Fifteen Restaurant

My husband and I booked this restaurant almost at the last minute, on 28 December 2012, and were delighted to receive a reservation.  The food was delightful, as was the wine (although grossly overpriced!).  There were two downsides - one, a large bluebottle fly was seen buzzing around the kitchen (the duty manager did explain that they had a problem with bluebottles - not very reassuring to the diner, to see such aerobatics being performed within the kitchen environment).

Whilst on the health and safety issue, I do find it most difficult to accept salt dishes with an open aspect.  There are obvious indentations from previous clients’ fingers, speckles of food particles, etc.  I always ask for a fresh dish of salt (although cannot verify to the fact that your employees actually provide a fresh dish with fresh salt – who would gainsay them?!).  But could I point out (and please do not tell me that salt is a natural disinfectant – it is not – but it does clean and disinfect to a small degree) that companies no longer offer open peanuts and mint imperials at bars or checkouts as 40+ different ‘flavours’ of urine were found to infect them.  Could you please arrange for salt to be dispensed in a grindable, shakeable, whatever covered dispenser that no other fingers have had the opportunity of poking, stirring, etc.  I have to say because of this I was seriously disappointed in the Fifteen experience and, at the moment, have no desire to return.

Having said all this, I have absolutely no faith, whatsoever, in a reply from management.  After all, I am just passing trade.  Companies no longer rely on loyal customers returning time after time. It is just a 'once off' attitude.  If you don't return it is no matter, as other punters will take your place.

We went to this restaurant full of high hopes and for a special occasion-  it being my wife's birthday but we were sadly let down.... the taster menu was very restricted and not particularly appetising so decided to eat from the main menu, unfortunately one meal was cold and had to be sent back for it to re-appear microwaved even though we were told it had been cooked fresh and was a whole new meal but obviously wasn't.

The lamb was OK but certainly not worth £25 (approx) for considering it was no more than 3 small slices of lamb on a pile of spinach, my wife had asked for hers to be medium/well (yeah i don't know why either!) but it came out rare.

We quickly decided to not partake of any desserts or more wine (which was actually OK but rather expensive) and when asked about our "experience" we informed the staff that the food was rather bad we were told on several occasions that there was a new head chef in and that they couldn't do anything about it...... I think possibly in the future customers may decide to go elsewhere as this is not what we wanted to spend nearly £300 on.

I've heard good things about the Newquay branch but I would definitely give this place a thumbs down as it does not deliver value in any way.

Went there on a Sunday with a friend of mine who was invited to a brunch tasting…
Food was beautiful, ALL 7 COURSES we shared where amazing. Could not fault a single one.
Love the decor and the busy friendly atmosphere. Brilliant service. Overall, will defiantly return.

So freakin good and affordable! I ate in the Trattoria and loved every bite. I want to go back and try the rest. Casual but nice atmosphere, very friendly service, and awesome food. The Montelpuciano wine was lovely with it.

-Antipasti: Must-get. Incredible mozzarella, braised fennel, gingered beetroot, salivating salami, amazing bread to soak it all up.
-Pork belly: The BOMB! Perfect combo of belly and crackling. Comes with lovely lentils.
-Ravioli of the day: I usually don’t get ravioli cause I think it all tastes the same but you could tell this was homemade and from the heart. Sooooo good.
-Rump of lamb: Nice n gamey with good side.
-Trout: Very tasty. Potatoes are nice too. Pretty basic dish, though.
-Spinach risotto: Hearty and decadent

From all the Fifteen restaurant I've only been to the Trattoria in London, but it has been an amazing experience great Pasta and Antipasti. Service had been very good and the possibility to see into the Kitchen is just a great experience! I absolutely recommend this Fifteen as much as the Cornwall, Amsterdam and Melbourne one!! Hope to see many more around the world!

Went there again after such a long time and enjoyed the new decoration (more modern) The food was as per usual great the signature fish stew was to die for not to mention the tender mozarella.

I took my team here for lunch. Booking was straightforward although they are a bit cautious about no shows and surprisingly particular about timing. They do contact you a day or so before to check that you are still going ahead. It's all very courteous and efficient.
When we turned up we were shown immediately to our table - you get a chance to see the food being prepped as you go through.
Our waiter was knowledgeable about the dishes and able to give a fuller description on each - which was useful, as the menu was not always completely obvious.
The sommelier was equally knowledgeable and helpful in selecting a wine - though it should be noted that there are no obvious 'budget' wines in the list - so expect to be paying over £30 per bottle.
Ambience was relaxed and informal, service was leisurely. Food was up to a high standard both in presentation and flavours.
Expect to pay about £60+/head

During a business trip to London, we were very much looking forward to eating at Fifteen, given the fact that we liked Jamie's project and the idea behind it.

The reservation procedure is, well, unusual. We understand that restaurants need to make sure that they do not reserve tables for people who never show up, but the announcement that in case of a no-show, 20 pounds would be deducted from the credit card, was a bit off-putting. After all, what is if the place is packed and our table is given to someone else - do they charge the 20 pounds back? Probably not.

This, however, was not our concern as we were there as promised and were shown to the table by a very nice lady. She is, dear Fifteen, what secures you the second star. The service was without any reproach.

The food: Starters - a mixture of Italian cold cuts (cheese, ham). Very fresh and nice. Main courses: Spaghetti Carbonara cooked very al dente and with a strange soapy flavour, chicken was ok but the roast potatoes were greasy and overcooked. We were not thrilled at all and for the quality of the food, the prices are way too high.

Still supportive of Fifteen's concept, I left a very detailed feedback on their website and never heard back, which I would have liked very much after I have taken a lot of time to write out in detail why were were unsatisfied.

So, no more Fifteen for me.

The Trattoria is always useful for business lunches. Good vibe and nice food and service.

Recently, I was in the Trattoria area of Fifteen for a lunch meeting. I love the vibe in this place, it's rustic without being pretentious. The open kitchen is the first thing you see upon arrival, and that really says it all about the ethos behind this place. The chefs are the stars after all.

They serve a variety of antipasti, patas, as well as smaller main meals, and larger ones. Sitting with the Jamie Oliver Team meant that I could ask about what was really good and get a well informed answer. Each of them swore by all the pastas, so that was it for me!

I chose the thick Linguini carbonara with guanciale, marjoram, free range egg, garlic and parmesan. It was a small size (and to be honest I think you would really have to push to get a large in!) and perfect for me. I loved the fresh pasta and the balance of flavour in a dish that can often miss the mark.

I would definitely be keen to return and try out the downstairs dining area that is more formal in style, and pair that with the dinner menu to get the full experience.

I dined at the trattoria part of this restaurant. The ambience was nice and cozy, but the service was all over the place. The starters arrived before our drinks, and we waited a long time for our mains.
The food was OK, not amazing though. My partner's pork seemed a bit too dry and tough, however on a nice bed of tasty beans.

Fifteen’s purpose is two-fold: firstly to offer young people, often in need of a break in life, the experience of learning to work in the restaurant business and secondly, for our customers to enjoy fantastic food and knowledgeable customer service. The restaurant is the trading arm of a registered charity, the Jamie Oliver Foundation (no.1094536), and the profits go towards the apprenticeship scheme. Now in its eighth year of operation, the London business has expanded with the addition of Fifteen Amsterdam, Cornwall and Melbourne. The exciting news is that, in London alone, Fifteen has recruited more than 100 young people and seen over 60 apprentices graduate. Many of them are now working full time in some of the world's best restaurants.

Having often wondered about this place, I got a table in the trattoria while on a business trip.

I can't fault the food at all. The starters were good quality tapas style dishes, which were well-presented, if nothing I couldn't replicate easily at home.

For the main I selected chicken, which was cooked in a tomato sauce with aubergine. Again, very pleasant and I'm sure it was a very good chicken, but £20 for a chicken leg with few veg / potatoes seemed expensive.

For dessert I had the tiramisu which was the one truly exceptional dish I tried. Light, delicate but still flavoursome and well presented.

The wine list was reasonable but when presented with the bill I did feel I could have enjoyed a similar meal at a less well-known establishment for quite a bit less.

If I were to go back I'd definitely go with at least one other person or ideally a group. The starters and sides are definitely aimed with sharing in mind, making it an expensive place to go when dining alone.

We went to Fifteen for breakfast. On entering the restaurant the staff did not greet us or make us feel very welcome at all. We decided to sit in a quiet corner of the restaurant. The decoration of the restaurant was really nice and modern.

Thankfully the staff taking our order much more friendly. We decided to have Jaimie's signature porridge as well as a full monty breakfast. Porridge was great but very very filling maybe they should do a smaller version? The full monty was a nicely presented (linconshire sausage really delicious!) but expensive. To add to this we had coffees and a smoothie which were nothing special.

Overall food is good but expensive, drinks average and service could do with some friendly improvements.

FIFTEEN TRATTORIA - THE INGREDIENTS OF SUCCESS

[Non-photo Review]

For full review, please see: http://wp.me/pwXBH-Ty

Four for part two

As readers of this blog may remember, Mrs. LF and I dined at Fifteen’s more formal restaurant (the downstairs ‘Dining Room’) shortly after entering the world of food blogging. Unfortunately, these were the days before I began taking photographs of our meals, so we don’t have any images to remember the meal by – but it remains an extremely memorable evening. This was largely down to the sourcing and quality of the ingredients, which was exemplary, and they were handled with the utmost care, with the kitchen bringing out the best of what the produce had to offer.

We have always wanted to return, and finally did a few weeks ago. This time we opted for the more casual ground floor Trattoria as we had Baby LF and my mother in tow.

It was a funny old day, as Jamie might say, with very English weather – meaning that it was hot then cold, rainy then dry, light then dark, and so on. I did manage to get a decent shot of the building that Fifteen inhabits.

If you have seen the TV series Jamie’s Kitchen, you will most likely recognize Fifteen’s facade. A huge financial risk at the time, luckily the venture – which pairs a commercial business with a good cause (more on that here) – seems to be thriving, with four branches now open in London, Cornwall, Amsterdam and Melbourne.

We got a table adjacent to the bar at the back of the room and made ourselves and Baby LF comfortable. Our waiter had a quite a unique personality (he’s the one in the picture above), but more on that later.

We found it difficult to order as so much of it sounded tempting, and we weren’t sure whether to do the traditional Italian thing of having four courses (Antipasti, Primi, Secondi, Dolci) or not. My mother had just come from spending two months at The Italian Project (now completed, by the way) in Umbria, so we decided we might make like The Eagles and take it easy. Somehow the best intentions (i.e. jut ordering a few dishes) never seem to materialize into reality with my family…at least when it comes to food!

Eight was all we could manage

Although the appropriate aperitif to order would have been Prosecco, I wanted my mother to try out a glass of English sparkling wine as they had Nyetimber on the menu and they are one of the better producers.

Nyetimber, Classic Cuvée 2005:
And this ‘classic’ English sparkling wine was a good way to start off the meal. It had tons of tiny bubbles and was quite crisp and refreshing with a medium body and a little richness to it. Mrs. LF, not a fan of English wines (hey, she’s from Northern France), said it tasted cheap to her, but I (mostly) begged to differ on this occasion.

Assortment of Breads:
The white and brown breads were okay, but nothing special; however, the spongy soft focaccia had been lined with onions and was excellent. 7/10.

Cerro del Masso Olive Oil:
The olive(r) oil, on the other hand, was fantastic, bursting with virgin freshness (no, not in that way) and a lovely gentle heat. We had a few refills. 9/10.

I would like to point out however that I think it is very cheeky to charge separately for the bread and oil (in this case £3.25), especially when the restaurant’s prices are high enough to absorb this cost. I know they bake them on the premises, but I still always feel insulted in the UK when they ask you to pay for bread, when this is never (or very rarely) the case on the continent.

Antipasti for Sharing: Mixed Salumi, Mozzarella & Verdura Mista:
We decided to opt for the shared antipasti plate, and this was pretty good bang for the buck. The mozzarella in the center was one of the stars of the plate and was excellent both in texture and flavor; the green olives were also of the highest quality (and reminiscent of the ones served at Dukes Bar); the beetroot had been seasoned and cooked to perfection; the salami was one of the best I’ve had; and the bresaola (at least that’s what I think it was) was also fantastic. The marinated vegetables were also very good.

This platter was a great start to the meal, and a perfect insight into the food at Fifteen: nothing was overly complicated, but everything was executed very cleanly, allowing the produce to speak for itself. 9/10.

Risotto 'Al Limone' with Roasted Amalfi Lemon, Goats Cheese, Basil & Chilli Pannagratato:
The risotto ‘al limone’ certainly sounded like an interesting combination of flavors, so we couldn’t resist ordering it. It came very prettily presented, and it was interesting in taste too – well, in a way. First, your palate was assaulted by lemon, then there was no flavor at all in the middle (you were just left to chew on the perfectly cooked risotto, which did have a lovely bite), and it finished with a bit of muted goats cheese in the background. If you caught a bite with some of the crispy flakes, they were infused with a serious chilli kick, which also added a strong flavor. The thing about the dish was that each taste sounded a unique note, but none of them integrated with each other, and somehow the overpowering sensation was that it was a very bland dish, as there was definitely something missing in the middle. Possibly it needed a main ingredient, such as seafood or a vegetable to tie it all together. So in sum, it sounded great, looked beautiful and just tasted sort of odd. 6/10 (due the technically perfect cooking of the rice itself and sumptuous texture).

Mafalde 'Fatte in Casa' with a Rich Pork Ragù alla Napolitana , Flat Leaf Parsley & Fontodi 2009:
The only other dish which didn’t meet with universal praise during our lunch was this ragù served with mafalde pasta (which my mother says is referred to as the ‘ugly’ pasta in Italy). I thought the pasta itself was excellent and must have been homemade, but the sauce was a little too bland; it didn’t have that richness and deepness that you expect from a good, slow-cooked ragù. The pork itself was pleasant in flavor, aided by just the right amount of fennel, but overall it was merely a good plate of pasta, not a great one. 6/10 (due to the quality and perfect texture of the pasta itself).

Risotto 'Ai Frutti di Mare' with Seafood, Samphire, Chilli, White Wine, Garlic & Bottarga di Muggine:
My seafood risotto, on the other hand, would have had a good case for being the dish of the afternoon. The rice was again perfectly cooked, just creamy enough and with great chewiness. The first thing that hit me was the flavors of the sea, which had been infused marvellously throughout. There was salmon (cooked to the perfect texture for this type of dish), a variety of shellfish, and the lovely infinitesimal spheres of golden grey mullet roe scattered everywhere – inside, outside and on the rim of the plate for decoration. At first, I thought they had used too heavy a hand with the white wine, but after the first bite, it all worked together in chorus, with the garlic in evidence as well. This was about as good as a seafood risotto as I’ve had in London. Stunning. 9/10.

2008 Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc, ‘Aulente’, San Patrignano:
The wine I had to accompany my seafood risotto was exactly what you’d expect to find in a 50/50 mix of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It had a very expressive and insidious nose, with citrus notes and some of that typical Sauvignon zing. On the palate it was quite dry and exhibited both the apple flavours of Chardonnay and the grassiness of a New Zealand Sauvignon, with the former grape contributing a nice body and roundness and the latter grape bringing balance through its acidity. It was a very good match for the risotto.

We were pretty much stuffed by this point, and couldn’t really endure all of the main courses we had originally ordered. We asked our waiter if we could cancel them, but it was too late for two of the three, so we ended up having those anyway.

Oh yes, I promised more on that waiter…he was very nonchalant throughout the whole meal and had no problem giving us his honest opinions and direct feedback on the dishes. For instance, when we told him what we thought of the lemon risotto, he replied with something like, “Yeah, I know. 9/10 customers love it, but I don’t think it works, it’s too weird.” Then he volunteered that he also didn’t like one of the other combinations of ingredients that was used in a dish they served in the previous month (I believe it was strawberries and balsamic, which is obviously a tried and tested dessert combo). We found him amusing and it was both interesting and refreshing to have a waiter who didn’t tow the corporate line but actually interacted with you on an individual basis.

Crown Prince Squash Parmigiana with Sage, Parmesan, Seasonal Leaves, Balsamic & Crème Fraiche:
Even though we were only sharing two fairly light-sounding main courses, it still seemed like a big ask to finish them. Nevertheless we persevered, and thank God we did. This squash dish was delightful in its simplicity. The sweet orange squash square was complemented perfectly by the crème fraiche and the balsamic that had been drizzled on the salad leaves was heaven. Every taste worked together and nothing was awry on this wonderful (vegetarian) main course. 9/10.

Seared Yellow-fin Tuna with Panzanella (Tomatoes, Ciabatta, Volpaia Vinegar, Red Onion & Capers):
My main course of seared yellow-fin tuna was one of the better tuna dishes I’ve had. The fish itself was seared perfectly and, again, simplicity was the order of the day. The panzanella was to die for, the tomatoes being exceedingly sweet, buoyed by the same balsamic, and then cut through by red onions and capers.

It was such a fresh, vibrant and moreish plate of food, I just had to finish it all…yet again. 9/10.

Technically speaking, we didn’t have room for dessert, but in my family, THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR DESSERT! Given the circumstances, we decided to share one between the three of us, and opted for one of the simpler sounding choices.

Vanilla Pannacotta, Raspberries & Homemade Biscotto:
Let me just say this up front. The quality of the pannacotta itself was just mental. It was so creamy, so full of delicate vanilla flavor, and so delightfully wobbly while at the same time retaining its form when shaken or portioned up on our plates. It was the best example of the dessert I can recall. I would have been perfectly happy having that by itself on a drip for a few hours, but it was very well paired with some surprisingly sweet raspberries (not the ‘raspberry compote’ that the menu advertised, by the way) – my hunch is that they were from Secretts, but I didn’t ask – and a really wonderful homemade pistachio-laced biscotto (not the biscotti that were promised on menu). In short, Italian food heaven on a plate.

And that was the perfect end to a very long and very lovely lunch. 10/10.

After a small adjustment to the final bill (they charged us for the starter portion of seafood risotto we had ordered and not the main course portion we received), it worked out to about £120 for three people including service, which I think was reasonable for the quality of the food, although we only had two mains and one dessert. Put it this way, Fifteen (even the Trattoria) ain’t cheap.

I’d like to give fifteen a ten

We all really enjoyed our time at Fifteen’s London Trattoria. It has a fairly random and funky design, which works well with the vibe of the neighborhood and the fact that it is Jamie’s baby. In fact, on balance, I probably prefer the upstairs dining room to the downstairs one – unless you get one of the booths at the back downstairs which then makes you feel as if you’re eating inside a very expensive purse and is quite cool. Anyhow, the Trattoria has a good atmosphere and is a fun place to hang out for a leisurely lunch. One quibble was that the music was very loud when we arrived. This is one of my (and Mrs. LF’s) pet peeves, as music that is overly loud doesn’t allow people to engage in conversation easily, which to my mind is one of the main points of going out to eat with family and friends. That said, we told our waiter this at the outset of the meal and he happily adjusted the volume to be a tad softer, which made it much easier to hear what we were saying to each other.

I see the mantra of both dining rooms as being: “it’s the ingredients, silly.” And that’s the way it should be, with Italian food especially. At Fifteen, you just know that you are eating very good food that has been sourced very methodically and with bags of passion. The way these ingredients are cooked is also nearly always technically very good, although I’m not sure about all of the flavour combinations (but at least they give their kitchen trainees room to experiment). And sure, there may be the odd inconsistency (both in the food and the front of house) given the turnover of staff I imagine that they have due to the ambitions of the venture, but these certainly didn’t deter us from having memorable two meals there, the first being and exceptional, and the second being very good.

For whatever reason, so far as I can tell, the restaurant doesn’t seem to attract much attention in the food blogger world (maybe it’s not new enough any more?), but I would say it’s one of my favorite Italian restaurants in London, right up there with the likes of Ristorante Semplice, River Café, L’Anima and maybe Il Baretto (I am somehow yet to visit Locanda Locatelli as well as some of the newer entries). It’s certainly better than Bocca di Lupo in my book, but I’m visiting that restaurant again soon, so will report back.

If you haven’t been to Fifteen, I would recommend trying it out. Oh, and if you’re curious, it runs circles around Jamie’s other Italian offering based on my meals there at various branches around the country, though it is definitely more expensive.

Rating

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Food: 8/10

Wine: the Trattoria wine list comprises a relatively small selection of well-picked whites and reds (about 10 of each), of which about half are available by the carafe of glass. There are also a few sparkling, rosé and sweet wine options. The wines are mostly Italian and English, although there is the odd Spanish or French one thrown in. It’s nice that prices by the glass start at less than £5 and don’t exceed £9.

For more about my rating scale, see the 'Ratings' tab on my website.

Note: I have dined at Fifteen London twice, once for dinner in the Dining Room, and once for lunch in the Trattoria.

So i broke my routine of "around a fiver" restaurants for two reasons. Firstly i love Jamie Oliver. If that makes me a t** then be my guest. Secondly, I went there because the company was paying.

The restaurant has the mission of helping disadvantaged children to find an interest in life and work, all through cooking, which I think is awesome enough as to go.

food is great. I went for the mozzarella salad with satsuma, and I liked it so much that I always do it. I also lie and say I came up with the combination, only to admit later I didn't. Main course was pork with beans and pesto. Brilliant. My mates ordered pasta and fish and got even more lucky. The pasta smelled as if brought from heaven from the leftovers of god. And for pudding, I went for panacota and don't look back. it was gorgeous.

For all it is, Fifteen is not expensive. I believe we paid (not me) an average of 25 including wine and three main courses. You have to go. Do it for the children :)

Much hyped...I really wanted to love it, but it wasn't really anything special. All tasty and well cooked, but not amazing.
Rhubarb and vanilla lemonade was unusual and refreshing. A mixed antipasti starter was good value, plentiful and tasty, but lacking in wow factor. Breads were good, but the olive oil that accompanied was harsh tasting and not that pleasant to eat (surprising as it was meant to be super duper single estate cold pressed stuff).
Linguini carbonara was well cooked, but spoilt by excessive amounts of fresh thyme. My boyfriend's lamb ragu with papardelle was better.

All in all....enjoyable, but slightly disappointing

It all started with a desperate attempt to find a non-chain coffee shop for a quick break after a morning business function in Finsbury Square.
A bit of a walk around the ass end of the city
later I remembered that Fifteen wasn't too far from Old Street roundabout.
I hadn't been for years and only remembered to look out for a pub on the corner, promptly choosing the wrong dodgy side street. Mind you, I quite enjoy wandering around this part of town.
By the time we took the right turning it was almost time for an early lunch. We weren't the only people arriving early and were asked to wait in the bar until the restaurant opened at noon.
I enjoyed a lovely rhubarb and vanilla lemonade while my friend opted for a Virgin Mary made from yellow tomatoes - I love places which offer interesting non-alc drinks!
The trattoria is still as busy as it has always been but manages to feel relaxed at the same time. We had a quick lunch from the delicious pasta menu.
The smiley faces on the saucers of our espressos cheered us up further and when we left the sun was shining - perfect!

I was excited as hell to be visiting Fifteen, and while my visit was enjoyable, it didn't quite live up to the hype. We were bookd into the dining room - if you're heading over and are anything like me I would suggest you nab a table at the Trattoria as it is far more lively and a much better ambiance. I felt the dining room was on the whole trying to be something it wasn't and so instead achieved very little in its washed over decor. The staff were attentive and presentation of food good. But the misplaced decor resulted in the space feeling a bit dull and tired, and I didn't really like the no-windows-just-down-these-stairs feel. My beef carpaccio starter was brilliant, my pork-cooked-with-blood-sweat-and-tears-for-12-hours was not bad, but not amazing.

All in all an enjoyable experience but quite pricey for what it was, and would most definitely only return to the Trattoria, which was sadly booked up on the day of our visit.

I went to Fifteen recently for a team breakfast with my colleagues as it's not far from our office. I'd heard really great things about Fifteen and have to admit that there was a lot of hype surrounding my first visit.

I do have to say that my breakfast was delicious though on the expensive side. I had Jamie's signature porridge which was quite filling and tasty. The staff was friendly and easily accommodated our large party. I'd like to go back for lunch or dinner to see if it's worthy of another star or two.

Hmm, well, I really did want to love it - but in the end it was simply 'OK'.

We ate in the Trattoria (upstairs section) on a Friday night. The table was fine, and the atmosphere very good, especially for an up-market establishment like this. The music was very cool and I generally liked the decor.

Service was friendly enough, but they weren't exactly chatty, even when we were fishing for tips and knowledge about the food. I think it's perhaps because it was so busy.

The bread and olive oil tasted great (some rosemary bread and a cheesy cake-like one). But no sooner had they got round to bringing it to the table, than our starters turned up, so it all felt a bit rushed.

I started with the gnocchi, which at £9 had to be pretty good - I'm happy to say it was. Easily the best I'd ever had, soft, creamy, flavourful. Mains were not as good though. My £19 slow roasted pork loin was tough as old boots - I know they can be, but I did expect something special here! The tiny new potatoes side dish that turned up was bland and I swear it wasn't seasoned at all.

Overall, it was fine but I think you could do a lot better. If I thought it was good value, it might have been a 3-star rating, but in the circumstances only 2 from me! Sorry Jamie, I still love you.