Jamie’s Italian, Westfield Stratford

On a sunny Sunday my two fellow diners and I entered Jamie’s Italian at Westfield Stratford.  Our main reason for choosing Jamie’s for lunch was that none of us had dined there before and were eager to sample the menu of delights.

Although we had to wait for a table we didn’t mind having the opportunity to sit at the bar and order coffees. We were told the wait would be ten to fifteen minutes but was instead only five at the most.

We opted for the nibbles, antipasti and sides to share between the three of us. The crispy squid (£5.75) was fresh and was joined by a garlic mayo sauce. Italian Nachos (£3.55) were crispy fried small ravioli parcels with a spicy sauce. Although nice, unless I had reread the menu description I would not have known these were made with four cheeses as there was not a lot of flavour to the them and the spicy sauce was definitely needed to boost the dish. The Posh Chips (£3.25) were flavoured with truffle oil and parmesan. Although drizzled with oil, we could not taste the truffle; the parmesan added that extra flavour to what is simply a bucket of chips. Crispy Stuffed Rice Balls (£4.95) were praised by all of us with the crispy coating complimented by the soft smoked mozzarella and porcini arancini contents. Our favourite dish was the side of Radicchio and Rocket Salad (£3.25) with aged balsamic and shaved Parmesan. The leaves were very fresh and the dressing was superb.

Our least favourite dish was the Sicilian Spaghetti Fritter (£4.50). This was very dry with not much flavour and needed the accompanying sauce, which had a nice spicy kick. On reflection the concept of fried spaghetti was certainly an unusual choice and probably wouldn’t be repeated.

We had to ask for our forgotten Selection of Italian Breads (£3.75) order but once they arrived we all agreed that they were a good choice with olive oil and rosemary flavours fusing together nicely.

The menu offers something for everyone whether it is light dishes to share or a three course lunch. Our shared dishes certainly reflected the concept of Jamie’s Italian to relax and share affordable food. I enjoyed the simple table settings with rustic plates and none fussy glassware and the fresh ingredients. The obvious passion for food from the chefs is reflected in the dishes which were all presented beautifully on the plates. The non-flustered and friendly attitude of the waiters added to the occasion and we certainly did not feel pressure to give up the table once we couldn’t eat another bite.

Perhaps our expectations of Jamie’s Italian were a little too high. Don’t get me wrong we were not expecting the man himself to be cooking up meatballs in the kitchen whilst shouting “Mama Mia” or greeting us at the door with a friendly “Ciao”. We were however expecting slightly fuller flavours; we were not expecting items of dirty cutlery on a freshly set table nor the long wait we had for our orders to arrive, especially as they were relatively simple dishes.

 

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