FOOD + DRINK
Family-friendly fare and a feel-good vibe at Bluewater
BILL ' S RESTAURANT
Never has the saying ' when life gives you lemons, make lemonade ' been more superbly demonstrated than by Bill Collison, founder of Bill’ s. When his Lewes-based greengrocers was devastated in the floods of 2000, he regrouped and reopened, this time with a cheeky little addition of a café. Fast forward 16 years, and his namesake restaurant – with its straightforward concept of serving really good food whilst ensuring every customer has a really good time – has taken the country by storm. BY SAMANTHA READY
One addition to its nationwide portfolio is the Bluewater branch; the result is an urban, yet rustic dining experience with a great ambience.
Bill ' s has a no-nonsense approach to using great produce and serving tasty, hearty meals in a cool and relaxed atmosphere; this is a concept that is instantly demonstrated by the warm, welcoming waiting staff. Having been shown to our cosy booth, and with a beverage of Bill ' s pink lemonade and a strawberry daiquiri( made with Bill ' s homemade strawberry jam) in hand, my guests and I began to peruse the main lunch and dinner menu. Bill ' s also offers breakfasts, specials, afternoon tea, a dedicated kid ' s menu, and a cracking cocktail list!
The menu itself is as interesting as it is simple, from starters such as chicken liver parfait with Bill ' s red onion marmalade and toasted campagne bread, to crab and falafel sweet chilli doughnuts and heaving sharing mezze plate. Staple hearty mains include Bill ' s hamburger, macaroni cheese, sticky toffee apple pork ribs, grill options, and a selection of delicious sides that had us deliberating for an age! Finally, we followed some good recommendations from our waitress and decided to opt for a sharing selection to start.
Our potato and rosemary bread was like our own mini loaf of stodgy paradise, which was devoured before it even cooled; mini Cumberland sausages in honey and grain mustard barely touched the sides; and the crispy crumbed halloumi with lemon garlic mayo and pickled red onion was declared a new favourite and almost ordered another portion.
Next up, our mains included one chargrilled paprika and lemon chicken with caramelised root vegetable, mustard hummus and caper dressing, cranberries and seed; a delicious and succulent 28-day aged 10oz sirloin steak, served with skin-on fries and a generous dollop of garlic butter; and for our youngest diner, a hamburger with fries straight off the kid ' s menu. We even had to double check this when it arrived, as the portion was huge!
Now just like most nine year olds, mine is somewhat of a burger connoisseur and can also be a damn right fussy little madam, so for her to practically lick her plate clean and declare earnestly that it was " the best burger I ' ve had in ages – actually maybe ever " is praise indeed. The slightly more grown-up diners were also more than sated with the good portions and tasty offerings; the succulent chicken and moist steak dishes were set off with clever little touches – the tasty mustard hummus and caper dressing, the subtle kick of the watercress salad.
Mains done, it was of course time for dessert, and at Bill ' s all kids get an ice cream as part of their meal. Meanwhile, my guest, having stared at the recipe board chalked on the wall for most of his meal, was drawn to the warm chocolate brownie and myself opting for the blackberry & apple Eton mess with salted caramel and blueberry coulis.
The hearty puddings arrived in record time and were polished off just a quickly, leaving us just on the pleasant side of full.
It ' s easy to see how from its humble roots Bill ' s has flourished, as the concept, though simple, is brilliantly executed with good food and a great atmosphere. This was aided by a lovely friendly team, which meant that we did indeed have a great dining experience and are now looking forward to our next visit.
Bill’ s Bluewater 01322 380851 www. bills-website. co. uk
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