My list of independent London restaurants is never ending, but sometimes a high quality, dependable chain restaurant can really hit the spot.
Jamie’s Italian is one of my preferred choices, as well as Carluccio’s, for hearty Italian food made well with good ingredients. I’ve always enjoyed my meals at Jamie Oliver restaurants, including Fifteen in Cornwall, so I was keen to see if the Jamie magic was still alive at his Covent Garden restaurant in St. Martin’s Courtyard.
The first Jamie’s Italian opened in Oxford back in 2008 and it clearly remains popular – the Covent Garden restaurant was reassuringly busy, even for an early evening midweek dinner.
The friendly, attentive staff sat us at a comfortable corner booth where we had a good view of the restaurant and the tempting dishes that were coming out of the kitchen. On the day we dined, there was a raging storm outside, so we were much in need of some serious comfort food and shelter from the rain.
To start, we shared a Fresh Crab Bruschetta (£6.85), which turned out to be a good idea as it was quite substantial. Fresh, flaky white and brown crab meat was lightly dressed with crunchy sliced fennel, served on charred sourdough toast. It was finished with thin slices of fresh red chilli for a bit of a kick and I liked the addition of shaved lemon zest to brighten the flavours.
Pasta at Jamie’s Italian is a real must, so I went for my all-time favourite pasta dish – Tagliatelle Bolognese (£10.75). I make a pretty good Bolognese at home, so I rarely order it in restaurants in case it’s underwhelming, but Jamie’s Bolognese is a cut above the rest. The mountain of tagliatelle was cooked perfectly al dente and the beef ragu was rich and juicy with plenty of lean meat, topped with herby breadcrumbs (a clever addition that I’ll be trying at home) and lots of fresh Parmesan.
Steven’s Penne Carbonara (£10.95) was just as tasty and satisfying with a creamy, garlicky sauce, chunky strips of rustic pancetta, buttered leeks and fresh herbs. It’s a super indulgent dish and quite a treat, if you can handle the richness.
For dessert, I tried a light and summery Chocolate, Pear and Honeycomb Pavlova (£5.95). The delicate yet chewy meringue was exemplary, topped with light-as-air whipped cream, sticky chocolate sauce, crunchy honeycomb pieces and a sliver of poached pear. It was simple and well-suited to those with a sweet tooth – I could’ve easily eaten more of it.
Steven went for a typically Italian Sour Cherry and Almond Tart (£5.95). The moist, dense almond sponge with baked sour cherries was set inside buttery golden pastry, topped with toasted almonds and served with whipped honey cream and crumbled Amaretti biscuits. It was a substantial, fragrant dessert that rounded off the meal nicely.
Jamie’s Italian really fixed my Italian comfort food craving and I can see myself visiting again to try more of the seasonally-changing menu and some cocktails the next time I want to escape the Covent Garden crowds.
Chérie City was invited by Jamie’s Italian
Photos by Chérie City (interiors by Jamie’s Italian)
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