To HATE those Jamie Oliver Italian restaurant things.

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One of those new Jamie Oliver restaurants opened near my house recently. (Not 15, one of the ones called Jamie's Italian or some such thing). Oh good, I thought, they're meant to be really nice. I have no feelings one way or another about Jamie Oliver to be honest.

So DH and I went one night before Christmas. It was quite busy and the woman on 'reception' gave us a pager thing and said it would buzz when a table was ready (in about 15-20 minutes), and she invited us to have a drink in the bar while we waited. So we did, along with lots of other people waiting, which was fine. We had quite a nice meal (we did think that selling lots of Jamie Oliver themed dishcloths and the like was a bit odd, but hey).

So we came back on 3rd January for another meal. This time, the restaurant was very empty. I expected a table straight away. But the lady on reception gave us a pager and said that a table would be ready in 15-20 minutes and told us to have a drink at the bar. But, I said (not unreasonably I like to think), there are lots of free tables, can't we just go and sit down? No, she said, it will be 15-20 minutes and you can have a drink in the bar. So I sat down at the bar and waited (no one else was waiting). After 20 minutes I'd had enough of the watching empty tables and watching waiters hang around because they had no one to serve so I went up and asked if we could be seated. "Your pager hasn't buzzed" was the response.

at this point I asked if the pager system was solely for the purpose of making sure that people spend money in the bar first and was told that it was! I was really polite (not her fault and not her policy) but how rubbish. Jamie seems to make a big show of how these restaurants are really 'friendly' etc but actually it seems designed to fleece you as much as possible.

Rant over!

Overrated restaurant if you ask me. We have one near us that is constantly full, and we ate there once to see what all the fuss is about. Food was nice, but overpriced, and the service was average. Surroundings were nothing to shout about. I wouldn't rush to go there again :)

Well they'd struggle with me and a tap water then wouldn't they!!

That's really cheeky!

Yes, I've been fleeced in the bar too. The food is lovely, but expensive and the portion sizes are very variable. I seem to remember getting 4 scallops and some tomato sauce for about 20 quid.

I like the restaurtant but have endured this wait myself (but was busy) shocked at your story thats very naughty Jamie!

Its good for when you're shopping in town and you can just take a pager and go about your business while you're waiting and not waste any time by hanging around. I hate wasting time.

How funny. We went to leeds one, and were seated immediately - it was busy day, but due to demanding toddler we got there at 12. I wasn't hugely impressed overall tbh - although food was nice, it wasn't really v generous - to me, when you're paying £15+ for a main at lunchtime, you should get veggies etc included.

The surroundings in this one were nice, service was ok but certainly not amazing.

I've been twice and massively disappointed both times (only went a second time to check the first wasn't a rogue bad meal!). Food was really average and pricey for what you get - much better food at locally-owned Italians near me.

Like pootles says though the best thing is the old buildings they seem to renovate to put them in - absolutely beautiful. But I wouldn't bother going back.

Agree that they are poor value for money. We have one here, and it's always busy very difficult to get a table straight away.

Seems that a lunch for two with a couple of drinks and maybe some bread will cost you the best part of £45 ish. There are much cheaper options on the high street for lunch time eating.

Oooh - I thought it was lovely and we didn't have to wait. This was Kingston.

I went to the one in Cambridge a few months back having been before with dp and having a nice evening.

This time there was 7 of us, we'd tried to book beforehand and been told we couldn't, just to turn up, despite the website stating tables of 6+ should book.
We got there, the wait was 45-60 mins (Saturday night), was given a buzzer, told the bar was full, we should go for a drink somewhere else nearby and they'd buzz us when we could come back, charming!

Can't say I'm in a hurry to go again considering the service that followed!

We also thought it was overpriced and portions very neater. Didn't have to wait for a table though. Still, we won't be going back. Get better value at Carluccios

Meant 'meagre'

I've been a few times, and overall think it os ok.

We've never really had to wait long times - once we did, but as others have said, it's handy to be able to pop to a couple of shops while you wait. Have never waited while it was empty (we have young children though, so maybe this is why?)

it is quite expensive, but the food is really nice, and it is great to go to somewhere that listens to what you want/need. we have multiple food allergies in our family, and they have always answered qustions well, the staff are knowledgable about the menu, and have always been able to accomodate us. we have never ordered off the kid's menu for the children (allergies), and in fact usually not off the regular menu either, but they are happy to cook something up for us (nothing fancy - eg plain chicken breast and chips) which doesn't happen often in other places.

the portions have always been ok, ime - I don't eat small amounts, but can rarely finish my plateful.

Avoid, avoid this a motto we adopted, after visiting one in Cambridge, cold, small portion food, off hand staff definitely style over any quality or substance type of restaurant.
This is not Italian authentic food, it's a chain restaurant designed to "get people in and get them out as quickly as possible".
Dh is Italian he was appalled, and commented on saying half things on this menu are not even eaten in Italy(chips served on crumpled paper and deep fried mushrooms whole four of them again on crumpled paper) a joke.

In our area certainly they are better and more authentic restaurants if it's Italian food we are after, or any other food for that matter, we will not be going again.

Agree Carluccios much much better. Service was flawless, and food lovely. Even ds's dinner as he refused to eat it, I had it, and was v yummy! I always think it's nice when they make effort with kids food - in Carluccio's he had authentic italian food, in Jamies he got a burger

Totally unacceptable.
Vote with your feet.

I got the worst FOOD POISONING I have ever had from Jamies Italian and I have travelled a lot to places like Peru and India and never been ill. Worse when DH tried to contact them to tell them about it they were utterly crap, wouldn't return calls or respond or do anything. I still regret not reporting them to Environmental Health. Even now seeing Jamies grinning face I feel slightly nauseous (and I used to be a big fan of his).

Ooh I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has had a bad experience :)

I mean, IANBU! Hurray.

YANBU to dislike a restaurant. Different people like different things.

Precisely pootles2010 yes to make the fuss over children, children first in any good Italian eaterie that is the way it should be.
Point in Jamie's Italian is completly missed, but then I guess they are not Italians, and they don't realy understand that children are the centre of any social gathering/eating around the table.
It is children you need to please and make feel special, skill/will you either have or you don't.

I have been in a couple of times last year. Not a bad experience and not had the whole wait at the bar thing. I would though say the tables are packed together and the food is not overwhelming.

Overall, I don't think I would rush back. Just feels like a well executed Italian theme restaurant.

We went to one the in Birmingham after hearing a friend of DP's raving about them. It was just alright, nothing special considering the prices. DP got some breadcrumbed turkey scallop thing which to me tasted like something from Bernard Matthews. I had this steak thing which was actually doused in pepper- no mention of this on the menu, wouldn't have ordered it otherwise. The staff were brilliant though, very attentive and gave us free dessert because I complained about peppery steak! Chips were nice too

Also- what's with the little gift shoppy but trying to flog you all that Jamie Oliver toot? Tacky. "Now you've had your distinctly average meal, why not try and recreate it at home with one these 30 books and a dishcloth?!".

I have been to the one in Oxford and the one in Islington.

Both wildly overpriced- everything is extra
Both irritatingly chummy and gimmicky
Both noisy and crowded.
The food in both was ok; but nothing special

Otherwise, the one in Oxford was ok; but the one in Islington was really horrible- service was extraordinarily slow and charmless and they did the 20 minutes in the bar trick

Personally I do not understand why people think JO so wonderful: the social action stuff is all publicity for his ghastly restaurants/saucepan ranges etc and his patronising git manner implies that he is the only person in the country who can cook- his books are full of recipes for the bloody obvious (bacon butty anyone?) and pages of childish scribble about his ghastly friends and unfortunate wife. The Jamie's Italian experience just rubbed it all in. Grrr.

I'll be going back to Carluccios

I've been to the one in Westfield Shepherd's Bush a few times and have never had to sit at the bar. However, the service has almost always been pretty poor. The first time they were clearly busy and were very apologetic. The second time it was less busy, they were less apologetic. The third time, after painfully slow service we had to ask twice for the bill, which finally arrived almost half an hour later. We then spent a further 15 mins or so trying to attract attention to actually pay for our meal. Eventually we managed to scrape together enough cash for the meal (not the tip) so left that on the table and walked out. This was lunchtime. Not impressed at having to spend 40 minutes of my lunch 'hour' trying to pay!

I've been twiceand wasn't impressed. The first time we had to sit in the bar and wait, which was actually fine as it was an evening. the second time I booked a table in advance and specified we had a toddler and needed a highchair. When we arrived we were taken straight in, but they had to re-jig the tables to account for us having a buggy with us. I asked for a highchair (as she didn't offer one), but the lady forgot and never brought it. The waiter eventually did.

The food is definitely rather average and over-priced for what it is. I had some boar ragu thing, which was sort of lumps of meat in watery stew with v chewy pasta foating in it. Not really appetising and not at all what I expected. I guess at least it was wild boar, as I had a near miss with a piece of shot hiding in a pasta tube . Dd's chips were nice and the bread with oil/balsamic was the absolute highlight.

On both occasions I had the chocolate brownie for dessert. It was divine, but about twice the size needed. Far too rich for such a large portion.

Dd did enjoy watching the pasta being made right next to us and the staff were v child friendly.

We won't hurry back. I agree Carluccios is far nicer.