Jamie's Italian (Permanently Closed)

When Jamie Oliver announced he was bringing his Italian restaurant concept to Reykjavik in 2017, the city paid attention. A celebrity chef brand setting up shop in the ground floor of Hotel Borg -- arguably Reykjavik's most prestigious address -- felt like a statement about Iceland's growing status as a culinary destination. That statement, as it turned out, had a shorter shelf life than anyone anticipated.

What It Was

Jamie's Italian occupied a beautiful space in Hotel Borg, the Art Deco landmark that faces directly onto Austurvollur, Reykjavik's central square. The location was unbeatable: steps from the Parliament building, surrounded by some of the city's best shops and bars, and benefiting from the constant foot traffic of tourists and locals alike.

The restaurant followed the same formula that had been rolled out across the Jamie's Italian chain worldwide: rustic Italian cooking, oversized sharing platters, handmade pasta, and the kind of cheerful, approachable atmosphere that Oliver built his brand on. Wood-fired planks of meat and fish, generous bowls of tagliatelle, and a cocktail list that leaned towards spritzes and negronis.

What Went Wrong

Reviews during its operating years were mixed. Some visitors praised the food and the setting, while others felt the chain-restaurant format sat awkwardly in a city that was increasingly defined by independent, chef-driven restaurants. At prices that reflected Reykjavik rather than Birmingham, the value proposition was sometimes hard to justify.

Ultimately, the Reykjavik outpost was swept up in the wider collapse of Jamie Oliver's restaurant empire. In 2019, the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group went into administration, and dozens of locations worldwide -- including Reykjavik -- closed their doors for good. It was a cautionary tale about the limits of celebrity-chef expansion, even in a city as receptive to dining culture as Reykjavik.

The Legacy

Hotel Borg itself remains one of Reykjavik's finest buildings, and the ground-floor space continues to serve the city in various capacities. The story of Jamie's Italian in Reykjavik is ultimately a footnote in the city's rapidly evolving food scene -- a moment when a global brand tried to plant a flag in a market that was already moving in a different direction.

What to Visit Instead

If you are craving Italian food in Reykjavik, you are well served by the city's independent restaurants. Rossopomodoro on Laugavegur offers authentic Neapolitan pizza. Caruso, a long-standing favourite, serves reliable classic Italian dishes. And if wood-fired pizza is what you are after, Bazilika on Austurstraeti fills the gap admirably.

The lesson of Jamie's Italian in Reykjavik is perhaps a reassuring one: in a city with a food scene this vibrant, the independents outlast the chains.