Jamie Oliver has officially made the comeback of the century, having opened the doors of his brand new Jamie’s Italian restaurant. Almost seven years after the much-loved chain of restaurants went into administration, the celeb chef’s shiny new spot has set up shop slap-bang in the middle of Leicester Square.
Spread across three (gorgeously decked-out) floors, the new Jamie’s Italian will have space for 140 diners, and comes complete with a sun-soaked terrace that’ll open during the fast-approaching sunny months.
The return of Jamie’s Italian
With an open kitchen on the ground floor, diners can feast their eyes on the food being made before tucking into it. And down in the basement, there’s a cosy private dining room with an atmosphere as delicious as the dishes. The nostalgic comeback of Jamie’s Italian marks Oliver’s most personal restaurant yet, with the walls adorned with personal pictures from his life and career.
Diners can expect to see firm fan favourites made a return to the menu, including the likes of the prawn linguine, the beloved ravioli fritti, and the outrageously good-looking antipasti planks. The pasta is freshly made on site every day, and each and every dish will be made with the highest-quality ingredients.
The very best part is that a meal at Jamie’s Italian won’t require you to take out a small mortgage (which certainly can’t be said about some of the other restaurants dotted around Leicester Square). The dishes are all fairly-priced to ensure that visitors can get their hands on a generously-sized and utterly delicious main meal for under £15 in the heart of tourist town.
Jamie’s iconic blue and white napkins will also be making a comeback to the revamped restaurant, and throughout the month of March, a ‘napkin amnesty’ will be running. Thousands of napkins were ‘borrowed’ from Jamie’s Italian restaurants over the years (some of which were even sold on eBay). Any diner that returns a stolen napkin to the restaurant can exchange it for a free bowl of pasta of a portion of ravioli fritti. How very generous, indeed
Jamie Oliver said: “I’m beyond excited to be opening the Jamie’s Italian doors once again – it’s been quite the journey, but I’m truly humbled by the support you’ve shown us over the years. And for those of you still holding onto a cheeky ‘borrowed’ napkin or an old-school gold card, bring it down and we’ll treat you to a free bowl of pasta or Ravioli fritti – no questions asked. It’s my way of saying a massive thanks for sticking with us. See you at the table!”
You’ll find the new Jamie’s Italian at 17-18 Irving Street, WC2H 7AU. Find out more and plan your visit here.