

To a certain extent Oliver has been floored by his celebrity status. The people who visit “Jamie’s Italian” are expecting a more relaxed and pampered experience than the restaurant intends to provide you with - they certainly don’t expect to be delivered a half full bottle of wine by mistake, or to have to ask to turn the music down so that conversation is made possible (both of which we unfortunately experienced) . As we pushed our way out through the waiting masses (it was only 8:30!) I asked my boyfriend, who takes a far greater interest in all things food than I do, what he thought. He replied that to be honest, his meal wasn’t anything that he couldn’t have knocked up for himself in half an hour. I stopped and considered this, and realised that he was right, but that his criticism was the flipside of the exact reason everyone loves this charismatic chef: his cookery is based around good simple recipes that people can recreate at home. The naked chef’s philosophy has made him a sensational success through his cook books, but ultimately will never translate to the “fine dining” experience people expect of a celebrity’s restaurant.

Harriet Fitch Little (Unverified), 10/11/08

---

I think I expected too much - I had heard great reviews, heard about the ridiculous queues and, naively perhaps, associated Jamie's good name with inspired informal food. I shouldn't really have been sucked in by the hullabaloo that surrounded its recent opening as it was always going to be something of a let-down - after all it's only really a cafe/bistro that doesn't take reservations. Overall though, I think it's vastly over-rated and too expensive. Then again, central Oxford is a bit of a restaurant waste-land and somewhere different and new is always welcome.

I visited for a late lunch and was relieved that the much pulicised queue was not in evidence and we were able to get a seat straight away. Also luckily for us this was at the rear of the restaurant with a wall to one side so the equally well documented noise-levels were less of an issue. I thought the decor was quite nice - a little dark maybe but all the more cosy for it. The waitress plonked a carafe of tap water down straight away which is always nice.

We started with bread and olives plus some deep-fried polenta which whilst sounding interesting, were rather bland. The focaccia bread was very good though. As it was lunch it was pizza and pasta all round so I didn't get to sample one of the more substantial mains (maybe that's where this place excels?). My pasta was disappointing. It was mushroom ravioli and like most supermarket ravioli or tortellini it had no particular taste and was way too soft for my liking. It also came as a rather meagre portion. I was even more disappointed by the taglatelle one of my friends had which I thought I could have knocked up at home in 5 mins - but maybe that's the deal here - its easy no-frills food that people can associate with. Either way it was too expensive.

As a last point, and something which made me want to be sick was that someone on the table next to us was buying a Jamie Oliver t-shirt to take home with her. This Hard Rock Cafe style of brand marketing is really sad and devalues the place in my eyes. Then again, I'm sure Jamie isn't bothered as the queues continue to snake down George Street.

Joe B (Unverified), 11/10/08

---

We had some friends up from Brighton with thier kids and went out together with our young child. We were very relieved to walk in and get a table as we have seen people queuing before (not a pretty sight over the rain soaked summer).

Service was competent and reasonably efficient. The food, I'm afraid, was a bit of a curate's egg - the starter planks were pricey for what they were although tasty. Our main courses were OK but not something you couldn't get elsewhere in Oxford for 20-30% cheaper. We were particulalry annoyed that a main course in a Jamie's is not even a balanced meal. You have to buy vegetables as extras which adds considerably to already high-end Italian priced food. This is paradoxical since the self-appointed saviour of the British diet goes on and on about our poorly balanced cooking and lack of greens. The irony was that the staff were handing out badges to kids saying 'I eat all my greens at Jamies'. What the badges should have said were 'I ate all my greens at Jamies but my parents had to pay extra for them'.

The other problem is the noise of the place. We found it diffcult to have a conversation across the table with the loud music and had a baby who was asleep. We asked for the music to be turned down but it never was and we were told they couldn't - it was the policy to have the music at that level. It masde the meal very unpleasant, woke the baby and hastened our exit (probably the intention in the first place - so as to increase table turnover)

I for one will be giving Jamie's a miss in the future.

Mary Ellen (DI User), 27/09/08

---

Food delicious and well presented, but the din unendurable.

Peter (Unverified), 23/09/08

---

We went to Jamie's Italian for lunch recently, and even just after midday it was very busy. Having said that the service was excellent and the food very, very good (esp for Oxford which I've found to be a bit of a desert for good food). The bread was nice, fresh and served quickly. My main course of wild mushroom ravioli was delicious.
The dessert - tiramisu, also was really nicely done and tasty.
I thought the prices were reasonable, and I've not had a better Italian meal in Oxford.
Will definitley go back once the clamour dies down!

anwers (DI User), 03/09/08

---

Personally I will be giving this place a VERY wide berth in future, and recommending my friends do so.

Good old Jamie's nearly ruined my pre-wedding dinner by messing up my booking, which they denied all knowledge of, despite my having been in, in person, to book. Thank goodness I rang on the morning to confirm my `booking`.

To make matters worse, the `customer service` person I spoke to seemed to take great pleasure in telling me how my booking SHOULD have been made and taken. She also seemed unable to appreciate that I might just be upset at being told there was no table when ringing 9 hours before my meal was due to take place, so that I now had the task of finding somewhere else at short notice AND having to let ten other diners know.

She also explained at great length that if they tried to accommodate us (despite their cock up!) it would slow down service to the rest of the restaurant! I do find it so tiresome when other people's incompetence becomes my problem.

jirre (DI User), 15/08/08

---

We had an amazing experience at Jamie's Italian. How refreshing to have Waiting staff who know about the food they are serving! We had the anti pasti plank and were wonderfully informed about all of the meats, the cheeses and where they came from. When the main courses arrived we were blown away by the steak - so tender! (Apparantly from the beef being hung for 21 days to relax the sinews, the waitress is a gem!) The skinny fries left a little to be desired but the wild mushroom ravioli made up for this - a rich and delectable sensation.
Good, knowledgable service, tasty food and tasty prices.

Sox (Unverified), 03/08/08

---

Having seen the entrance to the restaurant looking uncomfortably crowded when we had walked past earlier in the afternoon, we were pleasantly surprised to be seated immediately when we returned at 5:30pm today. Deciding what to order from the menu was a little challenging at first, given the powers of concentration required to block out the constant noisy din that pervades the restaurant and which initially made conversation quite difficult. However our waiter was attentive, and after a while we simply got used to the high noise level. Our shared starter of olives and 'music bread' appeared rapidly, and was very tasty, and was quickly followed by our mains - tagliatelle genovese with a side of green salad, and flash steak with a side of crunchy seasonal root salad. Both dishes were attractively presented, with very pretty garnishing touches, and the portions themselves were hearty - by the end I was too full to even finish my meal. My companion thoroughly enjoyed their steak, and thought it represented good value for money, and while I enjoyed my pasta I was a little disappointed that it hadn't been more flavourful.

Overall the experience of eating at Jamie's Italian was enjoyable. The prices are at the top-end of the high street restaurant scale, but I think if you are on a budget, then with prudent choices it would be possible to enjoy a substantial meal for around the £10 mark.

C Oxford (Unverified), 27/07/08

---

Incredible! Finally I peservered to get in and yes....it was well worth it.The staff were genuinely friendly and whether true or not - they were helpful. Myself and the other half had a great meal that was decently priced and made the price of parking worthwhile!

Well done Jamie and please keep your standards high - there's nothing better in Oxford.

Sentance4 (Unverified), 18/07/08

---

I had the spag bol - large portion. Fantastically good actually - but not generous enough in size I'm afraid to say - whilst slightly steep in price. The other 1/2 had the pasta with prawns in (can't remember the name) which she certfied to be exceptionally good (she has high standards and so was praise enough). Nevertheless the price again was steep (£9.50).

I'm afraid this place does have drawbacks though - the queue is long - although I feel our 30min at lunch wasn't too bad. The acoustics poor and the chairs not great. Also, Signor Oliver is often wont to sing the praises of Italian fare from Italy - if he wants to bring these customs over properly he should at least give bread (at least 1 bowl) for free. This is imperative if the service continues to be on the slow side - otherwise the customers get hungry and cross.

Jolly Roger (Unverified), 17/07/08

---

Jamie's Italian - what's the fuss? I was expecting a great dining experience but I was not impressed by the food. The service was friendly but the waitress seemed rushed, tired and sweaty. The starter of crispy polenta chips did not come with any sauce but I was offered garlic mayonnaise when I asked for it. I was about to order the lasagne but was told that there was none left and then ordered the sausage papardelle, I could not see any sausage and it was just pasta with a bit of sauce and so was very expensive at £9.50, and I was not offered any parmesan or pepper as have been offered at other restaurants. The dessert of panacotta was nice but was not as nice as I had expected. So was not impressed by the food and would not go again. When the bill came, they had mistakenly not charged for the desserts which was the best bit about the whole experience and even then I thought the food was a waste of money.

K.T. (DI User), 16/07/08

---

We went to Jamie's Italian on a Saturday night at 10pm. We waited at the bar for a table for only 5 minutes. I ordered some peach bellinis and was disapointed to find them warm and flat.

The rest of the meal very good and reasonably priced, however I do not agree with others that the banana brownie was "heavenly" as I was very disappointed - I was not expecting dried banana that was impossible to chew and could be classed as a choking hazard.

OG (Unverified), 15/07/08

---

Mrs Harkness and I have been twice to Jamie's place in the last week. Seeing as some people seem to have had long waits it's probably worth sharing our experience. The first time was on a Sunday at about 6pm - we had to hang out in the bar for about 15 mins. The second time was on a Tuesday at 10pm, and we walked straight in and were taken directly to a table for two.

We have found the service on both occasions to be exceptional. The waiters and waitresses know the menu well, and seem intelligent and charming. They seem genuinely interested in whether you are enjoying the food, and are keen to share their own likes and dislikes on the menu. So no complaints there.

One dish I would single out is the grilled tuna steak salad - beautifully seared yellow fin tuna accompanied by a delightful salad of green beans, olives, tomatoes, fennel, and pesto dressing. It's to die for.

The place is buzzing, and looks like it will have a bright future. A great addition to the Oxford restaurant scene!

Captain Jack Harkness (DI User), 02/07/08

---

I completely disagree with Anemtima's review. We visited this week and found the service, and the food, very good indeed. I had the tiramisu and it wasn't covered in honey! It was yummy in fact. True, we had to wait outside for a little bit (half an hour max) but once we were inside we were quickly found a table and the staff were attentive and swift. The food was great and we were surprised by how reasonable the prices were - great food, great price!

I guess everyone has different experiences but what I'm trying to say is, don't let the bad reviews put you off trying Jamie's Italian - you'd be missing out!

Foodie (Unverified), 28/06/08

---

I didn’t expect to be completely blown away by Jamie’s Italian, but I did expect well-prepared, real Italian food, and good service. What we got was an hour’s wait for a table, someone jumping the queue and taking our table, and then dire, immeasurably slow service. Perhaps all this is forseeable given how absurdly popular they are in this, their first month of business - but there's no way that a dinner for two should take 3 hours, no matter how busy you are. When we complained we were met with an unfortunate attitude and no satisfaction.

The "authentic Italian food" was nothing of the sort: the starter had so much garlic in it that it was inedible, and our mains were like something instant from Tesco. I had the tortellini which, despite the waiter’s affirmation that it was in a sauce, was very dry. The desserts (which arrived seconds before we were going to storm out in sheer frustration) were average and, for some reason, covered in honey. Why would anyone cover tiramisu with honey?!

If you want a really good Italian dinner, you can find one on the Cowley Rd, St  Clements, Summertown, Gloucester Green, and other places besides. Chances are your experience will be far, far better.

anemtima (Unverified), 25/06/08

---

Ok, so this place is currently ludicrously popular, with queues outside, and a typical wait of an hour for a table. An obvious drawback, but once the "oh my god, it's Jamie Oliver!" fever dies down, I'm hoping this will change. Besides, popularity is not really a fair thing to criticise somewhere for. If you are prepared to queue and wait, then you'll find that the food is excellent, the staff friendly, the prices reasonable and the ambience lively. The food tastes genuinely fresh and hand-prepared, rather than the generic boring stuff normally served up in Italian places in this price bracket.

I'm looking forward to the initial bedlam dying down, as when (/if) it does, this will become somewhere I go fairly regularly. As it is, I can't wait 90 minutes for a meal on a regular basis.

TomD (DI User), 20/06/08

---

We thought a Tuesday evening at 6.15pm would be a good time to get a table here. We waited for 1 hour and 45 mins (!!!) and when we asked how much longer it would be until we got a table, the manager was rude, and at no point was there any form of apology. When we finally got a table we were asked for our orders bfore we got a menu, the service was incredibly slow, and each course of food arrived before the cutlery. The bread arrived 10 minutes after the starter.

Basically, the food is nice nough, but not worth putting up with the absolutely awful service for. If you do go for an evening meal, the queue seemed to die down after about 8:30pm, but there are so many other restaurants where you can have equally good food, and not spend over 4 hours getting it, that I doubt we'll be trying to eat here again.

cathy (Unverified), 17/06/08

---

I have to say I was actually quite impressed by this new addition to the Oxford eating scene.

The service was extremely friendly and efficient, and we felt very welcome. It is perhaps a tad too noisy for an "oldie" like myself and I did find making conversation rather hard work but otherwise the experience was a very positive one.

The food was excellent and did not feel like the usual generic bland rubbish on offer in most "italian" chains. My starter of real "Mozarella di Bufalla" with Pesto was absolutely delicious, creamy and soft, with a wonderful texture, and the Pesto was the best I have had anywhere outside of Italy: sharp, crunchy and with a fresh bite to the basil, a very well balanced mix of flavours and not oily or cloying as in so many restaurants.

My carpaccio salad also proved a real success for "fresh" food, a very generous plate of deliciously cured beef with some rocket, and raddichio leaves, excellent parmesan, and grilled almonds for texture and a light and almost ethereal dressing.

The "brunette" declared himself very happy with his prosciutto salad too and the pine nuts added a real depth to the dish. Friends had a large and generous "plank" of cured meats which was deemed "delicious" and both the Parpadelle with sausage and linguine with King Prawns and Chilli also worked well.

The Banana Brownie was excellent and the accompanying ice-cream tasty and tasting as if vanilla pods had actually come in contact with it! A miracle! I would strongly recommend "Genarro's orange tart" which was gorgeous. Sharp, tangy and deliciously moreish, a perfect end to a pretty good meal. Water was offered to us without having to ask for it (and replenished as needed) - another bonus in my opinion.

Jamie's Italian might not be quite the real thing but it comes pretty close to it. Prices were more than fair, portions generous, and the quality of ingredients showed through. I felt the meal had been put together by someone who loved and understood real food and who actually cooked from fresh, to order and with respect for good fresh ingredients, an increasing rarity in a modern world of gastro-blandness and monoblock cluture.

Apart from the noisy room (bad acoustics perhaps) my only quibble would be having to be charged for bread (this goes for most restaurants in the UK). Bread is a staple and one which should be provided as part of the meal. I suspect riots would break out in Italy or France should anyone try to charge for bread! We must demand better in England.

Jamie's Italian is definitely somewhere I will go back to and I hope the high standards and reasonable prices will be kept. A very enjoyable dining experience and one I would recommend to friends and relatives.

Pamplemousse (Unverified), 11/06/08

---

I was not impressed by Jamie's Italian at all. It was decently priced but the food was either over seasoned or bland. For starters, we had the bruschetta. The toppings were nice,but we could only eat half of the bread as it was burnt. For mains, we had the Ravioli Caramelle (pumpkin ravioli) which were dry and the sauce extremely salty. For pudding, we were looking forward to a great tiramisu, as we always have tiramisu at Italian restaurants, but were greatly disappointed! The layers were uneven, tasteless and the presentation was awful.

The service was also appalling. There were too many waiters who had no idea what was going on - every five minutes we would see a new member of staff pass our table. We were obliged to ask several times for a simple glass of water and had to wait for about 15 minutes between dishes. There was only one waitress who deserves any credit who eventually made our lunch vaguely comfortable.

The restaurant is slightly overcrowded, but with a unique decor. However, one thing I did love was the bar - it looked amazing!

spaxzio (DI User), 10/06/08

---

We had lunch at Jamie's Italian today and the food was incredible! A decent menu with a good range of dishes (no pizza though) and the service was efficient and friendly. We did have to wait 30 minutes for a table and the bar area (where we were encouraged to hang out), was absolutely packed, but it was well worth the wait.

The banana brownie was goopy heaven (so make sure you save space) and do pay a visit to the old school toilets where you'll get your hands blasted off by the driers!

I'll be recommending Jamie's Italian to my friends and I'm already looking forward to going back.

BeepBeep (Unverified), 06/06/08

---