Jamie who?

Home

Jamie who?

As the latest Jamie’s Italian arrives in the middle of Bristol’s thriving gastrozone Tony Benjamin finds out what the neighbours think.

Despite a £1m refurbishment that took nine months, there’s been surprisingly little razzmatazz about the opening of Jamie’s Italian in Bristol. The latest in a string of 19 places stretching from Glasgow to Sydney (via Dubai), it was always bound to cause a flurry, though, if only for the association with the chirpy moptop who’s become a national treasure for his campaigning TV shows. While nobody really expects His Pukkaness to be in the kitchen, the prospect of a Jamie-endorsed meal has generally proved irresistible, inducing long queues to wait for a table wherever they can. Whether it’s merely edible merchandising for a TV celeb or a bona fide addition to the dining world, you can’t deny the impact of Mr Oliver on the eating out market.

Situated at the top of Park St, the Bristol branch has an interesting location, with well-established mid-range eateries like Café Rouge, Pizza Express, Bar HaHa and Browns, as well as fine dining places Goldbrick House and The Square, all very close by. Asking around, Venue found them surprisingly positive about their new neighbour, with The Square’s restaurant manager Jamie Atherton welcoming the arrival: “It reinforces what we’re all doing to create what’s almost a ‘gastroquarter’ round here, so I’m glad it’s Jamie and not something of lesser quality. It can only be good for the area by bringing people in who are looking for good food. There’s no point in being negative about a development like this. For sure Jamie’s Italian will have a marvellously busy honeymoon, but you only sustain things if what you do is good enough.”

It’s a perspective echoed by Ben Paxton from Goldbrick House: “I’m quite excited, really. Whoever came along – it could have been Marco Pierre White, even! – the hype will help rejuvenate the area and put Park Street in the spotlight again, so I don’t think it’ll have a negative impact on us. Obviously we’ll be more conscious of what we do and be sure to dot the Is and cross the Ts but I don’t think it’ll have much effect on our trade.”

Despite the current economic climate, both men are feeling very positive about their own business – The Square has just had a major restyling and the turnover at Goldbrick House’s café/bar is breaking records – and in the face of such confidence it seems that proof of The People’s Jamie’s pudding will certainly be in the eating.

Lovely! Pukka! Lovely! Etc. Jamie’s Italian has finally opened in Bristol