Jamie’s Italian - 1 George Square, Glasgow
Ahh.... Glasgow in the spring! Gale force winds, torrential downpours and the old glimmer of sunny warmth to show us what we are missing, it was this kind of day that I ended up in Jamie’s Italian. Unless you have a party of eight or more you can’t pre book Jamie’s, so a visit there should be a leisurely affair as you will probably have to wait for your table.
After being given a pager from the hostess and informed it would be a mere thirty minutes for the table, the bar downstairs beckoned and a chilled glass of Prosecco was just what the doctor ordered. Menu’s are provided in the bar area and what a menu it is, broken down into nibbles, antipasti, pasta and mains it is a food lover’s delight. The vibe at Jamie’s is chilled and they encourage you to order as much or as little as you like, but the wait was spent debating how many dishes two people could reasonably order without embarrassment.
Once shown to a slightly small table in the bustling upstairs the friendly waitress provided water and an offer of menu advice should it be needed, with drinks refreshed I set about ordering.
To start I ordered dishes of marinated whitebait, Italian nachos, an antipasti plank for one and a selection of Italian breads to share. The starters is where this restaurant really excels, the nachos are actually small cheese ravioli which are deep fried, topped with a sprinkle of parmesan and served with an arrabiata sauce and they are stunningly delicious. A slightly insipid arrabiata wasn’t even enough to dull the pleasure of these little beauties and at £3.55 you’d be daft not to try them. Whitebait are slightly pickled and served cold with a nice chilli spike and the antipasti plank is a thoughtful selection of meat, cheese and vegetables and well above average. Even the selection of bread is impressive, soft focaccia, grissini as well as a family favourite of carta da musica is served in a little pot with a side of grassy olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The plates were wolfed down with wanton abandon and more than one tussle over the dwindling nachos.
Onto the main event, slightly anti-climatic after the starter I will admit but never the less a good offering. A special of slow braised beef in a red wine sauce was only marginally let down by cold potatoes, however the meat was deliciously tender and melted in the mouth. The other dish of grilled chicken was impressively moist in addition to having a fine charring on the outside which is difficult to achieve, the accompanying tomato, olive and caper sauce was tasty. A side order of fried greens was a smidge heavy on the seasoning and a tiny bit burnt in places but even the best of us struggle not to burn our greens!
No room for dessert but the Prosecco and Pinot Grigio were a fine addition to a pretty great meal. The small blips do nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for this establishment, the care and brains that have gone into what is basically a chain restaurant is remarkable. From the light, airy premises, adorned with hanging hams and shelves of fresh bread to the funky bar offering cocktail specials, interesting wines and a selection of nibbles, it’s seriously clever.
Jamie’s Italian hits so many of the right notes in terms of service and fundamentally giving customer’s what they want, a vibrant, exciting meal without pretention or excessive expense. Do yourself a favour, free up a couple of hours and indulge in a bit of Essex charm.
