NOT every restaurant can claim to be owned by a famous TV chef and national treasure, so expectations were high for our evening at Jamie's Italian at Westfield.

The restaurant, which opened in mid-July at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush, is the latest in a line of Italian themed eateries owned by Jamie Oliver, and stands apart - literally - from the rest on the Southern Terrace.

Housed in a detached building, it reminded me a bit of the American diners I visited in the States years ago and I was impressed to find a genuine 1950s ice cream van parked outside, which has been restored and fitted with a kitchen to sell ice creams to passing shoppers.

Apparently Jamie had spotted a similiar van on a visit to Italy and decided it would be the perfect icing on the cake for his new restaurant.

The restaurant interior was cozy and welcoming. There were two main seating areas and, as our host escorted my partner and I to the back room, we were surprised to walk past a staff member making pasta and to come within a few feet of the chefs preparing the meals. It felt as though we were literally walking though the kitchen and gave the impression of a restaurant with nothing to hide, and which actually wants the diners to hold it to account by seeing how the staff work.

Our table was facing the anti-pasti section where again we were able to see more staff busy preparing food. We sat next to a young couple, who we thought might be on a date, who each ordered the burger - an unfeasibly tall high delicacy held together with a skewer.

Our table was lit with candles and the light in the room was sufficiently dark to be cosy but not too black that we had any trouble reading the menu. Jamie's apparently employs 105 staff, many local, and our waiter Bruno and his colleagues, look after a small area of tables to keep the service intimate and personable.

I'm a big fan of Italian food and, like most blokes, think I can rustle up a pretty good spaghetti bolognaise, so I was interested to sample the Jamie Oliver brand of pasta. Having ordered the Turbo Fusilli Arrabiata I certainly wasn't disappointed. It was delicious; fresh, tomatoey, and with a spicy kick that might be a little overpowering for some palates, but suited mine to a tee.

My lady ordered the baked mushrooms - another success - and prior to our dishes arriving, we were given a basket of Italian breads, each a different shape, size and taste. Needless to say none of these went to waste; partly because we'd worked up an appetite but also because each tasted so different that you wanted to sample them all.

For drinks my partner enjoyed a glass of Mano Rosato wine, recommended by the waiter, which - at £5.95 a glass was a little on the expensive side - but described by my partner as the possibly the best wine she'd ever tasted.

My pasta dish cost £5.95 for a medium sized portion, but for an additional £4 was available as a main course as well. However I'd already decided on the sirloin steak for my main, and I wasn't disappointed.

It was succulent as you would expect but with that little bit of extra quality and taste that became a hallmark of everything we ate on the night.
One criticism though, was that the steak only comes with a small salad and to really make a meal of it you would need to order the Funky Chips as well, which adds £2.85 to the bill. Still, when you taste them you won't be disappointed!

My partner enjoyed the prawn linguini, although remarked it was a little more spicy than she was used to.

After ice cream desert we spoke with the general manager Steffan Fouche and discovered that Westfield is the third Jamie's Italian he has helped to get off the ground. He told us there are more than 50 dishes on the menu and an average spend is between £10 to £25 per person depending on whether they are having a quick lunch or evening meal.

Steffan impressed on us his boss's green creditials (not just the veg) by revealing that wooden planks used at the Anti Pasti counter - which we could see from our table - are made from 100-year-old reclaimed pine. While reclaimed Vespa lights also adorn the wall for an Italian nostalgia feel. The pasta and bread trays are also made from reclaimed pine and the restaurant recycles glass and cardboard daily, Steffan said.

So-called 'heritage veggies' such as purple carrots, asparagus candy beetroot, and tomatoes are favoured and unlike supermarkets, any oddly-shaped vegetables are welcomed not rejected, as the taste is the same.

At the end of the evening we left content and feeling as though we had sampled some quality food.

At £65 including VAT it was £20-£25 more than we would usually pay to eat out, and while by no means unaffordable, you might not find yourself going to Jamie's Italian every weekend. But for a special occasion or treat it takes some beating.

Jamie's Italian Westfield is at Westfield Shopping Centre, Shepherd's Bush, London W12 7GB