Jamie's Italian in Leeds

Now that the Pool Court, The Ellington, and more recently No 3 York Place have closed, Leeds is crying out for a class act like Fifteen, backed by someone of Jamie's calibre. Not many people believed that what the dining scene of Leeds really needed is another Italian restaurant.

They'd soon change their tune after eating here. From the moment you enter to the moment you leave, this place shows the others how it's done. A combination of Oliver's idiosyncratic style and financial muscle has made for a wonderfully confident and, more importantly, competent operation.

Close to 2m has been spent on the refurbishment of this former bank on Park Row, but nothing about it feels brash – it simply has enormous wow factor.

From the beautiful colours of the reclaimed Italian floor tiles to the wonderfully retro mint green metal chairs, it's evident that a great deal of time and effort has gone into making this place feel right.

And the layout is equally impressive – two floors, each with their own style, offering space for 220 diners. Both floors are shaped in such a way that there are lots of corners to tuck yourself into, with just enough of a view into the theatre kitchen to create an infectious buzz.

This general feeling of bright-eyed enthusiasm is a real tonic during these sobering times and it's enough to make you feel a little giddy. It's clearly felt by all the staff too, and the welcome we get is warm and friendly.

This is a good thing as the very first part of the Jamie's Italian experience is also the worst – having to queue out front because they don't take reservations. Still, it's a warm night and like most Brits we're certainly not afraid of a queue. Plus we can soon move through to the bar, we're told, and queuing is infinitely better with a drink in hand.

A quick turnaround of tables means we miss the bar altogether and are led straight to a table on the lower level. Here we settle in with a bottle of Italian lager apiece, soaking up the happy atmosphere, gawping at the impressive wire chandelier above us and realising the music playing in the background is in fact the Stone Roses.

This might seem fairly trivial, but it speaks of something important: this is not a theme restaurant, and a soundtrack of Italian crooners just wouldn't wash. Oliver can't compete with the authenticity of places like the local favourite Salvo's, with their black and white family photos on the wall, and he's not trying to. His aim is to communicate and share his love for Italian food, not to ape its culture – and it's something he does with great integrity.

Take the plate of World's Best Olives with which we start the meal. Served on ice, these green giants are served unadorned and unpitted, with only clever presentation giving any hint of Oliver-ness. Essentially they are left to speak for themselves, and they do so brilliantly, with a lasting and beautifully complex flavour that develops in the mouth.

Once again, with our antipasti, it's the presentation that most loudly shouts Oliver, with the selection of cured meats, cheeses and pickles served on a plank raised up on two tins of tomatoes. Each item has an immediacy about it that fans of his cookbooks would find very familiar. A fennel salami is the best of the various meats, but the star of the show is surely the pecorino served with a punchy chilli jam.

Choosing to do this the Italian way means we order small versions of the pasta dishes from the Primi part of the menu: linguine with clams and casarecce Siciliana. Both dishes are knock-outs. The first, a tourist classic, is generously spiced and has real zing to complement the briny tang of the clams. The second is more complex with a dark sauce of anchovies, aubergines, black olives, raisins and highly prized San Marzano tomatoes.

From the Secondi list we choose a rose veal chop, stuffed with salumi and parmesan, breaded and pan fried, and Fish in a Bag, a sea bass fillet steamed with mussels, clams, fennel, potatoes and lemon. Both dishes are perfectly cooked – the fish, in particular, simply melting in the mouth – and absolutely bursting with flavour.

They are heavily seasoned, however, which leads to some seriously overpowered taste-buds towards the end. It's clear the dream is for their clientele to order the Italian way. But our experience suggests the recipes have been created to be enjoyed in the conventional order of starter, main with sides, and dessert.

To finish, we order the Ultimate Chocolate Raspberry and Amaretto Brownie to share.

Full credit to the kitchen for doing such a convincing job with something that sounds so un-Italian. The result is rich but not unsubtle, and makes for a fitting end.

A 500ml carafe of rich and chocolaty Montepulciano from the almost entirely Italian wine list, plus coffees, brings the total to just over 90 – about right for such a glorious feast.

Order more conventionally and you could easily eat your fill for nearer 60. Not bad for such high quality fare, and the daily queues outside suggest many feel the same. Restaurants of Leeds take note – the bar has been raised.

Jamie's Italian, 35 Park Row, Leeds, LS1 5JL, 0113 322 5400. Open Monday-Saturday noon-11pm; Sun noon-10:30pm.

YP MAG 26/6/10