NOT every restaurant can claim to be owned by a famous TV chef and national treasure, and so expectations were high for our evening at Jamie's Italian.
The restaurant, the latest in a line of Italian eateries owned by Jamie Oliver, opened in July at Westfield shopping centre and stands apart - literally - from the rest on the Southern Terrace.
Housed in a detached building, it reminded me of the American diners I visited in the US some years ago, and outside is an original 1950s ice-cream van which has been restored.
I found out later it has a kitchen inside and provides an additional income stream for the restaurant by selling ice-cream to passing shoppers. Apparently, Jamie had spotted one on a visit to Italy and decided it would be the perfect icing on the cake.
Inside was cozy and welcoming. There are two main seating areas and as our host escorted us to the back room, we passed through a walkway, where a member of staff was busy making fresh pasta, and we could see the chefs preparing dishes on the other side of the partition.
It felt as though we were walking though the kitchen to get to our table, and gave us the impression of Jamie's as a restaurant with nothing to hide and which is confident of high standards.
The back room faced the antipasti section, where more workers were busy preparing food. We sat next to a young couple, who we thought might be on a date, and who each ordered the burger - a foot-high delicacy held together with a skewer. Jamie's has 105 staff, and our waiter Bruno and his colleagues look after a small area of tables to keep the service intimate and personable.
I ordered the Turbo fusilli arrabiata, and 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 partner ordered the baked mushrooms - another success - and, prior to our dishes arriving, we were given a basket of Italian breads.
For drinks, my partner enjoyed a glass of Mano Rosato wine, 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 as 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 was 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 linguine, although she said it was a little more spicy than she was used to.
After ice-cream we spoke with the general manager Steffan Fouche.
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.
We left content and feeling as though we had sampled some quality food. At £65, including VAT, it was £20 to £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 shopping centre
Shepherd's Bush W12 7GB
