Jamie Oliver’s affordable restaurant in the UK | Must-try handmade pasta

Text and photos byHappy Cloud

Whether you’ve been to the UK or not, fans of food and travel shows surely know the famous British chef "Jamie Oliver" (corrected from "Jamie Olive"). In the UK, he transformed many dietary concepts, published numerous cookbooks, and promoted healthy eating through his TV programs. He is undoubtedly a household name and a culinary revolutionary. In the UK, Jamie Oliver (aka Jamie Oliver) runs six major restaurant chains, among which Jamie's Italian Restaurants are the most affordable and have the highest number of locations. This chain was co-founded in 2008 by Oliver and his old Italian friend Gennaro Contaldo, whom he met years ago when he was an apprentice. Starting in Oxford, it quickly grew to 35 locations within just a few years, and in July this year, it expanded overseas to Asia with a new branch in Hong Kong.

This year, due to staying in Birmingham for an extended period, I visited several times, but I always felt the Birmingham branch didn’t quite hit the mark. However, when we later visited Liverpool, our experience at Jamie's Italian Restaurants changed. Still, if you want to try the authentic cuisine of the British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, I’d still recommend heading to London to visit his very first restaurant, Fifteen!!! (I’ll share more about this great eatery in a future post.)

Liverpool is the hometown of The Beatles and was once an important UK port. Nowadays, it’s a fantastic place for shopping, strolling, and leisure. Stepping into The Beatles’ British rock ‘n’ roll world—when I first encountered Liverpool, I remember wondering if the city would be as charming without The Beatles. I think it still would be.

The streets feature modern architecture and wide pedestrian zones. Walking toward the docks, with the wind and sunshine in your face, it feels comfortable and carefree. Before heading to The Beatles Story Museum, we decided to grab a bite. We spotted colorful tables and chairs on the sidewalk that immediately caught our eye, so we headed in that direction.

It was only when we saw the sign that we realized it was Jamie's Italian Restaurants. Hahaha... Should we really give it another try? The taste and slightly snobby attitude of the staff in Birmingham were really off-putting. A friend told me the service in Oxford was much friendlier and more welcoming. So, why not give it another shot in a different city? Hahaha... As a "chain," the quality and service should be consistent, but interestingly, Jamie's Italian Restaurants really do vary by location—even the decor differs. Of their 35 locations, each has a unique design style. This Liverpool branch may not be very large, but the staff are much friendlier and even offer proactive introductions to the dishes.

The menu is the same across all branches, with the day’s specials written on a chalkboard. Of course, these specials are more budget-friendly!! Today, we ordered a special, a pasta dish, and thanks to the friendly staff, we had a wonderful lunch—very different from our experience in Birmingham. Hahaha... Dining really is about chemistry and having the right vibe.

The dishes that arrived were actually quite simple. No over-the-top cooking—just light seasoning to bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients. The special of the day was "fish." Both the plating and presentation were natural and simple, delicious without being fancy. You could really taste the freshness and quality of the fish. European tomatoes are truly different from those in Taiwan!!! I swear you can taste the tomato’s freshness and a hint of sunshine.

The other dish we ordered was inguine, a type of pasta—"flat spaghetti." When you’re at Jamie's Italian Restaurants, pasta is definitely a must-try!!! Their pasta is all handmade, and if you’re lucky, you might even get to see the chefs making it right in the restaurant.

The pasta here in Liverpool was seriously delicious—the seasoning was spot-on and not overly salty!!!! It really did taste better than pasta from other places, and the noodles were cooked perfectly too!!

For lunch today, we kept it simple. Before ordering, the server asked if we wanted a drink. We said sparkling water, and she didn’t react with any displeasure (unlike the Birmingham branch). After our meal, she also asked if we’d like coffee or dessert.

That day, we weren’t very hungry and were in a bit of a rush to get to our next destination, so we kept it simple. But here, eating simply didn’t earn us any judgmental looks—in fact, we got friendly service and smiles. It was really nice. Even before leaving, we saw the chefs making pasta and they kindly invited us over to watch and take photos. Hahaha, and that’s how Jamie's Italian Restaurants managed to win me back.

Many people say there’s no good food in the UK. Honestly, it’s not that bad—over the past two months, I’ve eaten quite a few delicious meals that I now miss. I’ll share more with everyone later. Next time you’re in the UK, don’t miss celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s (Jamie Oliver) affordable Italian restaurant chain, Jamie's Italian Restaurants.

Jamie's Italian Restaurants
Website:http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/

Address: 45 Paradise Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 3EU, UK

Phone: +44 151 559 9830

Business hours: 12:00–23:00, Sunday 12:00–22:30

*For more content, please visit --> Happy Cloud’s Travel Blog*