360 degrees
Serves Trattorio-style Italian
Blurb: Tuscany via London
Atmospherics: In a mall that has had its share of ups and downs, Jamie’s Italian is so large that when it was initially set up, everyone wondered whether optimism had won the day over caution. Two years later, the crowds still gather here for an evening of fun and food, and it is easy to see why. Delhi appreciates good food, but looks down on pretentiousness. Jamie’s serves good, consistent food, with a bias towards fried and spicy, and the one thing you won’t find here is pretentiousness, so whether it is couples or large groups, dinner time any day of the week is loud and buzzing. While the items on the menu may have undergone a slight shift in order to appeal to our palate, a strict check on quality control is kept on the ingredients. It is that, which has enabled the taste to be maintained consistently throughout. Jamie’s Italian is a trattorio, which is to say, a café rather than a fine dining restaurant. Prices are decent for the quality, the interiors are vibrant and the vibe is fun.
Table talk: Where Jamie’s scores is in the breads that are baked on the spot, and in the pizzas. The pizza bases are delightfully chewy, and the amount of tomato sauce, cheese and whatever topping you ask for, is placed in the exact proportion that it would be in a pizzeria in Naples. My Margarita pizza (Rs 425) was excellent and well-priced too. My sausage pappardelle (Rs 525) was a hearty, filling portion, enough for a complete meal. The pasta was al dente as I had requested and the sausage was a hearty, delicious one. If you want something that is not drenched in oil and spice, look at the contorni (side dishes) that contain a couple of salads. While all the desserts sounded delicious, my tiramisu (Rs 395) was irreproachably fresh, not overly sweet and was flavoured with orange.
Plus and minus: What is rather dismaying is how much effort it takes to find something on the menu that is not either deep-fried or laden with chilli. A quick read through the menu leaves you wondering if it is at all Italian, what with Italian nachos, burgers and chilli freak chicken wings; even the gnocchi in the appetizer section are fried.
Must try: Steak (pork) and chips; acqua pazza, Jamie’s superfood aubergine
Food: 3.25; Service: 3.00; Décor: 3.25
3rd floor Ambience Mall, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj
Tel: 40870032
Open from 11 am to 11 pm
Alcohol served; credit cards accepted
Meal for two: Rs 2000
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