Recently I teamed up with Jamie’s Italian in Liverpool to review their ‘Quick & Easy’ menu as part of a collaboration review. As I love Italian food and had already heard great things about the restaurant, I was more than happy to oblige! I took my partner along just after the Fireworks had finished on November 5th to see what we thought.
My first impressions were very positive. It looked clean and modern with the sort of atmosphere you’d expect from a busy restaurant in the heart of Liverpool city centre.
We were greeted with a warm welcome straight away and taken to a quiet booth in the corner. We were pretty hungry and although we had an idea of what we wanted, based on previously taking a look at the menu online, there was only the main menu in front of us.
This caused a little confusion as we were sure we were well within the menu timescales. Thankfully this was quickly rectified and we were brought the ‘Quick & Easy‘ menus.
The menu itself is very straightforward. You can choose any starter and any main from the menu for just £15.95. With most main dishes in the majority of Italian restaurants costing around this price I felt as though we were getting the starter for nothing extra.
And these weren’t the dishes that would ever be considered as sub-par. The choice was excellent and what you’d expect to find on the main menu but for a considerable amount less. In a way it was even more useful than choosing from the Main Menu as they’d already narrowed down some great choices for you, making choosing a much simpler process!
I opted for the fried squid with an avocado dip. A choice I’ve often been disappointed with at other restaurants in the past. I often say to my friends who I dine with that choosing fried squid/calamari you often only get a well-cooked version perhaps 1 in every 5 or 6 times! The squid is usually overcooked and too chewy so this was the first real test!
The restaurant did not disappoint and we were both delighted with how it was cooked. It was fresh and light without the batter being over-seasoned, and the idea to combine it with a healthy avocado dip was inspired.
The rest of the dishes also didn’t disappoint. We ordered the Arrabbiata as a main, along with the sirloin steak. Both dishes were generously sized. Something I’m again always a bit skeptical with when ordering off a ‘select’ type of menu.
The steak was cooked perfectly to my liking and served with fresh cherry tomatoes and aubergine, as well as crispy chips that were some of the best tasting chips I’d enjoyed in quite some time!
For dessert we ordered the brownie and pannacotta. In all honesty the pannacotta was a little too savoury and despite the fresh berries that accompanied it, we expected it to be sweeter for a dessert.
The brownie however was spot-on. It was so gooey in the middle and paired beautifully with the vanilla ice cream on top. It had to have been one of the best brownies I’d ever had (which is high praise indeed!). Again this can often be a bit ‘hit & miss’ as it can be more like cake if over baked, but this was so impressive and I reluctantly shared it!
Conclusions
Dining at Jamie’s Italian on Bonfire Night and getting to sample their ‘Quick & Easy Dinner Menu’ was a real pleasure. The atmosphere and ambience within the restaurant was right en point and the food was impressive. It was my first experience dining at Jamie’s Italian and it certainly won’t be my last. I’d certainly recommend it.
Adam Warren
Disclaimer – I was invited by Jamie’s Italian to sample their ‘Quick & Easy’ menu and to write this restaurant review. All opinions are honest and my own. A supplement was taken off the final bill.
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