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I’m frequently asked to give a comparison of Carluccio’s and Jamies Italian. In my full review of Jamie’s Italian I rather brazenly wrote off Carluccio’s as inferior to the efforts of The Naked Chef. In this concise and succinct comparison I’m going to give Carluccio’s a full hearing and perhaps revisit my earlier conclusions.

Food

Carluccio’s - I live very close to three branches of Carluccio’s and over the last five years have visited each of them a good few times. In my opinion the food is, and always has been, extremely inconsistent and of an overall low quality. I can confirm that the lasagne is reheated from frozen as I once made the unfortunate mistake of telling the waiter I was in a hurry. The venison ravioli is coated with a thin watery butter sauce that drowns the meagre five parcels you receive.  Carluccio’s incarnation of my favourite Italian dish, potato gnocchi with spinach and gorgonzola sauce, is intolerably disappointing – the sauce is weak to the point of shame, certainly no evidence of any strong cheese and indeed suspiciously similar to the ravioli’s butter sauce albeit garnished with a few limp leaves of overcooked spinach. If only they would follow a simple recipe like this and do it well. On the other hand, the lighter snacks are generally ok; antipasti and ciabatta sandwiches spring to mind. Their homemade still lemonade is nice as well. The produce in the deli is good but nothing that can’t be found much cheaper in an independent Italian deli. 1/5

Jamie’s - A very broad selection of high general quality. In my review I was disappointed by the bolognese, sausage papardelle and chips but completely won over by the truffle tagliatelle, antipasti and ‘worlds best olives’. Even the bad dishes are better the best of Carluccio’s frankly. Lots of good wine choices. 4/5

Service

Carluccio’s - Whenever i’ve been to the Covent Garden branch the service has been excellent. The same can’t be said for their other branches though; Richmond, Kingston and Esher all have serious problems with their organisation and level of customer care. Too often have I had to ask where a particular dish is or reorder drinks because they have just forgotten completely. The staff can be rude and when it comes to complaining, managers unsympathetic. 1/5

Jamie’s - Staff are always very friendly and frequently engage with suggestions and personal recommendations – mark of good customer service. Food arrives promptly and all at the same time. The only caveat is that reservations are not accepted which can lead to some lengthy waits at peak times. On a few occasions we have ended up going somewhere else for dinner because the line was just too long, we are talking upwards of an hour wait. 4/5

Value

Jamie’s (3/5) is more expensive than Carluccio’s (3.5/5) but there’s not much in it. With a bit of thrift you can have a much better meal for the same price. In the full review I suggested sharing the ‘worlds best olives’ followed by big bowls of one of the 10 pasta dishes, lunch from around £11 each.

Conclusions

Jamie’s Italian 11/15, Carluccio’s 5.5/15

It is clear that Carluccio’s has much more of an Italian feel than Jamie’s, but you could argue that in its 60′s Italian chic it is pandering to stereotypes more than the rustic decor at Jamie’s. Hands down the food at Jamie’s is a lot more genuine. The fact that the pasta is made fresh onsite in a kind of public spectacle near the entrance is a testament to that, it may seem a bit gimmicky but considering my unfortunate encounters with semi-frozen lasagne at Carluccio’s I’m not going to be too critical.

It would be audacious and wrong for me to question the authenticity of Antonio Carluccio, the culinary master credited with introducing Italian cuisine to Britain, however Antonio has not been involved with the development of the Carluccio’s chain or brand. Having rejoined the company as a consultant earlier this year, I can only hope that the food quality and customer service receive some much needed attention. Given what I think of Carluccio’s it may seem weird that I’ve been so often. Aside from getting dragged along by other people I have actually chosen to go there a few times. For espresso, a biscotti or a light snack I think it’s good. I’m not a big fan of Starbucks or Costa so while I may quibble about cliché in Carluccio’s decor I have to admit it’s a dashed nicer place to be than slumped in the worn out reds, browns and leathers of the chain coffee house.

Al fresco coffee at Carluccio’s is one thing but when it comes to a direct face off between the two as restaurants, the winner is clear. Jamie’s Italian wins the Italian showdown, though you might want to start queueing now! Arrivederci!