Jamie's Italian

Jamie Oliver's empire continues to grow with the opening of this, the thirteenth nationwide location in his snowballing chain of Italian restaurants. Located in the new St Martin's Courtyard complex near Covent Garden, this is the most central Jamie's Italian and sees the celebrity chef sticking to the tried-and-tested formula of rustic, simple Italian food at fair prices, a basic but stylish décor and speedy service with a smile (no dish is said to take longer than 10 minutes to cook). As with the Canary Wharf outlet, there's a no-booking policy at the 100-capacity venue, which includes some outdoor seating in the summer. Simple dishes like prosciutto, wild rocket and sliced crisp pear as well as delicious plates of homemade pasta (available as large or small portions) are typical. For the full, authentic Italian experience, start with bruschetta on sourdough bread, rubbed with garlic and topped with rocket and parmesan pesto, then antipasti of cured meats, followed by pasta. Other dishes include baked chestnut mushrooms with smoked Scamorza cheese, grilled lamb chops cooked "al matone" with minted sauce, roasted nuts and soft herbs, while for pudding there's a fusion of Italian and English influences with Jamie's Italian Bakewell tart, with a mixed fruit jam base and orange creme fraiche.