During the Easter weekend we popped into Jamie’s Italian Edinburgh to see what it was like. It was Mr Edinburger’s first visit but I’d been before with friends. Jamie’s Italian is located in the elegant halls of the Assembly Rooms on George Street. If high, grand ceilings and impressive surroundings are your thing then it’s well worth a visit, even if you only have a cocktail. It’s the perfect location for stopping to rest in between shops, meeting friends or taking that someone special out.
The spring menu has just been launched and it is packed full of tasty, seasonal dishes. After being quickly shown to our table we spent some time deciding what to order, the easy bit was picking which cocktail I wanted to try. We dined early evening and were surprised to see there was already a number of tables eating. The restaurant became busier as the evening progressed with groups of friends and families.
JAMIE’S ULTIMATE SHARING PLANK – Artisan fennel salami, mortadella, prosciutto, spiced chicken-liver pâté, truffled salami & fennel pork scratchings with grissini & music bread. Italian nachos, mozzarella & aged pecorino, tomato mostarda & crispy shallot rings. Olives & pickles, grilled marinated peppers & crunchy summer slaw
JAMIE’S MOJITO – Bacardi Superior rum, Martini Bianco, fresh mint, lime & sugar, topped with Jamie’s Prosecco
SQUID & MUSSEL SPAGHETTI NERO – Flash-fried squid & mussels with tender octopus, capers, anchovies, tomatoes & white wine
FRESH CRAB SPAGHETTI – With capers, chilli, fennel, parsley, anchovies & lemon
STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI – Bacardi Superior rum, lime & sugar syrup
AMALFI LEMON MERINGUE CHEESECAKE – Velvety mascarpone & lemon cheesecake topped with Italian meringue, served with lemon curd & blackcurrants
MOLTEN CHOCOLATE PRALINE PUDDING – Warm chocolate cake with a liquid praline centre, served with salted caramel ice cream & praline
Each course was served quickly and efficiently by our waiter. The sharing board was probably our favourite along with the desserts. The sharing board was a great combination of meat, cheese and savoury. Each item was pointed out to us and they made sure to point out the chillies for delicate souls like me. At £10.95 per person it was a little more expensive than we would have liked to have paid. The main dishes had lovely fresh pasta and both tasted great although could have done with a little more of the seafood in each. My dish was a little hotter than expected but that didn’t stop me. Dessert was great. My cheesecake was light and had a fantastic lemon taste and Mr Edinburger’s chocolate pudding was mouth wateringly good. The salted caramel ice cream was a great addition to the dish and the hot and cold combination worked well. Given the lovely presentation of our earlier dishes we felt the presentation of dessert let it down a little.
Overall it was a nice evening. Jamie’s seems to have hit the spot with families and groups of friends. It was a hive of activity when we were ready to leave. The service was good, we didn’t have to wait long for anything and our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and when Mr Edinburger faced the dilemma of which dish to order he was able to advise. We would definitely pop back in for a drink as the setting is lovely and maybe try some of the bar bites but not sure about a meal. It was a little more than we would normally pay for our local Italian and the food wasn’t quite as good but still pretty tasty.
Her x
Jamie’s Italian| The Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LR | 013 1202 5452 |
Twitter:@JamiesItalianUK
Facebook:/jamiesitalianUK
*We were invited along to review Jamie’s Italian. We were not asked to write a positive review and all views are our own.
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This is the second time I’ve read reviews of this place and I must say I am excited to visit once I get settled in Edinburgh. Thanks for sharing.