Jamie's Italian

Oh dear!

Last week, I had an enjoyable lunchtime meal at The Botanist, which was ram-packed with diners.  I had burger and chips served on a seed tray with a relish/salsa in a miniature preserving jar.  The Botanist is upstairs in the refurbished Monument Mall and now has an open-air bar area just below the glass dome.  

As I was leaving, though, I passed by Jamie's Italian restaurant which is below the Botanist on the ground floor of Monument Mall and I noticed that it was completely empty.  Something not quite right there! This place should be chocka, but its not.  Now, I've never been, but whenever I have asked anyone I know who has been what it is like, the response I get is "it was alright, but its too expensive for what it is".  Gordon Ramsey will be cockahoop!

There is plenty of competition in close proximity, but there seems to be plenty of customers to go round - everywhere else seems to be busy: Carluccios, Browns, Harry's Bar, Pleased to Meet You, Tyneside Cinema cafe, The Botanist, Fenwick's restaurants and cafés, to name but a few in the Grey's Monument, upper Grey Street part of Newcastle.  These place are all busy at lunchtimes as well as on an evening (except Fenwick's).  

It used to be a deserted even depressing part of town on an evening, but which all these new cafés and restaurants it has become quite a lively area, attracting the evening dining crowd.