lhrsfo

Except that, IMHO, they are not as good as and are more expensive than the typical mid-market Italian chains.

krispy84

+1

Overly trades on the name IMHO. From memory, their pasta was always too al dente, there's bite and then there's crunch!

mapleg

I thought that was common knowledge, along with the idea of avoiding chain restaurants that sell souvenirs, knick knacks, towels, t shirts and bathing suits

bensyd

I've only been in Sydney. Once. The food isn't bad, but it isn't great. It's just meh. The pricing is all wrong, imo. It reads like an expensive bar menu. From memory it was $27 for a burger with fries. Pricing a burger over $20 really sends the wrong message, unless you're Rockpool.

I actually don't mind Jamie Oliver's cooking. For novices in the kitchen like me it's pretty approachable, but I wouldn't be heading back to the restaurants any time soon.

krispy84

Not to mention absurdly sized wooden chopping boards/serving platters.

They do however sell a perfectly drinkable house wine by the litre

Concerto

Who wants Jamie Oliver? The man is a rude moron.

uggboy

Rude? Any insights?

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

Mizter T

I actually quite like Jamie Oliver as a cook book author and television cookery show chef... his rough and ready 'bung it in' approach appeals to my manner in the kitchen!

Yes, in his earlier days he was mocked for being a bit of a mockney geezer, but I've also got time for him after he set up the Fifteen restaurant, of which there are now several, and also because of his campaigns to improve school meals here in the UK plus his more general efforts to encourage people to change their eating habits for the better.

I've never eaten at a Jamie's Italian restaurant though! They come across as a slightly more upmarket Pizza Express. I imagine (hope) that they do broadly subscribe to his healthy eating ethos.

But he seems like a good guy, someone who is keen to be involved in the wider world and who tries to make a difference for the better.

Badenoch

Which ones do you recommend? In addition to Oliver's, I can recall trying Prezzi, Zizzi, Wildwood and even the occasionally-maligned Spaghetti House. I can't say any of them stood out for food quality or value. What usually determines where we dine in those situations is which ever one is the closest.

Badenoch

The same can be said about Donald Trump but that doesn't mean I won't visit America.

ppp909

I ate in one last year. A family get-together at the one by Tower Bridge on the South Bank. I thought the food was decent enough. It wasn't fantastic, but it was certainly good. They also didn't have a problem with us taking several hours over our meal despite it being pretty busy.
I wouldn't have a problem going back, but I'd choose a good independent Italan-owned place over it.

Oxon Flyer

You could legitimately hurl the same gratuitous insult at any number of (very successful) high-profile celebrity restauranteurs.....

VivoPerLei

We have a Zaza nearby that isn't too bad as far as Italian chains go. Been to Zizzi a couple of times and wasn't impressed. As far as pizza itself, the kids actually prefer Pizza Hut, but only at selected branches. Most of the branches are rubbish operations, seemingly.

The one Jamie Oliver restaurant I would like to go to is Barbecoa. Can't believe I still haven't been.

VivoPerLei

Which ones, out of curiosity? I wouldn't put Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay in that category

lhrsfo

Jamie seems a genuinely nice guy - and I know a few people who know him professionally who say the same thing. I've never seen anything about him which suggests he's rude or a moron: in fact he seems to be very polite and concerned about people and it's crushingly obvious that morons don't succeed in the way that he has - instead morons spend their time throwing around gratuitous insults on websites like this.

However, to get back on topic, it's clear that Jamie's Italian has not been a great success in an area (mid-market Italian styled chains) which is highly competitive. And also it's clear that, rather than being honest about the reasons for the closure, he took the easy way out and blamed it on Brexit as everyone else does nowadays for everything that they get wrong.

Now, if you want rude, try Gordon Ramsay (also not a moron) who uses rudeness as his entire public persona.