There are plenty of places to scoff your face when the belly starts a'rumbling at midday in Nottingham city, but what's the Super Lunch at Jamie’s Italian saying?
Two courses for £11.95? Go on then.
Couple of glasses of Prosecco on a Wednesday afternoon? Be rude not to.
Jamie’s Italian has one of the only secret gardens in Nottingham, out the back. Great for one of the few brighter days we might expect. Any day now.
Inside, the décor is wooden and earthy, with a little splash of the owd “rustic”, for good measure.
The Super Lunch menu is concise, all dishes brandishing those Italian vibes, some with our Jamie’s little twists. You’ve got your standard nibbles like olives, garlic bread, and a prosciutto board, with the option to go for crazy Italian nachos, if your heart doth wish.
We started with a tomato bruschetta and crispy squid, for the first of our two courses. The bruschetta came with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, whipped ricotta, basil, and olive oil, and was as expected: nothing too fancy, it did its job. The crispy squid, though, was really quite bland. It says on the menu that it’s fried with chilli, garlic and parsley, but I honestly couldn’t taste anything other than a subtle hint of cardboard. Even the house aioli couldn’t save it. I’ll leave that one next time, cheers J.
For mains, we had gnocchi sorrentina and the caprese mezzaluna. The sauce on the gnocchi was alright: garlic, basil, baby mozzarella. But my dining partner could only describe the texture of the actual potato-based goods as “claggeh.” I had a forkful and was inclined to agree. My caprese mezzaluna came in the form of ricotta- and spinach-filled half-moon pasta, in a similar sauce, and was edible. It filled the gap. Meh.
Despite being understaffed, the waitresses who served us were wonderfully polite and helpful, even though they were clearly a little rushed off their feet. Hospitable and smiley, top props.
Overall, the experience at Jamie’s was forgettable. I’d maybe go back to sit in the garden and smash a couple more Proseccos, but would be reluctant to order any food. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, maybe the evening menu is better, or maybe it’s just another dose of cookie-cutter chain bollocks that would be better replaced by an independent who gives a toss.
Jamie’s Italian, 24-26 Low Pavement, Nottingham, NG1 7DL. 0115 822 1421
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