Fifteen

Address:	15 Westland Place N1 7LP
Tel	0871 330 1515
Website:	Visit Fifteen website
Price: £52.00	Wine: £20.00	Champagne: £41.00
Opening Hours:	Mon-Sun 12N-2.15pm 6.30-9.15pm B:11am-11pm

Square Meal review of Fifteen:

Since the Fifteen Foundation started training unemployed young people as chefs, 45 apprentices have graduated, & the London mother ship of the social enterprise has been joined by restaurants in Amsterdam, Cornwall & Melbourne. Don’t go expecting to see Jamie Oliver – he’s no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the restaurant – but nevertheless his DNA is all over the menu. Where else would you find dishes titled ‘Wicked Sicilian fisherman’s stew’ or ‘Beautiful marinated buffalo mozzarella & funky leaves with char-grilled Sicilian peaches & prosciutto di Parma’? Ingredients are painstakingly sourced & are reflected in the full-flavoured dishes. And, while once there were all manner of detractors, these days there’s nothing but praise for the ‘five-star food’, ‘trendy decor’ & ‘great service’. OK, you’ll need to boost your bank balance to pay for the meal, but at least you will be boosting your conscience too.

Wine List: The list at Fifteen picks & chooses the best producers from around the world, although Italy & Australia are particularly strong. Although margins are high there is lots of choice around £30, while there is an enticing collection of older bottles for those in the mood to splash out. Best Buy White 2006 Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Terruzi & Puthod, Tuscany, Italy, £26. Best Buy Red 2005 Casa Silva Carmenere Reserve, Colchagua Valley, Chile, £25.

Chef: Jamie Oliver

Not many chefs can lay claim to changing government policy, but Jamie Oliver’s impact in our schools has been history in the making, which makes the multi-millionaire’s humble beginnings – cooking at his parents’ pub from the age of eight – all the more phenomenal. After graduating from Westminster College, Oliver went on to work at the River Cafe. Four years ago he launched Fifteen, a not-for-profit restaurant staffed by underprivileged, previously unemployed youngsters & he has since overseen the opening of sister restaurants in Amsterdam, Melbourne & Cornwall. Meanwhile, Oliver’s numerous cookery books & TV programmes continue to keep this high-profile chef in our living rooms often.

Fifteen Location: