They don’t take bookings, the web site is full of hyperbole, parking in Brighton was almost impossible and when we arrived 10 minutes before opening, there was already a big queue outside, and this being a bank holiday Saturday lunch time during the Brighton Festival, everywhere was busy. But despite all this, we had a perfect lunch at Jamie’s Italian.

So that queue; I need not have worried, the place is big and well organised. Despite being about 30th in the queue, a relay of waiters took us from door to table in a couple of minutes and menus and a jug of water were brought, in what seemed like seconds. Once our orders had been taken, we had a chance to look around us. The design and layout is interesting and there is a real buzz about the place. A market stall style counter prepares salads and cold meat dishes, another has a brick oven and prepared things that need a brick oven, finally, a proper kitchen behind a glass wall prepares everything else.

We chose a selection of starters to share between the two of us. Some cold Italian meats and mozzarella, with pickles and salads, some upmarket olives on a bed of ice with tapenade and a selection of breads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar which we “upgraded” to a “super bread basket” . Despite the place being full and busy, the waiter had time to explain the different oils, the picking process and what to look for when buying our own; we were getting a good meal and an education as well. If this sounds a bit overpowering, it was only because we showed an interest and had asked. The only problem was hearing his softly spoken voice, with thick Italian accent and the loudness of the place.

Next, I chose a burger, with a side helping of chips with parmesan and P chose ravioli filled with ricotta cheese and porcini mushrooms, topped with sage and parmesan. They normally serve the burger pink, but I was asked if I’d like mine done a bit more. There was a bit of a wait for the mains, but we put this down to them being busy and in any case the time passed quickly. The burger was huge, cooked as requested and nicely prepared with green chillies, pickles and all the normal trimmings. The chips were not the biggest portion I have seen, but more than enough for me and very tasty. The ravioli was extremely good and since both main dishes were under £10, very good value. If I was being picky, I’d complain that they served a lot of the food on a bit of board, which I hate. I prefer a plate that I can see is clean and has a rim to stop my food escaping. Good service continued and we were well looked after.
For pudding, I had a selection of good ice creams with honeycomb, but P could only manage a coffee.
At the end, the waiter apologised for the delays in service, and explained that they had had a “problem” in the kitchen. Frankly, we had not noticed, and just thought we had had a leisurely lunch. The meal with service came to £50. I just wish there was a Jamie’s nearer to home. Definitely, an “approved” from Top Cat.