OLIVER: A place called Passione. It's just genius. The pasta there is authentic, made from good ingredients, very seasonal. It's not trendy or technical. They serve the most wonderful rabbit pappardelle. You get the most beautiful seafood spaghetti. You get folded roe. That's where we get our inspiration from. Not to say that we steal from them, but when you go to such an authentic place, you find out what is cool and not cool, what is traditional and what isn't, what is bastardized and what's real. And we try to stick with the real.

AMERICAN WAY: That's for sure, especially when you have a kitchenful of untested talent and your reputation is on the line every night. It's got to be frightening. What do you do to calm the nerves?
OLIVER: I used to drum. But I don't do that anymore. That's not to say that I don't get stressed. I'm just not easily scared.

He Said ... Here are Jamie Oliver's favorite London dining rooms and other destinations.

LODGING
Babington House
Somerset, very expensive
011-44-137-381-2266

Sanderson
very expensive
011-44-207-300-1400

St. Martins Lane
expensive
011-44-207-300-5500

DINING
The Cricketers
Essex
pub grub, moderate
011-44-179-955-0442

Fifteen
modern European, very expensive
011-44-207-251-1515

The Havelock Tavern
pub grub, moderate
011-44-207-603-5374

The Holly Bush
pub grub, moderate
011-44-207-435-2892

Passione
Italian, very expensive
011-44-207-636-2833

The River Café
Italian, very expensive
011-44-207-386-4200

St. John, British
expensive
011-44-207-251-0848

NIGHTLIFE
Jazz Café