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Home : Travel : Come Dine With Jamie :

Come Dine With Jamie

Take your pick of celebrity chefs' eateries for a memorable meal out

With the launch of Jamie's Italian, we explore some top British establishments with famous chefs behind them.

It's been a long time coming and the first branch has opened to mixed reviews but it's early days for Jamie's Italian, his "affordable and accessible" chain aimed squarely at Joe Public.

The food is rustic and seasonal with the menu featuring antipasti, pasta, seafood, steaks and salads. Casual, relaxed dining is the order of the day but a no-bookings policy can mean long queues and not everyone wants to share communal tables with strangers.

Jamie's team are already set to open two more branches, in Bath and Kingston, in September.

Fab food at Fifteen

If you want a more high-end Jamie O experience head to one of the fab Fifteen restaurants. Although the Fifteen Foundation is a charity, Jamie's one of nine trustees and was instrumental in setting up the eateries – and his influence is evident throughout.

Both the Fifteen restaurants on home turf have been awarded an AA Rosette. Try London's, off City Road, or Cornwall's – in a beautiful setting at Watergate Bay. If you're going abroad why not check out the Amsterdam or Melbourne branches?

Hunger for Hugh

To sample the local, back-to-basics ethos of 'Chicken Run' champion Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his River Cottage experience, pop into his local store and canteen in Axminster, Devon.

If you've a hearty budget and a passion for lovingly produced, seasonal, local food, why not opt for a private bespoke event at River Cottage HQ, on the Devon-Dorset border.

Rick's quartet

You could be forgiven for thinking that fish-lover Rick Stein owns Padstow, with his empire now boasting four eateries plus accommodation in the Cornish coastal town. Witness Stein's passion for seafood and sample his selection at The Seafood Restaurant, St Petroc's Bistro, Rick Stein's Café or Stein's Fish & Chips. He also owns a patisserie, a deli and a gift shop and offers 40 rooms for overnight guests.

Delia's delights

Head across the country to Norfolk to sample Delia Smith's signature dishes, cooked to her own standards. Delia's Restaurant and Bar, and Yellow's New-York style diner can both be found at Norwich City Football Club and the menus are created from her 6,000 published recipes.

Home Counties bounty

The Thames Valley boasts a whole host of eateries owned by famous names.

'Culinary alchemist' and self-taught chef Heston Blumenthal owns the multi-award-winning Fat Duck, in picturesque Bray, near Maidenhead, Berkshire. After opening in 1995 it went on to achieve its third Michelin star in 2004 and also boasts five AA Rosettes.

Most famous for its snail porridge and scrambled egg and bacon ice-cream, the Tasting Menu employs innovative methods and offers more adventurous diners a host of original flavour combinations. There's also an à la carte menu offering slightly less unusual fare.

Heston also owns The Hinds Head Hotel in Bray, with business partner James Lee. A more relaxed affair serving traditional British cuisine, the Hinds Head retains its village public house feel and boasts two AA Rosettes.

Heston himself has been appointed OBE for services to food and awarded honorary degrees from the University of Reading and Bristol University.

Meat on the menu

Antony Worrall Thompson is based in Oxfordshire and owns The Greyhound and The Lamb, near Henley, as well as the Windsor Grill in Berkshire. There are also three restaurants in the capital from the AWT stable – Notting Grill, Barnes Grill and Kew Grill – with a passion for British produce, particularly meat.

Capital crackers

Tom Aikens, Marco Pierre White, Gary Rhodes and Gordon Ramsay are firmly established in London although the latter's empire is now a global enterprise.

His bid for world domination appears to be gaining momentum with Gordon Ramsay Holdings now boasting four restaurants in the US, one in the Republic of Ireland, two in Versailles, one in Dubai, one in Prague and two in Tokyo.

There's also Plane Food in Heathrow's Terminal Five, plus 11 pubs and restaurants in the capital, with two more opening soon under the leadership of Angela Hartnett.

With a fist full of Michelin stars and yet more international restaurants in the pipeline, there seems to be no stopping this chef. However, some critics say he may be spreading himself too thinly and cannot possibly be closely involved in that many establishments.

A taste for Tom

Award-winning, Michelin-starred Tom Aikens became the youngest British chef to hold two Michelin stars at 26, and his three London restaurants earned eight AA Rosettes between them this year.

Ethical seafood mecca Tom's Place closed at the end of August following complaints from neighbours but may, yet, return. Meanwhile, Tom's Kitchen is a relaxed but bustling brasserie serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The lunch and dinner menus offer a wide range of tasty meat, fish, and pasta dishes.

His signature restaurant Tom Aikens is a more formal affair that also offers private dining. There's a range of menus to choose from, with matched wines as an option.

Gorge at Gary's

Gary Rhodes' style is somewhat different to Tom's. As well as two London restaurants there is also an eatery in the Caribbean that bears his name, and another aboard a cruise ship.

His W1 Restaurant and Brasserie Bar, at The Cumberland Hotel, has been awarded three AA Rosettes. There are classical French influences in the more formal restaurant menu; while the Brasserie offers British and European cuisine in a more casual setting.

Fans can also dine at Rhodes Twenty Four, at Tower 42, London, which boasts three AA Rosettes.

Mange with Marco

Marco Pierre White is another famous chef to have a restaurant on board a cruise ship, but he also owns a country pub. The Yew Tree Inn at Newbury, Berkshire, is a refurbished dining pub with rooms, offering upmarket British pub food. It picked up two AA Rosettes this year.

There are now four branches of Frankie's Italian Bar & Grill – Marco's joint venture with Frankie Dettori – in the capital, including one at Selfridges on Oxford Street. Luciano is another joint venture restaurant in London – this time with Sir Rocco Forté – and he also owns Marco at Stamford Bridge, within the Chelsea Football Club complex, which also boasts two AA Rosettes.

Other MPW establishments in London include L'Escargot, Mirabelle, Quo Vadis (which each have two AA Rosettes) and Criterion Grill.

Many of these restaurants, plus pubs hotels and more can be found in our free online search facility.

The AA Restaurant Guide lists more than 1,800 establishments that have been awarded Rosettes by our professional inspectors this year. There are also restaurants of the year, the Chef's Chef award and three AA Wine Awards.

Check out our other inspirational ideas for days out and weekend breaks.

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