Jamie Oliver has been a defining force in British cuisine for over 25 years, from his landmark show The Naked Chef to his school dinner crusade. Eager to sample his current offerings, one diner visited his Catherine Street restaurant in London, which opened in 2023 and promises British classics with a fine-dining twist.
Starters included bread and butter at £5.50, which was deemed merely okay, and a scotch egg with Stornoway black pudding, oozy Cacklebean egg, and mustard mayo, which scored 8 out of 10. The fish and chips at £25 boasted crisp beer-battered hake and mushy peas, though the chips arrived cold and the curry sauce was unappealing.
The main event, however, was the £27 cottage pie. According to the menu, it featured beef shin, featherblade and aged rib ragù, mustard mash and bone marrow top, and red wine gravy. The initial mouthful was enjoyable, with velvety mash and a crispy topping, but the dish was slightly too salty and, strikingly, was predominantly mash. The absurd element was not the price but the fact that the meat played second fiddle to the potato, despite the premium ingredients listed.
For diners expecting a hearty meat-led cottage pie, this version appears to be more about the mash and marrow, making it a curious take on a British favourite. While the restaurant's ethos of reimagined classics is evident, the execution left the reviewer questioning the value beyond the hefty price tag.
