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I appreciate that for most London students Kingston is not a regular haunt however Jamie Oliver’s own independent chain now has locations in Canary Wharf, Oxford, Brighton, Cardiff, Bath and Guildford so there is a fair chance that you will have the opportunity to go to one.

As ever, the question is not whether you can but whether you should. I hope to consummately answer that q. in the next few paragraphs.

The blurb for Jamie’s Italian uses words like fresh, excellence, passion and share to evoke an idyllic vision of a down-to-earth Italian family restaurant, so wholesome that you want to gauge your eyes out with polished spoons to ameliorate the beaming fuzziness of it. It is ironic that this growing brand owes at least some part of its success to the enviable Italian notions of family and community when actually under the skin I expect it acts as capitalistic in its operations as the next chain. Perhaps it is because the decor exudes the restaurant’s concept and theme so well that I am suspicious. Forgoing any qualms I may have with the sincerity of the theme – intrinsically it is of course, entirely loveable. Bright orange and magenta metal chairs, bare wood tables and simple table settings give a great deal to the relaxed, informal atmosphere which appears to have gone down very well with the guardian reading Italian-chic clientele. I’m told that the white dishcloth-esque napkins accented with a thick blue stripe and monogrammed with the restaurant’s namesake go missing so often that they have started being sold in store so that customers may procure them guilt-free. You could be forgiven for concluding that the opinions vis-à-vis property rights of these radical left-wing Marxists have been extended to their day-to-day lives in the form of anarchic klepto-larcenous tendencies, but less verbosely I think it merely indicates the restaurant’s popularity!

Enough blither-blather. On with the food.

The menu caters for its customers very well, there is a wide choice of regional Italian dishes and a specials board updated daily. “Worlds best olives on ice” (£3.60) is no misnomer. Plump, fresh, succulent green olives deliver an extremely meaty taste which is furthered by the Provençal black olive tapenade. The Italian bread selection (£2.95) offers good value with the usual suspects focaccia, ciabatta, soughedough etc.. It would be nice to be able to order normal quantities of a specific bread and not be forced to ‘sample’ this selection on every visit however.

High marks for the antipasti selection (£6.95 per person). Good variety, the subtle aniseed undertones of fennel come through in the Tuscan salami and the quality of the mozzarella is especially memorable. Individual antipasti plates allow you to be very selective so you aren’t resigned to the same predetermined selection; there is a whole host of items from truffle salami (£4.25) to crispy squid (£5.10) to satisfy individual tastes.

Any of the 10 pasta dishes on the menu are available in side or regular portions, this flexibility allows you to enjoy a pasta dish as a component of a traditional multi-course Italian meal or as a main dish in its own right. I think it’s especially important to highlight this as it accomplishes a lot for authenticity. If you were to order pasta and a main in any other Italian restaurant chain you wouldn’t be able to finish. I would be singing praises if a half-portion was half-price but unfortunately, no.

Most regrettably the spag bol. (£6.45/£9.95) is not impressive. Lack-lustre, boring, plain, ordinary and predictable. I wasn’t expecting the reinvention of a classic but something a bit more memorable would have been nice. Likewise the sausage papardelle left much to be desired, very similar to the bolognese – beyond any meaningful distinction. It comes as some surprise then that the highlight of my whole meal was a pasta dish. The vegetarian truffle tagliatelle (£5.95/£8.75) was dished up to the standards of a premier haute cuisine establishment. The black truffles lend a tremendous full-bodied gusto to the dish, the parmesan compliments rather than contrasts the flavour and the result is extremely thick and rich. Hints of nutmeg adds a delicate element to an otherwise strong and simple dish. Forget the pathetic bolognese, this is powerful, impacting and downright delicious.

Phasing in and out of conversation with the memory of that tagliatelle still occupying my thought ‘Jamie’s Flash Steak’ (£12.95) arrives. Pounded rump with layered proscuitto and a basil garnish the steak is flavoursome. The accompanying chips, however, are not on. Half hearted, thick powdery afterthoughts that indeed have to be ordered separately for the princely sum of £2.75. The gimmicy truffle oil infused ‘posh chips’ are just as powdery and suffer from the additional vice of being plain silly. Overall as steak and chips go I feel cheated. The flash steak is good but better can be had at somewhere like Côte for much less – £9.95, steak and chips plats rapide versus £15.70 for Jamie’s with the half-arsed chips…

Thankfully we end on a high; the lemon cheesecake (£4.95) is just excellent.

Distressingly the cost of all these courses add up rather quickly. If you were to follow me course-for-course in this review you’d be looking at around £45 per person incl. wine, although you would be in for a treat! Time for some eagle-eyed budgeting I think.

If your in the mood for something bubbly steer clear of the champagne (£50/btl Billecart) and opt for the prosecco (£23.75) it’s just as good. Don’t be put off by the eco-friendly tetrapacs the organic house wine comes in, its available by the carafe proportionally priced so offers good value (£11.25/500ml). Anything But Chardonnay or just looking for something a bit more special? The sauvignon blanc (£13.85/500ml) and montepulciano (£13.15/500ml) are quality alternatives. On the other hand if your on a shoestring, tap water will do!

While some of the food was lacking  there were many gems in a vast sea of variety. At face value Jamie’s doesn’t offer exceptional value but compared to it’s nearest rival, Carluccios, it is a league ahead in so many ways. A cheap shoestring lunch can be had; forget the antipasti and share the worlds best olives (£3.60) followed by big bowls of that delicious tagliatelle (£8.75). Lunch for £10.55 per person? Done.

Place: 4/5 – friendly staff, quick service, 80′s compilation on the stereo

Food: 4/5 – disappointments eclipsed by triumphs

Value: 3/5 – that steak and chips really wasn’t worth it..

Overall: 4/5*

Jamie’s Italian, 19-23 High Street, Kingston KT1 1LL – 0208 912 0110