Jamie Oliver

[With This Staff]

Used to rather like Pizza Hut for a goodly amount of anonymous stodge (and salad) when 'out socialising at the boozer'

[anonymous-user]

With This Staff said:

Meanwhile, give your local (family-owned & run) Italian restaurant a shot.

It may be very good indeed!

Have tried many, and yet to find a good one let alone a very good one.

I have come to the conclusion that Italian cuisine is not for me, very bland and overpriced imo.

[southendpier]

underphil said:

Regiment said:

MellowshipSlinky said:

His Nottingham restaurant is one of the most over priced, over hyped piles of st I’ve ever been to.

As someone who had a nose at the menu outside his Nottingham restaurant yesterday, it's pretty much the same price as a Pizza Express so no idea where the idea that it is over priced comes from?

But no-one goes to a Pizza Express and pays the price in the menu do they?

Do Jamie Italian and Pizza Express prices vary depending on the location of the restaurant in the UK?

[catso]

Vandenberg said:

I have come to the conclusion that Italian cuisine is not for me, very bland and overpriced imo.

Don't base your opinion of Italian food on that served here.

I lived in Italy for some years, travel there regularly and I am a big fan of Italian cuisine, however I have yet to find a really good Italian restaurant in this country (at any price) especially when it comes to pizza and I've given up even trying pasta in any UK restaurant, I will only eat it at home or in Italy.

When I was living/working in Italy I would travel worldwide often with Italian colleagues, many of whom would want to go to Italian restaurants for a 'taste of home' they were invariably disappointed by the cuisine, especially the pizza (extra especially in the USA ). Real Italian food is the best but it doesn't seem to 'travel' well.

Never eaten at Jamie Olivers (since when was he Italian?) or Carluccios but the Italian chain restaurants that I have tried here are overwhelmingly bland (at best) as well as being overpriced.

[So]

catso said:

Real Italian food is the best but it doesn't seem to 'travel' well.

I think it’s the ingredients and lack of preservatives.

In Italy I can eat lots of anything and I don’t get fat. It also tastes great. Eat the same in the UK and I become gassy and lardy.

[anonymous-user]

catso said:

Don't base your opinion of Italian food on that served here.

I lived in Italy for some years, travel there regularly and I am a big fan of Italian cuisine, however I have yet to find a really good Italian restaurant in this country (at any price) especially when it comes to pizza and I've given up even trying pasta in any UK restaurant, I will only eat it at home or in Italy.

When I was living/working in Italy I would travel worldwide often with Italian colleagues, many of whom would want to go to Italian restaurants for a 'taste of home' they were invariably disappointed by the cuisine, especially the pizza (extra especially in the USA ). Real Italian food is the best but it doesn't seem to 'travel' well.

Never eaten at Jamie Olivers (since when was he Italian?) or Carluccios but the Italian chain restaurants that I have tried here are overwhelmingly bland (at best) as well as being overpriced.

You make an interesting point, I have only visited Italy 3 times so don't have much experience to compare.
The last visit was Sorrento for a wedding and the wedding meal consisted of numerous courses of bland food. With the next course managing to be blander than the last, I was impressed at the chefs ability to remove all traces of flavour from his dishes.

[anonymous-user]

XJSJohn said:

wc98 said:

how is anyone allowed to run up debt of that level selling food,ffs. there must be some seriously gullible people around the restaurant business.

It won't be just in the UK that all this has accumulated, his restaurants are fking everywhere, there is one here in Singapore, HK, Sydney and in Bali that i have seen, and it will have taken a chunk of change out of the company war chest to set these up as none of them are in cheap rent locations. i guess its a good few mil that would be sunk into each restaurant and if they aren't making profit then thats dead money.

The international outlets are franchised. He doesn’ t personally go out and open these not does the fund them in the same way the UK ones are so rent , for example, is not his obligation.

[DS240]

southendpier said:

underphil said:

Regiment said:

MellowshipSlinky said:

His Nottingham restaurant is one of the most over priced, over hyped piles of st I’ve ever been to.

As someone who had a nose at the menu outside his Nottingham restaurant yesterday, it's pretty much the same price as a Pizza Express so no idea where the idea that it is over priced comes from?

But no-one goes to a Pizza Express and pays the price in the menu do they?

Do Jamie Italian and Pizza Express prices vary depending on the location of the restaurant in the UK?

No price variations on location I don't think.

However, particularly Pizza Express it is silly to pay full price when they have various voucher offers constantly e.g. 25% off food bill.

[BigMon]

catso said:

Don't base your opinion of Italian food on that served here.

I lived in Italy for some years, travel there regularly and I am a big fan of Italian cuisine, however I have yet to find a really good Italian restaurant in this country (at any price) especially when it comes to pizza and I've given up even trying pasta in any UK restaurant, I will only eat it at home or in Italy.

When I was living/working in Italy I would travel worldwide often with Italian colleagues, many of whom would want to go to Italian restaurants for a 'taste of home' they were invariably disappointed by the cuisine, especially the pizza (extra especially in the USA ). Real Italian food is the best but it doesn't seem to 'travel' well.

Never eaten at Jamie Olivers (since when was he Italian?) or Carluccios but the Italian chain restaurants that I have tried here are overwhelmingly bland (at best) as well as being overpriced.

Funny that, because I've eaten at some excellent Italian restaurants in the UK.

We often have city breaks in Bristol and always have a meal in La Grotta which has been there for 32 years so must be doing something right.

Admittedly my standards may be lower than yours, and I've only had holidays in Italy rather than living there.

[XJSJohn]

[Vaud]

catso said:

Don't base your opinion of Italian food on that served here.

I lived in Italy for some years, travel there regularly and I am a big fan of Italian cuisine, however I have yet to find a really good Italian restaurant in this country (at any price) especially when it comes to pizza and I've given up even trying pasta in any UK restaurant, I will only eat it at home or in Italy..

If you are ever in Leeds, go to Salvos - either the restaurant or the salumeria next door but one.

www.salvos.co.uk

Local favourite. Genuinely and consistently excellent for 40 years.

[Europa1]

I ate at a Jamie's Italian a handful of times a few years back, but was never that impressed. I stopped going when a group of us visited on a bank holiday Monday to be told that there were no chips, as they had not had a delivery of chips that day due to it being a bank holiday. I was staggered that (a) the restaurant apparently didn't prepare something as basic as chips on site; and (b) no-one among the staff had had the gumption to walk a couple of streets to the nearby Sainsbury's local and buy some spuds to make some chips. Plus they didn't even try and hide the fact that the carafe of wine was decanted from tetrapak style cartons.

[zeb]

Vandenberg said:

You make an interesting point, I have only visited Italy 3 times so don't have much experience to compare.
The last visit was Sorrento for a wedding and the wedding meal consisted of numerous courses of bland food. With the next course managing to be blander than the last, I was impressed at the chefs ability to remove all traces of flavour from his dishes.

I agree, my most overiding memory of sorrento was the very poor/bland food.

[anonymous-user]

Europa1 said:

I ate at a Jamie's Italian a handful of times a few years back, but was never that impressed. I stopped going when a group of us visited on a bank holiday Monday to be told that there were no chips, as they had not had a delivery of chips that day due to it being a bank holiday. I was staggered that (a) the restaurant apparently didn't prepare something as basic as chips on site; and (b) no-one among the staff had had the gumption to walk a couple of streets to the nearby Sainsbury's local and buy some spuds to make some chips. Plus they didn't even try and hide the fact that the carafe of wine was decanted from tetrapak style cartons.

That is one thing that amazes me.

Over the years I've had restaurants tell me they have run out of chips, bread, pate, prawns, and all manner of other things.

Every single time I always wonder why the fk they don't send someone to the nearby supermarket and just buy some!

[Four Litre]

Its a shame as I swear they were relatively good when they first opened. We went to Jamies in Kingston a year ago and I can honestly say I've had better meals at Zizzi !!! for half the price. He's clearly spread himself to thin and lost control of his empire.

Think he will come back but needs to be a manageable size which currently its not and has to be more hands on. He's certainly not at the same level of capability as Gordon Ramsay or Marcus Wareing....but sadly I think he believes he is.

He's also got some weird TV persona where he's trying to be down with the brothers! which makes him look an idiot, which in turn as made him unfashionable, which could also explain the drop in foot-fall.

[bristolracer]

zeb said:

Vandenberg said:

You make an interesting point, I have only visited Italy 3 times so don't have much experience to compare.
The last visit was Sorrento for a wedding and the wedding meal consisted of numerous courses of bland food. With the next course managing to be blander than the last, I was impressed at the chefs ability to remove all traces of flavour from his dishes.

I agree, my most overiding memory of sorrento was the very poor/bland food.

Best pizza i have ever had in my life was at a small cafe next to the bus/train station in Sorrento.
Plastic tables, bolted down chairs, no frills at all but cooked to order Neapolitan fresh pizzas straight out of the oven.

Back on topic, Jamie was on all the media a couple of years ago, moaning that people were nicking all the monogrammed napkins.
I expect a few of those may surface on a much loved auction site when he goes bust.

[Europa1]

Four Litre said:

Its a shame as I swear they were relatively good when they first opened. We went to Jamies in Kingston a year ago and I can honestly say I've had better meals at Zizzi !!! for half the price. He's clearly spread himself to thin and lost control of his empire.

Think he will come back but needs to be a manageable size which currently its not and has to be more hands on. He's certainly not at the same level of capability as Gordon Ramsay or Marcus Wareing....but sadly I think he believes he is.

He's also got some weird TV persona where he's trying to be down with the brothers! which makes him look an idiot, which in turn as made him unfashionable, which could also explain the drop in foot-fall.

I find the sector fascinating.

It seems to me that Jamie Oliver is in a very different market to Messrs Ramsay and Wareing - Jamie Oliver is trying to build a mass/mid-market chain with broad geographical coverage (and presumably much smaller margins) than Ramsay and Wareing, who are focussed on much a much smaller restaurant group, with all sites in London (as far as I know).

I got the impression that when he was at River Cafe, technically Jamie Oliver was quite highly regarded, but it just wasn't Michelin-style food.

I recently found "Boiling Point", the fly on the wall documentary about Ramsay setting up his first restaurant in the late 1990s, on YouTube. It's a very interesting watch, and leaves one in 2 minds as to whether to admire his drive, or think he's a crass, rude bully. More recently, I did cringe when he appeared on "Top Gear by Chris Evans" and brought out the presentation box with his LaFerrari Aperta key.

[MellowshipSlinky]

Exige77 said:

Regiment said:

MellowshipSlinky said:

His Nottingham restaurant is one of the most over priced, over hyped piles of st I’ve ever been to.

As someone who had a nose at the menu outside his Nottingham restaurant yesterday, it's pretty much the same price as a Pizza Express so no idea where the idea that it is over priced comes from?

Re pizza express, there are always offers on, Just look on the net. Usually 2 for one on mains.

Pizza Express is also over priced - had a far better and cheaper pizza in London than I’ve ever had at Pizza Express in Nottingham.

I’ve been to Jamie’s Italian three times now - not my choice but those of the people we were going with.
Each time I’ve come away feeling massively underwhelmed by the quality of food, and massively overwhelmed by the bill.

Edited by MellowshipSlinky on Tuesday 30th October 17:04

[JB!]

Vandenberg said:

With This Staff said:

Meanwhile, give your local (family-owned & run) Italian restaurant a shot.

It may be very good indeed!

Have tried many, and yet to find a good one let alone a very good one.

I have come to the conclusion that Italian cuisine is not for me, very bland and overpriced imo.

Little Italy in York is incredible. Should you find yourself there, give it a bash.

ETA - on topic, at at the local Jamie's, was awful, Carluccio's is the better chain, but independents win hands down. There is a little Pizza van in CMK that makes super tasty takeaway pizza for £6 the nduja one is lush, I don't understand why people want to go to chains if you're a local.

Edited by JB! on Tuesday 30th October 17:18

[bodhi]

Serves the right, and I guess it's what happens when the Turkey Twizzlers generation grew up and started deciding where to eat. Add in the fact that's he's also responsible for the death of Irn Bru, Lucozade and Ricicles, and I don't think this could have happened to a more deserving guy.

We did try a Jamie's Italian once, only thing I can remember is being charged extra as I wanted a full fat Coke (pre Sugar Tax). Much better going to Zizzi's imo.