Jamies Italian Restaurant Review Cardiff

Recently I was invited to Jamies Italian in Cardiff to review their menu. We have visited Jamies Italian in Cardiff many times before, and also a few of their other branches in Bristol and Bath. The chain run by Jamie Oliver was founded in Oxford in 2008 and has grown to over 40 branches around the country. Jamies Italian pride itself on using fresh seasonal ingredients to make their rustic Italian dishes with a menu rooted in authenticity. 

At the moment they have a great lunchtime menu on - the 'super lunch' menu is £10.95 for two courses and £12.95 for three courses and runs Monday to Friday from 12 to 6pm.

When we arrived at the restaurant they had our reservation (always a good sign!) and we were shown to the table. Many people were sitting outside as it was a lovely day but I prefer to sit in the restaurant, watching the chefs working away and people watching.



Our waiter Ahmed was very cheerful and was like a breath of fresh air. I explained I was a Jamies Italian gold member and he swiped my card to see what tasters I was entitled to that month. 


A taster from the Jamies Italian gold club

He brought over a taster of bruschetta with peas and pesto which tasted very fresh, you could really taste the herbs.

The Jamies Italian gold membership club is well worth signing up for if you are a frequent visitor. It gives you free tasters every time you visit, priority booking and monthly rewards. The first time I visited we had a taster of a new bruschetta and also a glass of wine which was very enjoyable. The tasters are for the whole party too!



After the tasters, we ordered the drinks and the food which was a mix from the Super Lunch menu and standard menu.



My husband had the primavera bruschetta. Lemony courgette, peas & beans with hazelnut & lovage pesto & Bella Lodi which is a cheese also known as black parmesan. He really enjoyed this dish, the combination of flavours was excellent, and it had a fresh vegetable taste, with crunch from the bruschetta. 



The main course ordered by my husband was the Turkey Milanese. The free-range turkey escalope was stuffed with prosciutto & fontal cheese, then dipped in bread crumbs and fried. It was served with a free-range egg & shavings of black truffles on top with some salad on the side.

This dish was larger than he expected and he didn't really need Jamie's classic 'funky chips' that he ordered as well, but they were delicious still. The Turkey Milanese was pretty much what you expect from a turkey escalope. There was a thin layer of cheese under the breadcrumbs, and this had a subtle flavour.  I personally think this dish would appeal well to children and those that like simple well-cooked food, without a myriad of spices, herbs and flavourings. The dish was good but didn't have the wow factor for me.


The 'funky chips' my husband ordered as an accompaniment were delicious. Big proper chunky chips, fried more than once for that crispy taste and topped with shavings of garlic and herbs. We always order these when we visit as they are superb.


I haven't had prawn linguini at this restaurant before so I was really looking forward to this. 

It is described as 'fried garlicky prawns & Scottish langoustine tails with fennel, tomatoes, chilli, saffron, fish broth & lemony rocket. The dish was packed full of flavour and the rocket on the top really added to the dish. The tomato-based sauce as the base was very authentic tasting. The linguini was served al dente which I was pleased about, but I felt it could have been done with more langoustine tails, in the dish. I did feel the price of this could have been a little cheaper as it was £14.95.



The Italian steak and fries and the lemon polenta cake were on the super lunch menu.

The steak came with a generous portion of garlic butter and the fries were well seasoned. My son really enjoyed this dish. The steak was flash grilled and served with herby heirloom tomato salsa, rocket, parmesan and the aforementioned fries. If you are looking for a thick juicy steak this isn't it, but it was still incredibly tasty and value for money when you think it's part of the 2 courses for £10.95 menu.




My favourite dish overall was the orange blossom polenta cake. Polenta cake studded with candied fruit served with whipped crème fraîche & pomegranate. I have had this before at the restaurant and it is a favourite of mine. The cake is quite dense but don't let that put you off, if it was light and airy it would disintegrate with the orange essence.  What I love about this dish is the gorgeous orange taste which makes it very fragrant and delicious. The whipped creme fraiche adds a lightness to this dish and the orange slices and pomegranate top it off well, the latter adding a little crunch.

Overall the food at Jamie's may not always be perfect, there there are always very good, excellent, and even stunning dishes whenever we eat there. The food is rustic, tasty and authentic, with a modern twist. Whilst the average main courses are from £10 to £22, the super lunch menu of £10.95 for two courses and £12.95 for three courses is an absolute bargain. Go, now and have the Italian steak and fries or the orange polenta cake, you won't be disappointed. 

Have you been to Jamies Italian? What do you think of the food?


18 comments

  1. I've been wanting to go to Jamie's for a while but just never got round to it. Great review, I must put it on my bucket list for 2016!

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    1. Have fun if you do go and try the lunch menu - bargain!

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  2. I haven't been to a Jamie's Italian for so long! This post is making me hungry though :)

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  3. Oh this reminds me that I haven't been to Jamie's in a while and must do soon to take advantage of this wonderful "Super Lunch" deal. What GREAT value! I also didn't know about the gold card - what a brilliant treat for regulars? The food is giving me serious grumbles :D

    Thanks for sharing!

    Leigh at Fashion Du Jour LDN HQ x
    www.fashiondujour.co.uk

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  4. I keep meaning to visit Jamie's Italian. Those photos look so good. Good job it' dinner time soon haha. I think they have quite a few good veggie options too.

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    1. They have quite a few veggie options and lots of fish and seafood too if you aren't a strict vegetarian.

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  5. I do like going to Jamies Italian, we've been to the one in Clapham and at Westfield Shepherd Bush - the decor is always interesting, and I like how the food is served. Looks like Cardiff has a good branch too! xx

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    1. Sounds like the Clapham and Shepherd Bush branches are great too.

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  6. Your meal looks delicious. I've never been to the Cardiff restaurant, but visited a Jamie Oliver restaurant in London, it was fantastic! :)
    http://lilinhaangel.com/

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  7. I've never been to Jamies but it looks nice inside and the food looks very nice. x

    LaaLaa xo

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  8. Sounds like a great deal - always on the lookout for tasty lunch options!

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    1. The lunch option is great as it's a big saving on the choices if you paid the normal price.

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  9. I went to their new Pizzeria restaurant in St Albans a few weeks ago and loved it x

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    1. Yes, I've only just heard about the new Pizzeria restaurants, I hope they open one in South Wales.

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  10. That sounds like a right bargain, the steak looks lovely and you've definitely sold me on the polenta cake, too! :)

    Jess xo | The Indigo Hours

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  11. The funky chips are amazing, aren't they? They're also great for families, they were really accommodating when we went with our three children. x

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