UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, known for his healthy eating tips has restaurants in several cities which give young people the chance to train to become chefs. I had the opportunity to try the location in London.
Risotto from the dining room’s tasting menu
Fifteen, which is located in a more residential area, has two parts. The first, a trattoria, serves an a la carte menu. The second ,which is located downstairs is tasting menu only. On the night I was there, the choices on the menu included a burata (kind of mozerella) and peach salad, a mushroom risotto, venison and a caramel and chocolate tarte. In both cases, the menu is Italian-influenced. Out of the entire meal I had, perhaps my favourite course was the risotto. The texture of the rice was amazing and the portion size was just right. The venison, however, could have been a bit better.
For the kind of hype that Jamie Oliver’s restaurants get, the food at Fifteen did not quite live up to the standard, especially considering the price (the four course meal is approximately 60 GBP. Menu changes daily). However, the service was excellent, and knowing that dining at Fifteen gives young people an opportunity makes one feel good – 100% of the restaurant’s profits go towards helping youth interested in pursuing a career in the culinary industry. In addition, many of the restaurant’s staff are students at a local culinary program. In fact, at the end of the meal, your bill comes with information about the individual you helped.
In terms of the atmosphere and decor, I’d say that it was not what I’d consider top-notch. In fact, the more affordable trattoria felt more like a modern restaurant than the dining room. While the trattoria had sort of an industrial feel, the main dining room was a little more on the plain side. In fact, it a bit like a fallback to the 1980s – not exactly the most interesting decade in recent history. Dining style, however, was modern, with cutlery being set out prior to each course.
Fifteen’s trattoria is open for dining at breakfast, lunch and dinner and the dining room is available for lunch and dinner only. Reservations can be made online or by telephone. Besides the London location, Fifteen is also in Cornwall, Amsterdam and Melbourne.
