Jamie’s Italian Restaurant Review

I’m a huge fan of Jamie Oliver, whether it’s because of his apparent love for Mediterranean-infused dishes, or his simplistic approach to elaborate meals that can be replicated by many. But, his mantra towards advocating a healthy food education for kids was what touched my heart more than anything. As a father of four children, it’s clear that he has a strong intention to involve his children in his cookery, in order to set them up with strong, lasting knowledge of good and bad food. And, he’s extended those expertise towards parents, so they can, in turn, teach their children the value of nutritious and tasty food – yes, children, healthy food can, indeed, taste good!

So, of course, I was extremely excited to review Jamie’s Italian restaurant, situated in Westfield’s Stratford City, a bustling pace full of multi-culture, and see whether his passion for great, simple and healthy food had translated to his many restaurants.

Who’s Jamie Oliver?

Born on 27 May 1975, Jamie took an early interest in food. He grew up in Essex, where his parents, Trevor and Sally, still run their own highly respected pub/restaurant, The Cricketers, in Clavering. Jamie was frequently found helping out in the kitchens where his fascination for food grew and at 16 he left school to complete his training at Westminster Catering College. After spending some time working in France, followed by a stint at Antonio Carluccio’s Neal Street Restaurant (where he first met mentor Gennaro Contaldo), Jamie joined the acclaimed River Café where he worked for three and a half years alongside Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers.

In 1997, Jamie was featured in a television documentary about the River Café. Soon after the documentary was aired, Jamie was offered his own television show and The Naked Chef was born. By the end of 2001, Jamie wanted to ‘give something back’ to the catering industry and decided to open a training restaurant for young people who were not in full time education or employment.

In 2004, motivated by the poor state of school dinners in UK schools, Jamie embarked on one of his most ambitious ventures to date. He went back to school with the aim of educating and motivating the kids and dinner ladies to enjoy cooking and eating healthy, nutritious lunches rather than processed foods that they were used to. Jamie launched a national campaign called ‘Feed Me Better’ (www.feedmebetter.com) and launched an online petition for better school meals. As a result of the 271,677 signatures on the petition, which Jamie took to 10 Downing Street on 30^th March 2004, the government pledged an extra £280 million to improve the standard of school meals, to provide training for dinner ladies and equipment for schools.

Jamie Oliver is a phenomenon in the world of food and one of the world’s best-loved television personalities, as well as one of Britain’s most famous exports. Jamie has inspired people to spend more time enjoying cooking delicious food from fresh ingredients.

And, so Jamie’s Italian was born

Jamie’s Italian was founded in Oxford in 2008. Since then it has grown to more than 30 restaurants worldwide, and there are plans to build more in towns, counties and countries around the world.

Jamie’s Italian is inspired by Jamie’s passion for the Italian way of life:

“Since I was a teenager I’ve been totally besotted by the love, passion and verve for food, family and life itself that just about all Italian people have, no matter where they’re from or how rich or poor they might be. And that’s what I’m passionate about – good food for everyone, no matter what… but the thing I love most about the Italians is that somehow, although they have some of the best fashion designers and cars in the world, they’ve managed to retain a unique sense of tradition and village spirit.”

Jamie’s Italian’s menu contains authentic, rustic dishes created using tried and tested recipes. Jamie’s friend and mentor, Gennaro Contaldo, has added substance to what is now the essence of Jamie’s Italian – tradition combined with current, innovative ideas and a Jamie twist.

The ingredients used are sourced from producers, both in Italy and around the UK, and the staff are trained to have a thorough knowledge of all the dishes served at Jamie’s Italian. The restaurant is designed to be accessible and affordable, where everyone feels welcomed and comfortable, no matter the time of day. Each restaurant is uniquely designed to incorporate the history of the building and personality of the city, as well as creating an environment where the focus is on exceptional food, good company and the relaxed conviviality of the “Italian table.”

Jamie’s Italian’s Website and Social Networking Sites:

Website –    Jamie’s Italian Stratford

Facebook –     https://www.facebook.com/JamiesItalianUK

Twitter –     https://twitter.com/jamiesitalianuk

Instagram –     http://instagram.com/jamiesitalianuk

Food Tube –     http://www.youtube.com/user/JamieOliver

Drinks Tube –     https://www.youtube.com/user/JamiesDrinksTube

Reviewers:

Leyla Preston of motherhooddiaries.com

Tomas Preston – Hubby and Photographer (Tomas Preston Photography)

Aron (3 ½ years)

Aidan (2 ½ years)

Review:

Considering we live at the other end of London (North West), we figured it was going to be a long drive to Stratford City, but it was only a 50 minute journey by car, despite the heavy traffic. We initially struggled to find Jamie’s Italian restaurant, which was actually situated outside of Westfield’s centre, in the food court, and we had to walk around a little bit before we found the restaurant tucked away in the corner, opposite John Lewis’ large store.

As soon as we entered Jamie’s Italian restaurant, the rustic Mediterranean atmosphere was overcoming. The building is decorated with authentic Italian hams and other various condiments and the wooden flooring and glass frontage of the restaurant allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle of Westfield and relax by the window or alfresco in the Four Dials square in front of the restaurant. We were directed to sit in the middle of the restaurant downstairs, with easy access to the disabled toilet.

After a few hiccups with the booking reservation, which was quickly sorted out, we were handed our menus, including two 3D Image Binoculars for the kids that displayed the kids’ menu inside and some crayons, complete with colouring in sheets of paper (which hubby took a particular interest in).

We had lots of fun choosing the kids’ meals and we ended up ordering the following:

	For the Kids	Nutritional and Meal Information	Price	For the Parents	Nutritional Information	Price
Starters	Artisan Italian Breads	308.6 Calories –Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans   Homemade rosemary focaccia, sourdough, music bread & grissini with olive oil, balsamic & sun-dried tomato & olive tapenade.	£3.85
Main Meal	Spaghetti Bolognese	The old-school sauce made with beef and pork, tossed in homemade spaghetti.	£5.95	Superfood Salad with grilled chicken	367.7 / 502.1 calories – suitable for vegetarians and Gluten free.Avocado, fennel, garden leaves, shredded asparagus & courgettes with candied beets, cime di rapa & a mix of grains, shoots, nuts & seeds. Served with smashed cannellini bean, hummus, cottage cheese & fennel blossom harissa.	£13.95
	Mini Sliders	Organic chicken & beef patties with soft lettuce and a tomato, served in a seeded bun with baked crinkle-cut wedges.	£5.95	The Jamie’s Italian Burger with chips	1033 calories – contains sesame, Milk, Egg, Gluten, Wheat, Lactose and Chilli. Suitable for gluten free if served without the burger bun.Prime British chuck & flank steak with smoked mozzarella, mortadella, balsamic onions, tomato, pickles & chillies.	£13.45
	Chicken Lollipops	Three free-range organic chicken fillets, chargrilled & served with a lemony yoghurt, crunchy mixed seeds & baked crinkle-cut wedges.	£5.95	Posh Chips		£3.35
Desserts	Chocolate Ice Cream		£0.50	Tiramisu	698 calories – vegetarian.Contains Milk, Egg, Gluten, Wheat, Lactose, Alcohol, added sulphites.   Coffee-flavoured trifle with orange mascarpone & chocolate.	£5.25
	Vanilla Ice Cream		£0.50	Epic Homemade Brownie	746 calories – vegetarian.Contains nuts, milk, egg, gluten, wheat, lactose, soya   Warm fudgy brownie with salted caramel ice cream & caramelised amaretti popcorn.	£5.25
Drinks	Apple Juice x 2		FREE	Porta Leone Pinot Rosé Spumante 11%	Nicely balanced pink fizz.	£5.70
	Mineral Water (750ml)		£3.95	Moretti 4.6%	Bottled	£4.20
				Limonata		£2.55
				Cappuccino		£2.55
TOTAL						£82.90

The boys were apparently very hungry, so we decided to order three kids’ meals (the Spaghetti Bolognese, Mini Sliders and Chicken Lollipops) and share the third amongst ourselves in case the boys couldn’t eat it. The waiter was fantastic, offering healthy and attractive options for the boys and even adding on a little extra service, kindly informing us that the apple juices were free and that the boys would love the selection of breads – and so we went for that. The drinks were brought on first and the boys downed their apple juices, not listening to us parents warning them that they’d be full before dinner or that they’d have nothing to drink during their meal. The apple juice tasted fresh, but sweet and we considered ordering them another, but we thought better of it. I tucked my Limonata away, knowing full well the boys would drink it anyway, and enjoyed my Prosecco with a raspberry inside – it was quite strong!

Artisan Italian Breads, £3.85 (Starters)

We opted for the Artisan Italian Breads selection for starters, which were fresh and delicious and garnished with lemon juice, garlic and rosemary. There were a wide variety of breads displayed next to our table and Aron kept calling on the waiter to have him deliver the ’round’ bread on show. The waiter was very patient and calmly explained that they were just on display and that the Artisan Italian Breads they had ordered were much tastier. Six points to the waiter who had managed to steer Aron away, so that he could concentrate on his own starter, which he thoroughly enjoyed. I managed to try out a little bit of all of them and the soft bread went perfectly with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a pair that I’ve always lovingly complemented with my toasted bread in the mornings.

We had about a fifteen minute wait before the main meals arrived, which all came at once, and we were pleasantly surprised at the amount of food that we were provided on the dishes. I thought to myself that there was no way the boys could finish all of their three meals, but, boy, was I wrong!

(From top left to bottom right – The Jamie’s Italian Burger with Chips, Superfood Salad with Grilled Chicken, Posh Chips, Side Salad, Aidan tucking into his Mini Sliders, Grilled Chicken from the Chicken Lollipops Kids’ Meal, Mini Sliders, Mini Sliders Pattie, Aron enjoying Spaghetti Bolognese).

The Superfood Salad with Grilled Chicken, £13.95 (Main Dish)

Being Mediterranean myself, the food suited me to a T. The Superfood Salad was simply amazing and actually filled me up completely. The grilled chicken complemented the zesty salad and the avocado balanced the overall taste of the dish perfectly. I even struggled to complete the meal as I was quite comfortably stuffed. I don’t think I’ve ever been ‘full’ on a salad at a restaurant before. If I could feel this satisfied after a meal like the Superfood Salad – the healthiest main meal on the menu – then Jamie’s Superfood Salad is real nutritional value for money in my eyes.

The Jamie’s Italian Burger with Chips, £13.45 (Main Dish)

Hubby really tucked into his burger and chips and commented that the meal had a real home-made feel to it. The burger contained less salt and the meat was juicy. But, hubby mentioned that he struggled to understand why the burger was sitting on a paper napkin, which he cut into and almost ate a few times. I mentioned that it was probably the restaurant’s way of minimising the cleaning job afterwards and that the napkin kept the wooden platter clean. Hubby was unimpressed with this notion…

Aron’s Spaghetti Bolognese, £5.95 (Kids Meal)

Aron has always been a huge fan of Spaghetti Bolognese, despite not being a meat eater. It’s been the only way I can get meat into his diet at home, so I thought it was the safest option on the menu. I pictured a small dish with a few bits of spaghetti and a little bit of meat being brought out, so ordering the third kids meal was originally meant for Aron in mind. But, when the waiter brought over a large bowl of spaghetti, I thought that it was the perfect size for Aron’s large appetite. I snuck in a taste of the Spaghetti Bolognese and I found it to be slightly bland, but Aron polished the whole meal and even asked for seconds (see!) I offered him some of Aidan’s Chicken Lollipops, but he insisted on eating hubby’s leftover bread and the buns left on Aidan’s Mini Slider patties. Jamie’s Spag Bol had passed the ‘Aron Taste Test’ and scored a huge thumbs up from hubby and I.

Aidan’s Mini Sliders, £5.95 (Kids Meal)

Aidan took great enjoyment in tucking into the meat inside the patties. He left the buns to Aron as he’s not much of a bread eater (sometimes I wish I could marry the two boys’ protein and carbs preference to create one perfect appetite). The dish was presented really well with a cute ‘Jamie’s Italian’ flag skewing the patties to keep them upright. The meat was well cooked and the chips were gorgeous – soft and not greasy. Aidan even tried the Balsamic/olive oil sauce and enjoyed it – he is a true Mediterranean.

Aidan’s Chicken Lollipops, £5.95 (Kids Meal)

When I say Aidan is a chicken fiend, I mean that Aidan would choose chicken over chocolate (perhaps not ice cream). Aidan would meticulously pick out all the chicken bits in some of the meals I make at home and give the rest of the meal to Aron. So, it is but a mere understatement that Chicken Lollipops were the perfect choice for Aidan on the menu.

True to form, Aidan took his time carefully nibbling at the skewers to ensure none went to waste and when asked if I could try some, he pushed his patties at me. So, unfortunately I never got the chance to try the chicken, which did look tender, but cooked well. However, if Aidan had managed to easily polish off his four skewers of chicken, then the Chicken Lollipops were, no doubt, a success, even if they were being lovingly received by a loyal chicken fan. Four thumbs up from Hubby and I.

Dessert

After the meals were devoured, I thought that there was no way the boys had the stomach for dessert, but as soon as the waiter asked whether we wanted to see the dessert menu, the boys shouted in unison, ‘yes’. So, we were going to get dessert. We all chose quite quickly (I’m a sucker for Tiramisu, hubby loves the indulgent Epic Brownie and the boys always pick ice cream (chocolate for Aron and vanilla for Aidan). We waited quite a while for the dessert, so the boys decided to entertain themselves with a Uri Gellar trick – balancing a metal spoon on their nose. We were surprised that Aron could actually do this and wondered whether he had Uri Gellar’s magical touch.

The desserts finally came and we tucked into our sweet dishes.

Tiramisu, £5.25 (Dessert)

I absolutely loved the Tiramisu, although it wasn’t presented as beautifully – just a slice of cake thrown onto the plate. The coffee flavour complemented the alcoholic twist and the dessert tasted authentic. Tiramisu has always been my chosen dessert at restaurants and, although, the Tiramisu had a lovely rich flavour, it wasn’t the best I’d ever tasted. The dessert could afford a little more softness to the sponge and the other flavours were masked by the strong coffee and alcohol. But, still a nice dessert to enjoy with a creamy Cappuccino.

Epic Homemade Brownie, £5.25 (Dessert)

Hubby mentioned that his Epic Brownie was super rich, but he still managed to eat some before the boys took over and ate the rest. I managed to catch a taste too and I did really like the addition of the caramelised amaretti popcorn that offered a lovely crunch to the pudding. But, it was also too rich for me, the sweetness of the chocolate was too much for hubby and I. I couldn’t offer any of my Tiramisu to the boys because of its alcohol content, so hubby had kindly donated the rest of his dessert to the boys and they welcomed it after their unenthusiastic approaches to their ice creams.

Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream, £0.50p each (Kids’ Dessert)

I was a little disappointed with the boys’ ice cream and for 50p I shouldn’t have expected much more. I couldn’t understand why the one scoop of ice cream was offered with a large tablespoon in an ugly metallic bowl. They looked so second rate to our lovely adult desserts. Nevertheless, it’s ice cream and the boys did their best to enjoy every morsel. Naturally, they asked for more, but seeing how they demolished hubby’s Brownie, we thought that was quite enough sugar for them in one afternoon.

With all the dishes cleaned off the plate, hubby and I thought Jamie’s food was a raging success. Not only did we manage to get the boys to eat all of their food, but they shared three whole kids’ meals and felt satisfied, with nicely stuffed tummies full of healthy goodness. I was very impressed that they liked Jamie’s food and I was sure that we would be returning again as a treat for the kids.

What did I like most about Jamie’s Italian Restaurant?

The wait service was friendly and efficient, and the waiting staff were easily accessible. Our personal waiter was particularly attentive and helpful, offering us alternative options and advice on the menu that he believed the boys would like and we had a lovely chat after the meal about blogging and healthy food in general.

The restaurant’s main toilets are upstairs and round the back, which is quite far away. But, we were seated opposite the disabled toilet, which was only a few yards away. This was perfect for the boys and I wondered whether it was a conscious decision to seat us by the disabled toilet, so that we had easy access. It definitely came in handy after the copious amounts of liquid Aron had consumed during that lunch.

What to watch out for:

Ingesting paper napkins during your meal and choosing your dessert because if you’re going to order your children the 50p ice cream, they will certainly be tucking into your dessert too. On the flipside, it is probably the amount of ice cream I would offer to my boys at home too because you don’t want them to take so much sugar in. So, either hide your dessert or be prepared to give some of it away.

Other points to note:

We gave the boys a hearty breakfast and then no snacks at all until we got to Jamie’s Italian at 2.30pm. So, perhaps, the trick is to stave off food for just a few extra hours to ensure children eat most, if not, all of their food in order to increase chances of happy, full tummies after a great meal.

Rating:

5 out of 5 – Even though there were a few minor grievances, both hubby and I found Jamie’s Italian to be a huge success for the boys, who happily ate all three of their meals. The dishes were healthy, simple and delicious and the restaurant managed to emit a lovely calm and homely atmosphere, as we didn’t experience any complaints or tantrums from the boys. A very lovely and healthy day out with the kids – we will definitely come back for more.

*Motherhood Diaries was offered a £50 voucher to review Jamie’s Italian restaurant in Westfield’s Stratford City, whilst the children ate for free. The post about the restaurant has been 100% written by Motherhood Diaries and the opinions and statements are 100% our own.*