Last year, Delhi got the country’s first restaurant by celebrated chef Jamie Oliver and the signature brand was followed quickly by him opening his debut pizzeria in Gurgaon. Mumbaikars no longer need to envy the Instagram feeds of their peers in Delhi as Jamie’s Pizzeria is all set to open this weekend at High Street Phoenix. Just like us, if you too have grown up binge watching the charming Brit’s shows Just Jamie and The Naked Chef or run to his YouTube channel for 30-minute meal fixes post work, then you need to check this one out. We dropped in for a indulgent lunch ahead of their launch, and can’t wait to go back for more.
AMBIENCE
A good movie followed by a humble meal is our ideal date set up and this outpost, bang opposite PVR cinemas, fits the deal perfectly. Upon entering, you’ll spot an open kitchen on your side that will kickstart your appetite. The walls are made to look rustic and decked with Jamie’s personal pictures, gorgeous food shots, an LCD screen that plays his shows on loop and shelves stacked with his cookbooks as well as favourite ingredients. To give the space an essence of Mumbai, there is wall art that brings out quintessential Bombay elements like the dabbawalas, black and yellow cabs, Bandra Worli Sealink and more. The blackboard over the kitchen window lists down the specials for the day with a few of them written in Hindi to add desi quirk.
FOOD + DRINKS
Jamie is a champion of fresh ingredients, classic combinations and food that not just tastes good but is also a visual delight. All of this gets translated on the menu, making it ideal for someone who wants to enjoy a lazy siesta of pizza with a few glasses of wine, grab a quick bite or have a working lunch. The menu is broken down into courses like appetisers, pizzas, salads, drinks and desserts. We started our lunch with their signature Handstretched Garlic Bread (Rs 149) that reminded us of garlic naan dressed with generous amounts of garlic and rosemary. The bread was served with a tangy olive tepenade that completed the dish. Next up, a bowl loaded with seafood aka the Fritto Misto (Rs 269) with chunks of fish, prawns and squid battered and deep fried. This was accompanied by a chunky Italian tartar sauce with a generous crunch from pickled olives. The dish in totality was perfect for the weather, as the fried prawns still had a slight bite to them while the fish melted in our mouth. We washed this down with Homemade Ginger Beer (Rs 130), which had a spicy nose from the ginger married with citrus.
Being a pizzeria, the real star is of course the pizzas and that’s what we went for next. The Tuscan (Rs 529) came topped with dry cured ham, crushed tomatoes, cheddar, mozzarella and rocket – need we say more? It was exactly the way we had pictured it, loaded with colours, textures and flavours. The matured cheddar added a sharp taste to the pizza that went perfectly with the salty ham, and blending the two was the creamy mozzarella along with fresh rocket leaves that balanced everything out. The key ingredient for any pizza though is the tomato sauce and this one made us lick our plate clean! If you enjoy spicy food then, then The Chilli Freak (Rs 329) is what you should go for. Not for the fainthearted though, it’s a fire bowl packed with a layer of their secret chilli sauce made from various types of chillies. For the topping they’ve used jalapeños, fresh cut chillies, mint and parmesan. This green devil is fire-y, but we recommend you try it at least once. If you have a strong palate, you can also get yourself a side of super spicy, secret chilli sauce that we enjoyed with our pizza crust. For desserts, we recommend their Affogato (Rs 229) – French vanilla ice cream drowned in hot espresso – for a much needed caffeine fix after a decadent meal.
IN A NUTSHELL
WH Verdict: A comfort heavy cheat meal that won’t leave you feeling guilty.
Meal For Two: Rs 1,000 Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter
**The writer was invited by the restaurant to preview their menu**
Last year, Delhi got the country’s first restaurant by celebrated chef Jamie Oliver and the signature brand was followed quickly by him opening his debut pizzeria in Gurgaon. Mumbaikars no longer need to envy the Instagram feeds of their peers in Delhi as Jamie’s Pizzeria is all set to open this weekend at High Street Phoenix. Just like us, if you too have grown up binge watching the charming Brit’s shows Just Jamie and The Naked Chef or run to his YouTube channel for 30-minute meal fixes post work, then you need to check this one out. We dropped in for a indulgent lunch ahead of their launch, and can’t wait to go back for more.
AMBIENCE
A good movie followed by a humble meal is our ideal date set up and this outpost, bang opposite PVR cinemas, fits the deal perfectly. Upon entering, you’ll spot an open kitchen on your side that will kickstart your appetite. The walls are made to look rustic and decked with Jamie’s personal pictures, gorgeous food shots, an LCD screen that plays his shows on loop and shelves stacked with his cookbooks as well as favourite ingredients. To give the space an essence of Mumbai, there is wall art that brings out quintessential Bombay elements like the dabbawalas, black and yellow cabs, Bandra Worli Sealink and more. The blackboard over the kitchen window lists down the specials for the day with a few of them written in Hindi to add desi quirk.
FOOD + DRINKS
Jamie is a champion of fresh ingredients, classic combinations and food that not just tastes good but is also a visual delight. All of this gets translated on the menu, making it ideal for someone who wants to enjoy a lazy siesta of pizza with a few glasses of wine, grab a quick bite or have a working lunch. The menu is broken down into courses like appetisers, pizzas, salads, drinks and desserts. We started our lunch with their signature Handstretched Garlic Bread (Rs 149) that reminded us of garlic naan dressed with generous amounts of garlic and rosemary. The bread was served with a tangy olive tepenade that completed the dish. Next up, a bowl loaded with seafood aka the Fritto Misto (Rs 269) with chunks of fish, prawns and squid battered and deep fried. This was accompanied by a chunky Italian tartar sauce with a generous crunch from pickled olives. The dish in totality was perfect for the weather, as the fried prawns still had a slight bite to them while the fish melted in our mouth. We washed this down with Homemade Ginger Beer (Rs 130), which had a spicy nose from the ginger married with citrus.
Being a pizzeria, the real star is of course the pizzas and that’s what we went for next. The Tuscan (Rs 529) came topped with dry cured ham, crushed tomatoes, cheddar, mozzarella and rocket – need we say more? It was exactly the way we had pictured it, loaded with colours, textures and flavours. The matured cheddar added a sharp taste to the pizza that went perfectly with the salty ham, and blending the two was the creamy mozzarella along with fresh rocket leaves that balanced everything out. The key ingredient for any pizza though is the tomato sauce and this one made us lick our plate clean! If you enjoy spicy food then, then The Chilli Freak (Rs 329) is what you should go for. Not for the fainthearted though, it’s a fire bowl packed with a layer of their secret chilli sauce made from various types of chillies. For the topping they’ve used jalapeños, fresh cut chillies, mint and parmesan. This green devil is fire-y, but we recommend you try it at least once. If you have a strong palate, you can also get yourself a side of super spicy, secret chilli sauce that we enjoyed with our pizza crust. For desserts, we recommend their Affogato (Rs 229) – French vanilla ice cream drowned in hot espresso – for a much needed caffeine fix after a decadent meal.
IN A NUTSHELL
WH Verdict: A comfort heavy cheat meal that won’t leave you feeling guilty.
Meal For Two: Rs 1,000 Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter
**The writer was invited by the restaurant to preview their menu**