News of Jamie's Italian opening welcomed by Manchester Confidential

Online lifestyle publication Manchester Confidential is enthusiastically anticipating the launch of restaurant Jamie's Italian on 20 February 2012.

The new venture – part of a high street group run by television chef Jamie Oliver – is expected to create jobs for around 100 people, following a £1m renovation of the former HSBC building on King Street. The grade II listed property will house the restaurant within its basement, ground floor and mezzanine levels, creating a notable dining space within the current scene of Manchester restaurants.

"[It's] opening at last," said Manchester Confidential editor Jonathan Schofield. "This is good news. We like the Liverpool outlet of the big-grinned chef a lot and we love the building he's giving life to in Manchester. Let's hope the combination works well."

Jamie's Italian will be located opposite fellow Italian restaurant Rosso, owned by footballer Rio Ferdinand, which also inhabits an impressive former bank building. Rosso has been very successful since its launch in November 2009, despite the struggles of previous restaurants in the same location, such as Karims and Establishment.

Many other Manchester bars and restaurants in the area are long-established and have benefited from proximity to Piccadilly's rail and bus links, in addition to footfall from King Street's shops and offices.

Schofield's September 2010 review of Jamie's Italian in Liverpool observed: "Jamie’s evident love of Italian food, the good service, and the food make it feel more individual than a concept or a theme. For once a mid-market Italian chain seems worth its organic, tickled, caressed and massaged sea salt." He marked it 7.5/10 for food, 3.5/5 for service and 4/5 for ambience.

Of the top Manchester restaurants already in the city, Jamie's Italian provides another option with the backing of a celebrity name, which is likely to secure a huge amount of interest from residents and visitors alike.

Website: http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/.

Richard Frost

Confidential Publishing was set up in 2003 and its flagship site, ManchesterConfidential.com, has over 100,000 readers and more than 75,000 subscribers. It covers food and drink, news, arts, entertainment, health and beauty, property and business and is aimed at the city region’s intelligent and educated readership. In September 2011, over half a million pages were viewed on the site. The company has won several awards including Top North West Brand in 2008 and One To Watch in 2007 at the How-Do Awards, which recognises local media in the North West. The firm employs almost 30 people across its head office in Manchester, and offices in Leeds and Liverpool.