Here in Exeter we are fortunate to have numerous options when it comes to restaurants. However, being the foodies that we are, we at HCX were thrilled to hear that Jamie’s Italian was coming to add to Exeter’s gastronomic delights! We were even happier to be asked to attend the press launch of the new venue! So on Tuesday, four of us headed out to sample the delicacies which Jamie had to offer!
We were greeted by a charming waiter and shown to our seats upstairs. The restaurant was simply furnished in the typical Jamie’s style. However, unlike some of the more generic restaurants, there was no sense that this was a chain franchise. The place had character and ambience and the choice of food was incredible, all of it sounding absolutely fabulous!
After much deliberation over the extensive menu, we decided on a selection of starters to share (it would be an unreliable review unless we sampled as much as we could, surely?!)
The ‘World’s Best Olives’ actually lived up to their claim; they were HUGE, a vibrant green and a had lovely buttery flavour.
Our personal favourite starter, though, was the Italian Nachos. It was an unusual but amazing combination of crisp, toasted ravioli topped with parmesan and a spicy tomato dipping sauce.
Our main course arrived promptly and we soon demolished the lot. The pasta dishes were all generously portioned and made with the best local ingredients. My chilli prawn linguine was gorgeous, and even better, the staff were more than happy to cater to my Gluten Free needs, and assured me that the chef would prepare my dish with Gluten Free pasta.
Another big hit was the creative black ‘squid ink’ pasta dish, and the ‘Chicken Al Mattone’ which was tender and flavoursome.
Dessert, clearly, was too much to resist for us Her Campus girls. The ‘Epic Brownie’ Cat and I chose was divine; warm and dense, topped with caramelised popcorn.
Rosie and Annabel decided to try the ‘Chocolate and Hazelnut Arctic Roll’ which was a rather grown up take on a 1970s favourite.
Overall, we thought the food was of a very high standard and really gave good value for money.
The waiters were attentive throughout the meal and nothing was too much trouble. Rather than being pushed to order expensively, the waiter in fact recommended the house wine, which was a perfect accompaniement to a wonderful meal.
We can fully recommend Jamie’s Italian and it provided a fantastic mid-week treat amongst the stress of deadlines!
Jamie’s opened officially to the public so we will certainly be back very soon!!