Jamie Oliver: Food folly

London, Sept. 2: It was the most talked about restaurant in Britain.

Jamie Oliver achieved wonders by creating a top-quality venue using a gang of previously unemployable teenagers. Almost universally praised by critics and customers alike, Fifteen was the most fashionable eatery in London with a waiting list stretching months in advance.

But nearly two years on, the fairy tale appears to have turned sour, if the latest edition of Harden’s London Restaurant Guide, published yesterday, is to be believed.

By its authors’ criteria, the restaurant scored the lowest possible rating for food, ambience and service and drew some venomous comments from some of the 7,000 members of the public who contributed to the book.

They criticised the venue as “amateurish” and accused Oliver of taking advantage of his status by serving average food “at Gordon Ramsay prices”. One customer said: “Just because it’s a charity, it doesn’t give them the right to rip people off.”

The eight-course “tasting menu” in Fifteen’s main restaurant costs £65 per person and can be accompanied by a £40 wine package. The a la carte lunch menu includes £14 starters, £35 main courses and £8 desserts. In Fifteen’s trattoria, which offers cheaper alternatives, starters cost from £7, main courses from £14 and desserts from £5.

Peter Harden, the guide’s co-author, said: “One thing about being a celebrity chef is that it allows you to create demand for your product which is completely divorced from how good it is.”

A spokesperson for Oliver said that the restaurant had already taken steps to address the problems raised.