Union Jacks

One of my Food Network-​obsessed best friends mentioned Jamie Oliver to me years ago as she was a huge fan of the Naked Chef but that’s all I know about him. Even though it’s in touristy Covent Garden, I went into Mr. Oliver’s Union Jacks eagerly anticipating the food I would have.
The special of the day was fish and chips. However, I was dismayed to discover it was sold out. How can you be sold out of your special by 5:30 PM? I made do with the intriguingly-​titled «Bubble & Banger.» For £15, I noshed on sausages plus bubble & squeak with onion gravy. Everything was fine though the bubble & squeak could have used a bit more seasoning. The «Proper Sticky Toffee Pudding» (£6) was very good as well (with a tad of a crunchy texture), though quite rich so be sure to have to water on hand.
We were seated promptly (the waits can get super long) but that was about the only promptness that I could see. Our server was spotty at best. I was irked since I could have been wandering Covent Garden instead of sitting through a drawn-​out dinner. It’s also cramped, with tables very close to one another. Also bothersome was the fact that there were no bathrooms, but you can pay a pound to pee downstairs. No thanks.

I’d give this meal a four. It was a very solid meal. The waitress could have done a better job hiding her displeasure that I didn’t order a drink with my meal or a coffee with my dessert.
For my entrée, I had the Empire Chicken. The seasoning was perfect, and I really liked the spicy yogurt topping (in fact, I would have enjoyed even more of it – hint, add it as a side!). My only complaint was the chicken was a tad over cooked. For dessert I had the sticky toffee pudding. I’ve had a fair number of sticking puddings over the years — well, more than most Americans — and I can report that, hands down, this was the best one I’ve ever had. I’d return just for this dessert. Well done, chef!

Great location, nice open but heated seating. Had fish fingers and rump steak. They were both very good, liked the fish fingers dressing a lot. But to me the star of the dinner was fries with home made garlic aioli and tomato sauce. I call it tomato sauce because it is much lighter and sweeter than ketchup. And the aioli, really really incredible. I can just go back and have fries with these condiments again!

As it is situated in the piazza, which is outdoor, this restaurant is nice to have dinner or lunch in the warmer weather. However if its not warm enough then there are some tables that have heated seats and heaters nearby.
The fish and chips is what I come to Union Jack. But my recent visit to my disappointment the menu has changed and was no longer on the menu. However when talking to the waiter it has now become one of the special. I thought that was the best dish on the menu and being called Union Jack you want to be serving British food. Fish and Chips is one of those classic British dish!
Being in the centre of the Piazza you get the extra touch from the street singers that performed nearby. What better then dining and being entertained by live performance. But of course this depends if you there at the right time and its a performance to your taste. Otherwise it might be nightmare to your ears.

Je connaissais le restaurant Union Jacks se trouvant du côté de St Giles, un lieu sympathique comme dans une bulle de verre où l’on pouvait se restaurer d’une fière cuisine anglaise remise au goût du jour; une cuisine franche, honnête, faite de produits frais et sélectionnés, le tout servi avec une réelle volonté d’amadouer le plus réticent des palais. Je connaissais, donc, pour m’y être rendue une fois et avoir été, alors, séduite. Mon enthousiasme était tel que je m’étais promis d’y revenir lors d’une prochaine escapade dans la capitale anglaise. Il s’est passé quelques années entre temps et le restaurant d’alors a fermé. Récemment, je me suis mise en quête d’un autre Union Jacks dont seul celui se trouvant à Covent Garden subsiste encore. Aucun choix, je me suis donc dirigée exactement là. Alors d’accord, le lieu est magique… se transporter jusqu’à Covent Garden fait partie des incontournables lorsque l’on veut flâner au rythme des chants d’opéra ou s’y divertir à la faveur de tel ou tel autre amuseur de rue. Ledit restaurant se trouve sous la halle, il s’agit d’un endroit ouvert entouré de verre qui permet donc de voir qu’il est toujours prisé puisqu’une foule dense s’y presse. Bön signe? Finalement, peut-​être pas. Il y a nécessité à patienter jusqu’à ce qu’enfin une table soit attribuée. La chose décidée, la joie d’y accéder laisse bientôt la place à la perplexité lorsque les différentes assiettes défilent jusqu’à arriver aux tables des convives. Un rapide coup d’oeil sur la carte n’engendre aucune allégresse supplémentaire… l’on admet rapidement que le choix va être ardu tant le menu n’offre que de pauvres alternatives. Et rien né s’arrange lorsque, enfin, les assiettes arrivent devant soi et que la fourchette trépignante l’on se dit que l’on va se régaler. Quel que soit le plat qui a eu les faveurs de votre décision, il arrive largement tiède, posé là dans l’assiette de façon très brouillonne, finalement très en dessous des attentes et, pire, n’offrant aucune réelle délectation à la dégustation. Alors quoi? Moi, je dis qu’il né suffit pas (ou plus) de se nommer «Jamie Oliver» pour que les — nombreuses — imperfections puissent être admises ou même tolérées. Il me reste de cette expérience une déception réelle qui me fait même dire: plus jamais !

We loved it! Chili Freak pizza = Amazing! Garlic Mushrooms were delicious and went well with the Bacchus. We also loved the Flint white wine. Dry and crisp. Beautiful Sticky Toffee Pudding — the perfect desert to get. Loved the creativity and cozy feel.

Super slow service, staff overwhelmed and inattentive, take forever to finish paying my bill

I’m a big fan of Bianco in AZ so I needed to try this place where he partnered with Jamie Oliver.
The location and ambiance are awesome. Kind of tricky to find it with GPS or the taxi, though.
The food was pretty good and the service too.
The toffee pudding is da bomb!
Cheers

The garlic mushrooms are just absolutely amazing, I could have eaten 10 plates of those for a main course. The British hot pizza was really good also, the pork in this pizza was tender and soft and the touch of spiciness was a great flavour combination. The woodman pizza has also a nice combination of ingridients. Finally the chocolate brownie, although good, it’s not the best, the propper toffee pudding just outstands the brownie with it’s fantastic taste. The staff is really friendly, attentive and really helpful, I would definitely go back!

Union Jacks, de Jamie Oliver, tiene productos de mercado en un ambiente increíble: en pleno centro de Covent Garden.
El crab de aperitivo estaba benísimo y el crispy duck delicioso y sólo por eso merecería 5 estrellas :) Además, tienen menú infantil (que intenta combinar platos que gustan a los pequeños con verduras o elaboraciones más sanas).
Dispone de estufas en el asiento, en los pies y superiores, ya que en invierno pasa aire y puede hacer frío.

This place has some pros and cons. Pro: beautiful location in the middle of bustling Covent Gardens. Pro: delicious Neapolitan style wood-​fired pizza crusts. Con: Slowest service possible (despite the fact that there was tons of staff and I watched them congregating at the kitchen windows). Con: Long wait to get in, even though there appeared to be empty tables. Con: though the pizza crusts were awesome, I did not love the toppings… very lack-​luster and strange ‘English’ combinations. Drink selection was ok (but not great). Prices are a little high, but that comes with the location.

Love this casual Jamie Oliver rest. smack in the middle of Covent Garden´s Marketplace. My daughter and I always share the crispy (but never greasy) Fish and Chips and a Margherita Pizza –which have been consistently delicious on the 2 times we have been there. Very good service and fun ambiance. Great for lunch!

I went here with a group, which seemed to overwhelm the staff a bit, so our service was a bit slow. The location is very nice and open to the piazza.
There aren’t many (if any) vegan options available, and just a few for vegetarians. My pizza was good, nothing to complain about or rave about.
Overall, average experience at best.

Yes, it’s super touristy, but the service was poor. Water never came despite 4x requests, staff overwhelmed.
Pizzas were good /​standard, some of the food was good, but cocktails were poor.
Fine for tourist-​y experience but don’t expect great food or good drinks.

Fun place to eat in Covent Garden. Great atmosphere and lots going on around us. Food was excellent. Had the fish and chips. Food came up very quick so you don’t have to wait long. Food all fresh.

We stopped by during our visit to Covent Garden today. Started with Jamie’s Bread and then shared two pizzas. Everything was excellent! I especially liked the «Hot» pizza as it had just the right amount of spiciness. The tomato sauce on it was exceptional.
I really enjoyed the Cloudy Lemonade (lemonade mixed with ginger beer) and we finished by sharing a Sticky Toffee Pudding. It was also a winner.
Great fun overall. Get seated opposite the entrance for a quieter meal. The street performers are near the end where you enter.

This Union Jack’s in Covent Garden has a perfect location. Crowds stroll past, the delicious scents waft, people are hungry, and it’s like fishing for salmon in a salmon ladder during the fall run.
We were hungry. There was no waiting for a table, we bit.
Portions were large. Some dishes better than others. When the help cooks what great chefs design, results may not be stellar. Example, chard with one left half over-​seasoned, right, non-​seasoned. Lamb chop WELL done at the edges, rare to raw at the bone.
We got full and warm. We are all still alive. It is all OK.

Englische Küche mit dem Jamie Oliver — Einschlag. Mitten im Shopping-​Trubel. Netter Service, akzeptable Preise. Hier kann man sich für die weitere Tagestour gut stärken.

After finishing up at the college fair, I was so hungry… they served lunch, but I was so busy talking with students and their parents that I didn’t really have time to eat. I headed to Covent Garden to meet up with Mr. Snarky and his friend, who had eaten at the Shake Shack earlier. I actually thought I was going to be eating at the Shake Shack, but they had left by the time I arrived. We were walking through Covent Garden and they noticed some free tables at Union Jacks, so we grabbed a table.
I did not realize that this was a Jamie Oliver restaurant, and I quite like his Italian restaurants, so I get pretty excited. Please note that because this is in Covent Garden, it is loud, busy, and during the winter time it is probably a bit chilly. They do have switches to turn on the heaters under some of the benches, but just be warned. We were seated somewhere we could watch some of the performers/​buskers and while it provided entertainment, sometimes the noise got quite loud.
I ordered the Fish and Chips, although seeing the pizza next to us, I thought maybe I had made a mistake. The fish was crisp and you could see bits of sea salt on top, which was great! The Chips… really fries because they were quite skinny weren’t hot when they arrived and were quite salty. There was no tartar sauce like the other fish and chips that went out. The mushy peas did have mint and while I do like minted peas, there was something about them being mushy that I didn’t really like.
We did have some dessert… Mr. Snarky had the Gooey Meringue with Summer Fruits, his friend had a scoop of the After Eight Ice Cream and the Marathon (Snickers for my fellow Americans) Ice Cream, and I had a scoop of the Earl Grey and Biscuits Ice Cream. The metal cups that the ice cream comes in are all uneven and wobbly. Mr. Snarky’s Gooey Meringue looked wonderful and was apparently very sugary. While I liked the Earl Grey flavor of the ice cream, there were no biscuits in the ice cream and after the initial Earl Grey flavor, it was a bit bland afterward. It just needs a little something more. Other than that, it was a nice experience, but pricey and loud and I think I prefer Jamie’s Italian!

I am a huge Fan of Chris Bianco (I eat at his restaurants at least once a week in AZ), so the first restaurant on my list for London was Union Jacks. Was very excited to try to combined concept with Jaime Oliver.
Location: fun location inside of Covent Garden.
Food: we started with Garlic mushrooms (table favorite), Fish and chips and English sausages. All fantastic and tasty.
I was pretty excited to try Bianco’s famous wood fired pizza with quality English ingredients. We chose the mushroom pizza with Salami. I would love to have tried everything on the menu!
Drinks– we ordered the iced tea, which was an English breakfast tea. Superb!

I’m a huge fan of Jamie Oliver to begin with… so I had certain expectations of this restaurant. Went with two friends, and we agreed it was one of the better meals we’ve had out in quite some time.
They have just introduced their seasonal drink menu. So, Pimms it was!
Ordered the fish and chips which came with the traditional mushy peas. It was great!
The restaurant’s whole take is on British food with a twist. It’s the traditions, but they are a spin-​off. I encourage all to try it out.
Two words of caution: It’s in the central part of Covent Garden, so it will be noisy. And, second, the prices are a tad more than you would usually pay for fish and chips!

Toujours aussi bonne adresse jamie Oliver à londres. Les recettes britanniques revisitées excellent fish and chips et en dessert une forêt noire succulente. Déco sympa mais adresse à faire plutôt aux beaux jours car la salle du resto n’est pas abritée car elle se trouve sous le hall de Covent Garden.

As a Phoenix native and London transplant, there was no other restaurant that piqued my interest more so than the Chris Bianco-​Jamie Oliver joint venture Union Jack’s.
Having been to Bianco’s in Phoenix (the latter of which truly does often have a four-​hour wait for a table) for a rather shruggable experience, I wasn’t sure how on earth these two came together and what their angle was gonna be. (Note, if you ever DO find yourself in Phoenix wishing to try the Oprah-​endorsed chef’s offerings, skip the circus and go to Pane Bianco for a fantastic sandwich experience.)
As for the second part of that question, I now know that Bianco aimed to break into the market abroad, and Oliver wanted to offer Bianco’s perfected method to wood-​fired pizza with «traditional British toppings.»
I came to find that means things like local fish and cheeses piled on top of a (admittedly damn near perfectly chewy and crispy) crust. I had the Juliet, which features four British cheeses including Red Leicester and Lancaster poacher, topped — of course — with rocket. Brits love putting rocket on their pizza! The pizza was big enough to share if you get a starter as well.
Sister had the fish and chips and by god if we didn’t all agree that was the BEST piece of fried fish anyone at the table had ever had. We couldn’t place what they did differently, must have been the seasonings in the thick bread batter. Chips were the smaller «fries» style that I prefer but admittedly not very British (I’m ok with that, personally).
The burger was a bust however. Dry, meat, forgettable bun, greasy bacon. Maybe a one-​off but really, who goes to a pizza place and gets a burger anyway?
I’ve heard it’s taken off in the two or so years since it opened (indeed the upstairs was full by 7pm on a Tuesday), and there are now more locations. I suggest going to a different location as this one felt a bit … cold. The floor to ceiling windows were nice but looking out on the deserted street left you feeling in a corporate «closed down dead after 5pm» part of London.

We were lost in London. It was raining (suprise, surprise) and we were starved. We stumbled upon this small mall with a resturaunt from Jamie Oliver, a famous TV Chef personality. Had to be good, right? British cuisine had to be done right by this guy, right?
Ummmm…
Conclusion– British cuisine isnt good. Maybe its just us. But we are not fans. Their favorite garnish is mayo. Mushrooms with mayo is an appetizer… who thinks of these sorts of disgusting concoctions. Who one day decided «hey, lets fry up some mushrooms and slap on a dollop of mayo!!» would be a delicious idea??? The British are backwards with their cuisine… just like with their cars on the opposite side of the road. For shame!
The pizza we got was ok. Super über oily. We received our diet cokes with a straw. A straw made of out cardboard… cardboard gets mushy when wet. Again, what in the heck are these people thinking.
The service was just fine.
Oh, and just like every American– do not get me started on the prices… pre having to convert it to the dollar…