After months of lusting, last weekend myself and my cousin visited the Jamie Italian Restaurant in Manchester. I have been wanting to eat at this restaurant since August so I could barely contain my excitement as I walked in the building.
Jamie's Italian is based in the city centre on King Street bang in the middle of the two main stations of the city, making it perfect for those of us who do not drive as you do not have a long way to walk. We had booked a table for two as the place generally gets full so I did not want to risk having to wait a long time for the table.
We were so hungry so we dug straight in to our mains. I opted for the Harissa Spiced Aubergines with a side of Palenta Chips. The Harissa Spiced Aubergines comes with a ragu of lentils, tomatoes, raisins, smoked paprika along with an Almond Garlic Yoghurt with Pomegranate. I had never tried anything like this before but I was feeling adventurous.
I really enjoyed it. The Aubergine was not too spicy but was still packed full of flavour. It was very light but satisfying. The Almond Yoghurt was creamy but light and was a great dairy free option to the dish. If you are a vegetarian like me, this is a great option on the menu.
The Palenta Chips were something I eyed before I entered Jamie's Italian and was extremely surprised at how delicious they were. Unlike regular chips they had a similar feel to a cake in that they are spongy. When they arrived, they were not how I imagined them to look but they did not last more than 10 minutes on my plates.
For dessert, I am lactose in tolerant so I opted for three scoops of Jamie's Lemon Sorbet, along with a portion of Berry Compote and Honeycomb. By this point I was very impressed with everything I had experienced so far and this was no exception. The sorbet was full of flavour and you could really taste the lemon. The sweet berry compote added to the dish and went well with the crunchiness from the Honeycomb.
Over all I was very impressed with my visit to Jamie's Italian. I left feeling satisfied and full without feeling sickly which is how I like to feel when I leave a restaurant.
The atmosphere of Jamie's Italian definitely embodied everything chef Jamie Oliver is about. It was very warm, welcoming and you did not want to leave. The waitress who waited on our table was incredibly lovely.
If you are a fan of Jamie's Oliver, there is a section where you can purchase dishes, his books and novelty sauces. I was so tempted to buy his passatta because we use passatta regularly in our cooking at home and know my mother would have loved it. (Next time mom I promise.)
Jamie's Italian is the perfect place to go for a special occasion the vibe of the place is the kind of restaurant you want to go for your anniversary or birthday.
