His tutti-fruitti lemon meringue pie and various sized muffin tins have stocked Brisbane supermarket shelves for awhile now, but finally Jamie has one-upped himself on the Brisbane foodie scene.
We reached Jamie's Italian, Brisbane with high expectations, particularly after seeing the range of supermarket Christmas peppercorns he pulled out this year.
We reached Jamie's Italian, Brisbane with high expectations, particularly after seeing the range of supermarket Christmas peppercorns he pulled out this year.
What first struck us about Jamie's Italian was the ambiance. The restaurant pulls off high-spec-retro-rustic better than any skinny-jeaned hipster I've ever known.
We loved seeing the cured meats, garlic and chilli hanging from the exposed steal beams, and this bit of decor actually worked next to a giant chandelier.
We loved seeing the cured meats, garlic and chilli hanging from the exposed steal beams, and this bit of decor actually worked next to a giant chandelier.
While we were here we decided to test out Jamie's Bar as well as his restaurant and kicked off with:
We actually did also order a standard Espresso Martini to compare the Holy Espresso to, and the difference was huge. The hazelnut liquor and amaretto made the Holy Espresso rich and decadent, it almost tasted like a dessert.
The peach puree in the bellini was thick and fresh and made from scratch, rather than being tipped out of a can as most other bars opt for. If you can't make it to Harry's Bar in Venice which is the home of the bellini, Jamie's in Brisbane has a pretty good second option.
- Holy Espresso: A dark and delicious mix of Tia Maria, hazelnut liquor and amaretto with a double espresso shot, dusted with cocoa
- Bellini: Frizzante with peach puree
We actually did also order a standard Espresso Martini to compare the Holy Espresso to, and the difference was huge. The hazelnut liquor and amaretto made the Holy Espresso rich and decadent, it almost tasted like a dessert.
The peach puree in the bellini was thick and fresh and made from scratch, rather than being tipped out of a can as most other bars opt for. If you can't make it to Harry's Bar in Venice which is the home of the bellini, Jamie's in Brisbane has a pretty good second option.
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The food we had at Jamie's was truly wonderful, but before I get into nom-detail I do need a quick word about the service.
There was a distinct sense of confusion among pretty much every wait staff we encountered. At the front door, we waited for awhile while someone went looking for someone else to show us to our table. Then at our table a waiter introduced himself before disappearing for a bit. So long in fact, that we eventually asked another waiter to take our order and she admitted she had no idea where our main waiter had gone. He did come back a few minutes later, and was super attentive from then onwards I have to say. However, making payment a the end of the meal was similarly confusing- it took four staff to take our cash.
I do understand that Jamie's has just opened and the staff are in a settling-in period, so hopefully this is a temporary glitch in the Jamie's experience. Every staff member we spoke to (which seemed like a lot by the end of the meal) was really friendly and chatty and did help to create a lovely relaxed atmosphere overall.
Slight hiccup aside, we did get to the food and from the antipasti menu we couldn't go past these little gems:
These little fried pillows of goodness were a hit. The kitchen did a really amazing job of taking a root crop and turning it into little creamy cheese clouds. The chilli in the sauce added a nice kick to this dish.
There was a distinct sense of confusion among pretty much every wait staff we encountered. At the front door, we waited for awhile while someone went looking for someone else to show us to our table. Then at our table a waiter introduced himself before disappearing for a bit. So long in fact, that we eventually asked another waiter to take our order and she admitted she had no idea where our main waiter had gone. He did come back a few minutes later, and was super attentive from then onwards I have to say. However, making payment a the end of the meal was similarly confusing- it took four staff to take our cash.
I do understand that Jamie's has just opened and the staff are in a settling-in period, so hopefully this is a temporary glitch in the Jamie's experience. Every staff member we spoke to (which seemed like a lot by the end of the meal) was really friendly and chatty and did help to create a lovely relaxed atmosphere overall.
Slight hiccup aside, we did get to the food and from the antipasti menu we couldn't go past these little gems:
- Fried Three-Cheese Gnocchi: Crunchy gnocchi with a fiery arrabbiata dip
These little fried pillows of goodness were a hit. The kitchen did a really amazing job of taking a root crop and turning it into little creamy cheese clouds. The chilli in the sauce added a nice kick to this dish.
We then moved on to:
Both of these meals used amazingly fresh, quality ingredients which resulted in the overall dish being pretty outstanding.
The squid-ink pasta itself tasted like a subtle hit of the ocean, and soaked up the butter and wine sauce to make every mouthful really decadent. The scallops were just cooked too, keeping them soft and flavourful.
The smoked mozzarella in the risotto really lived up to its name. Rich and smoky, it added a really interesting dimension to the mushrooms in this creamy risotto.
- Black Angel Spaghetti: Squid-ink pasta, scallops, chilli, anchovies, wine and capers
- Mushroom and Smoked Mozzarella Risotto: With fresh and dried wild mushrooms and oozy smoked mozzarella
Both of these meals used amazingly fresh, quality ingredients which resulted in the overall dish being pretty outstanding.
The squid-ink pasta itself tasted like a subtle hit of the ocean, and soaked up the butter and wine sauce to make every mouthful really decadent. The scallops were just cooked too, keeping them soft and flavourful.
The smoked mozzarella in the risotto really lived up to its name. Rich and smoky, it added a really interesting dimension to the mushrooms in this creamy risotto.
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As dessert-like as my Holy Espresso was we still needed real dessert, so finished with:
This came out more like a meringue with pav-bits on the side, but was still delicious.
The house-made honeycomb really made this dessert unique and was so moreish. I could have easily eaten a whole bowl of honeycomb bits. A Jamie Oliver branded bowl of course...
- Raspberry and Chocolate-Rippled Pavlova: Mascarpone cream, peppered seasonal berries, smashed honeycomb with a drizzle of dark chocolate
This came out more like a meringue with pav-bits on the side, but was still delicious.
The house-made honeycomb really made this dessert unique and was so moreish. I could have easily eaten a whole bowl of honeycomb bits. A Jamie Oliver branded bowl of course...
Jamie's Italian, Brisbane gives you quality food in a relaxed, funky atmosphere with just a touch of pandemonium to keep things interesting.
Expect good food and slight quirks- a bit like Jamie himself.
The Particulars
Expect good food and slight quirks- a bit like Jamie himself.
The Particulars
- Jamie's Italian an be found at 237 Edward St, Brisbane, QLD 4000
- Open for 7 days, 11:30am – late
- Mains range from $19.50 – $36.50
