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
BillsRestaurant
94