BILL'S - Melting Pot of Shabby, Chic & Bistrot

The large warehouse-style interior of Bill's is almost a good match to the large halls of Morrisons or the Odeon Cinema. For this reason we thought it was ok not to book. Our assumption was quickly dismissed upon entering as a wave of noisy chattering hit us hard and good. The place was crowded with an overwhelming attendance of mums with babies. As the hopes of finding a table for six started to fade, the manager and the staff both reassured us and asked to wait for 10-15 minutes at one of the tables outside. They kindly provided menus and also asked what we wanted to drink; it seemed they did not want to let go customers.

After what was only a 5-minute wait, we were seated at a long, rustic wooden table with chairs on side and a sofa on the other. The whole interior design resembles a large market stall with dried chillies and industrial lamps hanging from the ceiling, cluttered shelves with many tins and bottles and a combination of brick walls and glass panels. It was definitely a hybrid between a bistrot and a trattoria and gross sale warehouse; yet, a hint of modern and style permeated the roughly unpolished furniture. You can also buy their own cookbook or order some of their unbranded products, from beer to olive oil.

The menu showed a good range and variety of original dishes although it lacked vegetarian choice. Impartial praise went to the fresh duck pie and also the never-seen vegetarian burger combining of halloumi and humus. The rest food was appreciated despite some imperfections, from the slightly too salted slow beef tortellini to the chicken skewers. The veto was rightly placed on the non-interesting sugar & spice chicken that tasted no different than Nando's (and was not thoroughly cooked) and also on the chorizo scotch eggs which have no chorizo flavour and way too much dipping sauce for the size given.

The place kept being busy even after 1pm as there was a change of shift between the mummies and the office workers. Staff were helpful and cheerful, almost over-enthusiastic. We were quite impressed with how many there were, especially for lunch time. Still, they did not seem prepared to avoid small mistakes (e.g. add ice to the drink when not asked for) or handle complaints (e.g. pink chicken you do not feel like eating).

We left with a weird aftertaste...a bit like the clashing "symmetrical shabbiness" we found at Bill's. A lively experience overall still a bit tarnished by the rough edges. Clean review and at the same time unpolished.

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        4.00
Hygiene                     4.00
Value for Money      3.33
Speed of Service       3.00
Quality of Service    3.83
Ambience & décor   4.67

Bill's gets an overall rating of 76.0%