Jamie's Italian, Cheltenham...

I was sent a voucher to review Jamie's but all opinions are (obviously) my own
As you may have seen, Mark and I have been trying to explore more of Cheltenham and we were lucky enough to be able to visit Jamie's Italian last night after their lovely PR company got in touch and offered us a voucher. It was so nice to get all dressed up and spend some quality time with Mark. I first tried Jamie's when I went to Birmingham with some blogger pals for Valentine's day and whilst the food was nice, I wasn't overwhelmed by it. The Cheltenham branch is much smaller, the restaurant is in the former County Court buildings right in the centre of town and it is really quite special, especially when it is all lit up at night and the experience was completely different. The staff and service were brilliant, attentive but not annoyingly hover-y and the food was delicious! A special shout out has to be given to whoever was in charge of the soundtrack, cheesy 1980s pop mixed with Blondie and Destiny's Child was always going to be a winner in my book!

We booked our table for 6.30 pm and it was still pretty quiet, even for a Saturday night so definitely book an early sitting if you want to take your time over dinner!

I can't resist some fancy columns and jazzy lights!

Mark and I were sitting in the jury bench which was so cool. The bench seats were really comfy and you got to look down on the rest of the restaurant whilst eating your dinner which was super cool even if you have to sit next to, rather than opposite your date!

I loved the lights and snazzy glass (?) ceiling too, aren't they cool?

I love it when restaurants have open kitchens like this, I love watching them prepare the dishes.

Snazzy napkins!

I started off with a Tom Collins and Mark had a bottle of Messina beer...

Mark had crispy squid which came with crushed garlic mayo, chopped chilli & lemon...

...whilst I had the ricotta bruschetta with balsamic-roasted cherry tomatoes, Colwick cheese & basil. This was delicious, if very cheesy! I have to share how much I love these plates too, they are all crinkly at the edges

For our main Mark and I opted to share the Ultimate Sharing Plank which had (deep breath) artisan fennel salami, mortadella, prosciutto, spiced chicken-liver pâté, truffled salami & fennel pork scratchings with grissini & music bread, cauliflower fritti, mozzarella & aged pecorino, tomato mostarda & crispy shallot rings, olives & pickles, grilled marinated peppers & crunchy kale slaw. Phew, what a mouthful! We also got some 'funky chips' to have on the side but there was more than enough on the platter to fill us both up!

The best part of going out for dinner is always dessert, amirite? Mark opted for the chocolate and hazelnut Arctic roll....

...whilst I went for the (blooming gorgeous!) sour cherry and almond tart which was just divine!

I know it's a blogger cliché but I love me some good floor tiles! ;)
Are you a fan of Jamie's? Where should Mark and I try next?

P.S. I was sent a voucher to review the restaurant but I would be more than happy to spend my own money on another visit!