Jamie's Italian

Jamie's Italian Jamie Oliver chain with various locations throughout the UK and abroad, visit www.jamieoliver.com/italian for more details and follow on twitter @jamiesitalianuk I have visited this Jamie Oliver 'super chain' on a number of different occasions to satisfy a number of different cravings. The variety in the menu is exceptional and dependant on your craving Jamie's has it all. If you wish to nibble at some cured meats and share some antipasti with friends the option is available. My favoured choice is the Mushroom Fritti, priced at £3.95 I do not think I've seen a better steal. The crispy squid is fried and served with a mouthwatering dip of garlicky mayo, lemon and chilli while the stuffed rice balls bring you that rustic taste that makes you feel like you are in one of Italy's many special cities. My suggestion would be to share the anti pasti meat board, at £7 a head you get a number of cured meats, including my favourite prosciutto, Italian cheeses, dips/jams, pickles chillies and salad. I find this washed down with some with some red wine a fine start to the meal. For those more famished you can choose your pasta or risotto as a starter size or main size. The tagliatelle bolognese has always been full of flavour, you can say the same for the wild mushroom panzerotti also. Do you like a more gamey meat with your pasta? Well, the veritable menu comes to the fore here to. The slow cooked wild rabbit taglioni is a real treat, it's rich with flavour that you desire does not leave the taste of your mouth for hours. The changing menu continues on to a 'mains' section. I must have visited this chain around ten times and I always try to stay with the authenticity of the Italian swaggered food but I will make sure on my next visit I have something from the section that delivers dishes such as the Anglesey Sea Bass with crunchy sweet and sour vegetables which just sounds delightful. Having a sirloin steak on the menu rather than other less palatable cuts confirms what this chain is all about - flavour. My only real critique of this Italian fanfare is that this audacious menu has a burger on it, not sure the need for this, especially when Jamie's Barbacoa has received such critical acclaim for being one of the top five burgers in London.  The wine list is again in keeping with the menu and full of choice, my usual pick is the montepulciano d'abruzzo 2010 Il Faggio priced at £18.60 a bottle it is seamless in tasting with most dishes served up in the rustic come modern restaurant. There are a couple of other Red's in a similar price range with the cheapest being the 2009 Puglia at £17.45. The cheapest White is the Ponte Pietra at £15.95. Depending on the wad of cash in your pocket you can also divulge in some world class wines over £100 a bottle coming in the way of white, red or rose. Sparkling wines and champagne are also available. The well trained staff have always pleased and never left you to wonder where your drinks and food are, even in busy times, whilst the chefs have always delivered consistently good food. With locations popping up all over the UK you shouldn't find yourself to far from Jamie's Italian and would recommend a visit no matter what your budget as the pricing and different food options available allow you to spend as little or as much as you wish. If I had one phrase for this chain it would be "simple brilliance". This really is the new superpower of chain restaurants. Gastrogreglarr rating: 8/10 Gastrogreglarr likes: the variable menu Gastrogreglarr dislikes: the burger on the menu, no need for it Mr Oliver!