A new place in Leeds has opened once again, well quite a lot has been opening (as per-usual) and as always I decided to check things out.
One of the latest addition to my favourite city, has come in the form of Bill's restaurant, serving up classic comforting home dishes from breakfast through to bed time. Now I really really wanted to check this place out for brunch as I have heard their blueberry pancakes are amazing, however as we all know I'm not a morning person and despite breakfast been served until 1pm on a weekend, it was still quite frankly too early for me to function (although the lure of pancakes was tempting), so a nice evening Sunday meal it had to be.
Bill's restaurant it self is located in the city centre of Leeds on Albion Place near to the popular Trinity shopping centre. The building is such a great location and really emphasised the charming, rustic, inviting nature of the restaurant.
Although there are no pictures of the interior on my blog (because I don't want to look too weird photographing when people are eating) you will just have to trust me on how charming and lovely this place is.
In all honesty despite now been won over and ready to rave about this place, the menu isn't really my kind of menu. Although I was swayed initially by the breakfast/brunch, the menu didn't wow me on first glance, and the dishes are all "kinda classics" or as I think of it, commonly found dishes on most generic menus. With starters including the likes of, crab cakes, soup, squid, bruchetta and mains including fish pie, burgers, chicken, ribs, salads and steaks. Ohh and fish finger sandwiches, because there cool and secretly we all love them (sarcasm not intended there). I wasn't really expecting anything that good in all honesty.
Perusing what seemed a little like a dull menu for starers, I did come across the halloumi salad (grilled halloumi, with quinola, and lentin sprout salad, a little red chilli, with a caper, mustard and honey dressing). Obviously I can be won over easily by cheese.
My friend ordered the crab, chilli and prawn cakes (served with baby gem lettuce, mango and spring onion salad).
Now as my friend and I waited for out starters to arrive, my friend (who's not really an adventurous eater) did point out one thing that annoyed here with the menu.
Now this certainly doesn't annoy me, not was it aimed at Bill's, this is mere just something she took note of, but she point out the use of trendy food. You all know what I mean. Foods starting to become trendy. I'm sure it wasn't just me last January sprinkling chai seeds on my cereal like a wannabe health freak, or upgrading my cous cous to bulgur wheat, FYI bulgur wheat is so last season, we're now all about quinola. However as she was pointing out the use of...basically quinola (I've just had to scan the menu again to make this point worth now typing out a full paragraph and I'm yet to spot another) ohh and KALE CRISPS. It was defiantly the kale which set her of. It kind of made me think....
the menu is actually really nice. It's not really that dull, it a nice well rounded menu which would suit a range of customers, with a slightly modernised version of everyone's favourite classics. It's also ideal for those (annoying) indecisive friends, or the ones who aren't that adventurous as there's food to suit everyone yet without been disappointing to the foodies.
The halloumi was actually amazing. I mean I'm never going to fault a plate of cheese but it was a really nice dish and the "trendy salad" complimented it nicely. The honey and mustard dressing was a little too sweet and could of done with less honey more mustard but I certainly finished my plate.
My friend stated she really enjoyed the crab cakes and really liked the mango salad, she said it worked well and I can only really judge this by the fact she cleaned the plate.
For the main course, as I said "classic food" seems dull to me so nothing on the menu stood out. I never order this type of (could cook this at home) kinda, food as I kind of see this as a wasted opportunity to try something new in a restaurant, so in the end I choose the Bill's lamb koftas (coated in toasted sesame sea salt pan fried and served with hummus, tzatziki, cucumber, baby gem lettuce, radish coriander and mint salad, picked red onions and warm piadina bread). Despite not been too excited originally by my choice, it was nice and I really enjoyed it. The lamb was cooked nice, the salad was refreshing and the bread warm. My only moaning point was there could have been more tzatziki as in end I was basically eating bread on it's own. Although I'm sure had I of asked for some more this wouldn't have been a problem.
My friend who again is the opposite to me in the food world, choose the BBQ pork ribs (slow cooked with bbq sauce, with cream slaw and skin on fries). Again I can't comment too much on taste on other than pinching a few chips, but the meat fell clean of the bone and again an empty plate.
Over all I'm actually really converted to Bill's. The food is all cooked well, the restaurant has a charming character and so what if there's no impressive slightly out there crazy food on the menu (other than kale chips and quniola). The menu is full of dishes we all know and love. It suits the fussiest of eaters, the family gatherings, the lunches with friends and I'm sure a cute little date. I can defiantly say the next time I'm out shopping and want to grab some lunch, or am suggesting a place to eat for friends and colleges Bill's will be at the top of my recommendations, as you cant really go wrong.
SAMMIE