Bill’s

Bills is everywhere in the UK, and while that might detract from many places as they lose their charm and uniqueness, I find most Bills I’ve been to are solid options for a fun, tasty, mostly-​authentic brunch. The interiors are well-​appointed with ample lighting, bright open booths, and just enough kitsch to make them interesting but not tacky. The food is solid. I wouldn’t put it at the top of my brunch lists (Brenda’s in San Francisco is that), but it is a more-​than-​adequate option any day.

Briony C. describes Bill’s very well so I won’t waste your time saying the same thing. I found the place by accident. I was heading to Riverhill for coffee/​breakfast but their espresso machine was still warming up and any coffee geek knows you won’t enjoy good coffee from a lukewarm portafilter! But I was starved and needed something to keep me going, so a quick check on the Unilocal App found me at Bill’s.
I wasn’t expecting much truth be told. The average review score tho’ didn’t really equate to my experience. I was very warmly welcomed, allowed to sit anywhere and attentively attended to throughout. Maybe it was my charm or maybe it was just good Christmas cheer, but whatever, I soon felt right at home and cared for.
Bacon needed to feature by now. It was Boxing Day and grey and drizzly outside. I’d normally have imbibed a solid, strong coffee by 8.00am so my get up and go was … gone! I wasn’t taking prisoners! Bacon, scrambler, thick well buttered toast plus a cup of tea seemed the best option as tide over. I can’t remember the prices, but suffice to say it was very reasonable. The tea arrived in a bl**** huge pot which was welcome. It would certainly do me until I could pop back to Riverhill for a proper drink!
Everything was tip-​top AFAIC and my only minor irritation was the ready buttered toast delivered was too dry. Come on, why spoilt it for a mere lack of butter? I could have got someone over and asked for more but I didn’t really want the hassle and delay, as by now the place was filling out. The bacon was really good, almost streaky and the eggs entirely decent, tho not the best ever.
In all, I offer a perhaps optimistic 5***** review, because the service was so friendly, in a typical ‘Glasgow, what nice people’ kinda way, without staff ever being an imposition. Prices were great and so was quality against that. I could drink my tea, read my paper and be content. What else could I ask for on a miserable, wet day? I could have stayed longer but needed my morning fix!

I first visited Bill’s when I was down in London and fancied a huge breakfast — after being served an enormous bowl of porridge with chopped banana, hazelnuts and honey and the biggest pot of tea I’ve ever seen, I was not disappointed! When I found out that Bill’s was coming to Glasgow it’s safe to say I was pretty excited.
Despite being a chain, I think the décor in Bill’s Glasgow manages to stay quirky and interesting — there’s a sort of ‘Sunday market’ feel, with jars of chutney, packets of tea, chocolate bars, etc., on display, which you can buy and take away with you. Exposed brick walls and an open ceiling juxtapose against hanging chandeliers and give the restaurant a cool, rustic vibe.
I’ve now visited for breakfast and dinner and loved both meals. For breakfast I had the full vegetarian breakfast which was poached free range eggs, tomatoes, hummus, mushrooms,
guacamole, sweet chilli sauce, basil and toast. It was seriously tasty and a refreshing change from most full breakfasts which are full of fried food (not that there’s anything wrong with fried food now and again, but it was a nice change to have a full cooked breakfast which actually felt really healthy!). I also loved the unusual combination of flavours — who knew hummus, guacamole and sweet chilli sauce would work so well for breakfast?!
When I visited for dinner I opted for the halloumi and hummus burger (I really love hummus!) which was made up of a sesame seed bun with grilled halloumi, hummus, baby gem, roasted peppers, sweet chilli sauce and yogurt, served with skin on fries. In a city so saturated with burger places, I’m happy that Bill’s have come up with an original take on a veggie burger — while I love a bean burger every now and again, it’s nice to go out for a burger and have a different choice, especially because vegetarian options can often be so predictable. After my burger I opted for the Eton Mess (despite being full from my burger, there was no way I could resist the dessert menu!), which was chewy, sweet and fresh — Eton Mess isn’t my usual choice (I’m much more of a chocolate cake person) but the Bill’s version was a light, refreshing option which could definitely sway me from my usual picks.

Ended up in here for Sunday brunch as there were no high chairs in Riverhill across the road. The restaurant is big with lots of booths and tables. For some reason we were seated in an empty area away from the rest of the diners, then I realised it was because I had my little boy with me. Felt a bit rubbish to be seated away from everyone else to be honest.
I went for the pancakes and paid the £1.50 extra for bacon. What I didn’t expect was that the bacon option came on top of the bananas and strawberries, it was just weird. I ended up not eating the bacon and the waitress didn’t ask why I had left it. The pancakes themselves were pretty nice and I liked the blueberries cooked through them.
I ordered a pot of tea and a nice generous pot arrived with maybe 3 big cups.
I’m not keen on the fact that they add in a tip to the bill, to be honest the staff end up worse off as I’d usually leave more in cash and that way it wouldn’t go through their wages and be taxed.
An okay place to grab so food and drinks in the city centre.

Love it, first time trying Bills as we just happened to stumble upon it. So glad we have it a try as the food, service and décor was great. The service first of all was spot on, very friendly, attentive and personal. I don’t know if it was the manager but the chap with the dark hair and beard was checking everyone was happy. The menu is great with a lot of choice and the drinks etc too are from healthy to unusual to the standard. We opted for the nachos with dips to share and they tasted great, I am sure all dips are home made but the nachos definitely are as they are the tortilla size ones (although not spicy). I then opted for the special butter cream crispy chicken burger which has kale coleslaw, cheese and salad which comes with sweet pot fries jock I changed to normal fries. I have not had a piece of chicken so juicy and tender and tasty before and although full up I had to eat all the chicken. Fries are also delicious :). My husband got the cheese burger without a few toppings which they got correct and a side of broccoli with chili and sesame seeds. He loved the burger and fries and the broccoli. You get offered water as soon as you sit down which is a lovely little extra but I got the apple, ginger and something healthy drink which was lovely. Can not fault the food not the service and will be back soon to try more of the mouthwatering menu. The breakfasts look and sound amazing and the in house Bills shop is also due a visit. The only downside which tbh wouldn’t stop me going back is the price, a little pricy but worth it.

Whoever discovered that by adding flour, eggs and milk together, along with a few other staple ingredients, you’d end up with round thick fluffy delicious pancakes is a genius. In fact, I wish he was my best friend.
Blueberry Pancakes, Pancakes with Strawberries and Bananas, Pistachio Pancakes, Pancakes with Bacon & Maple Syrup. I love them all. Why can’t Pancake Day be every day?
When my boyfriend Ross told me that Bill’s Restaurant were opening their first Scottish restaurant, he told me how good the place was after visiting the Cardiff branch while living in Wales. After checking out the Bill’s Breakfast Menu, I instantly heard the pancakes scream my name. It was also the day after my birthday so calories do not count during your birthday week. It’s the law.
Luckily we managed to get a table just before the breakfast menu ended and the lunch rush began. Within 10 minutes of sitting down, three large tables of girls arrived and I started feeling sorry for the kitchen. The restaurant was packed out.
Ross decided to order Bill’s vegetarian breakfast consisting of poached free range eggs, tomatoes, hummus, mushrooms & guacamole, sweet chilli sauce, basil & toast with a side of crispy potato (a giant hash brown). Of course, I couldn’t really say no to the blueberry and buttermilk pancakes with banana, strawberries and maple syrup along with a side of streaky bacon.
Unfortunately, due to the amount of people entering the restaurant all at the same time, we had to wait a rather long time for food. No good when it’s breakfast and you are starving. However, they had only been open a few days so I can’t mark them down for that.
To help keep our hunger at bay, we ordered a couple of Bill’s green smoothies. They had spinach in them, as our waitress informed us. Other than that, I honestly have no idea. It would be good for the ingredients to be listed on the menu so that you can tell what you’re drinking before ordering. It did taste good, but instead of helping fill us up, it made us hungrier.
Finally, our food arrived. First impressions? Full marks for presentation. It almost looked too good to eat, but quite frankly, we were that hungry that after forcing Ross to wait until I took photographs, we started demolishing our plates.
I loved that fact that the vegetarian breakfast was like no other around the city. No vegetarian sausages in sight, instead, hummus and guacamole on toast. Even though Ross isn’t vegetarian, he watches what he eats, ensuring for the most part that his diet is healthy. So, it was a welcome change from the norm and one that was absolutely delicious. It is also a dish that I would quite happily enjoy eating myself.
Back to my pancakes, I was met with three rather large blueberry pancakes, with fruit scattered around the plate and a little jug of maple syrup. They were perfectly cooked, although the blueberries inside the pancakes were a tad on the sour side. That’s where the maple syrup helps counter balance the sourness.
The bacon that I ordered on the side, I have to admit, did not work with the blueberry pancakes. It was a strange combination of flavours. If the pancakes were plain, I’d have no issue but then again, the bacon didn’t come as standard, I ordered it as an addition. Next time, I’ll just skip the bacon. Due to the sheer size of the pancakes, I could only eat one and a half. Ross ate the rest. As he normally does. My mom says he has hollow legs!
Throughout our meal, staff were very attentive. Maybe verging on the side of overly attentive, especially when different waiting staff approached us over five times asking if we wanted more drinks, in the space of 15 minutes. It did get a tad annoying.
Overall, I loved Bill’s. It’s a welcome addition to the city centre, especially somewhere that does brunch.

So after a shopping day decided to go to Bills for food but I have to say we were a little disappointed.
We had the mini sausages to start and shared them which were delicious, we had just finished when our main arrived, I’m all for prompt service but that was ridiculous you need a small break. For the main we both had the special a fish finger with crab sandwich which was overall pretty tasteless. There was far too much in the burger, the fish fingers were over cooked and they also had mixed the crab with what looked like an attempt at tartar sauce but it wasn’t good. We had possibly just chose the wrong thing as the girl had said it was a trial dish.
However, when they asked how it was we just said ok and someone came out to ask us about it. They offered us free desserts which we took and they were absolutely delicious, that said if you’re not happy I do think it should be something off the bill!
Another point to mention is that after we had essentially complained about the meal an optional service charge of 10% was automatically added to the cost, which I wasn’t given the option not to pay when I handed over my credit card, I said I wasn’t paying. There is also no guarantee tipping this was that the person who deserves the tip gets it! If everything is good a tip will be given but always, alway in cash!

Whilst having an hour to kill whilst the Apple geniuses try to bring my phone back to life we thought now should be the time to try Bills.
Starving and only really have 50mins we thought bill could be a good option. Going on trend with everywhere at the moment, the décor was very rustic. not very busy as it was quite early the staff were very friendly and very chirpy.
Not overly amazed at the breakfast menu i went with the pancakes. on a plus note they were fresh not frozen! whoooohooo! they had blueberries crushed through the actual pancake. Topped with lots of banana, small amount of strawberries and a tiny bit of maple syrup. i would have really loved more maple syrup. Drinks options i went with a diet coke. Portion size was decent.
Nothing special, Ok value for money.

I had actually never heard of bills before it came to Glasgow but as other people say in their reviews it turns out it is actually quite a big chain. We popped in for some brunch the other day as it was near to the Apple Store where we were waiting to get T’s phone fixed.
First impressions were good it’s got that industrial finish that so many places have these days and the staff were really friendly. It was quiet so we got a good table right by the window. It was 11am so the perfect brunch time and I went for eggs Benedict and a glass of cranberry juice. (I may or may not have had a slight hangover from the night before)
The eggs were nice, although the white a little to soft for me. The salmon and muffins were lovely as was the hollandaise sauce. The only issue was the sprinkled pumpkin seeds over the top of it all! I had to pick them out. Little black crunch «pleeeeh» bits sprinkled all over my lovely eggs. If I’m back I will certainly ask for it without the seeds!
All in it was a fine brunch. Nothing to special, a bit of a chainy feel but tasted good and decent value. Tenner a head it worked out at as T had pancakes and a diet coke. Probably overall a 3.5, but as I’m grumpy today and they put seeds on my eggs I’m going 3.

I decided to pay a visit to Bill’s in Glasgow with some friends for lunch — mainly because it was pretty central and they hadn’t visited yet! I’ve eaten in Bill’s a lot when in London (just for breakfast) and have visited the Glasgow one for dinner once before. I feel it’s quite a reliable visit but never anything spectacular!
I was quite pleased to see it wasn’t busy when we went in — I’ve not been very well recently so we didn’t want to make it too long a lunch! However, after ordering within 10 minutes, it took about 40 minutes for our food to arrive. I ordered a burger, as did one friend and my other friend ordered the lime chicken. The burger was grand, nothing totally mind blowing but was nice. I love burgers with rakes of stuff on them so was happy to see a lot of gherkins! However, if I was wanting an ace burger in Glasgow I’d definitely pick Burger Meats Bun or Bloc. The chicken that my friend ordered was HUGE. She was pretty confused when it arrived as didn’t remember ordering a massive chicken. There was a lot left when she was ‘finished’ but said it was nice (in depth review right there eh?).
We ordered pudding and coffees pretty quickly and they arrived in good time! I got the cinnamon doughnuts and they were YUM. Very light and fluffy with lots of cinnamon. The chocolate sauce was really rich, so if you’re into that you’d love it.
All in all, I like Bill’s. The surroundings are nice, the staff are generally friendly and the food is grand (even if pretty standard). However, I definitely spent more than I normally would on lunch (without boozing!) — it cost £26 for a main, an apple juice, pudding and coffee. The service was also a little slow considering it wasn’t very busy. I don’t think I’ll be running back, but those doughnuts were really good…

The best thing about this place is the staff, but the food is also pretty good.
We needed a wee pick-​me-​up after the tennis and so we treked the 20m to Bill’s. They sat us in the lounge until the meal deal ran out — or so we thought — but no they got us a table organised quickly and gave us that cheaper menu too. As an aside you have to wonder about the quality of the furniture when you’re sitting on a perfectly flat, poured concrete floor and the table needs napkins under two of the legs. Anyway the fitout was okay, nothing above the aircon to look at, but plenty of interest in the deli shelves around the place. They love their branding!
So after our conspiratorial thoughts about the pre-​theatre menu it turned out we didn’t want it anyway. There was a little wait, but we ordered a bottle of prosecco, and I chose the Chorizo Sausage Roll to start with the Lime Coriander Chicken for my main. My dining companion went for the Lamb Koftas.
The sausage roll was everything a weegie could want, a large spicy pastry, I have to admit I was surprised it wasn’t greasy as hell, but it was exactly as moist as you’d want it. We chatted to the waitresses, about TITP & Italy, and before we could blink the mains turned up, the only disappointment was mine wasn’t a wee bit bigger. The sweet potatoes fries portion was pretty tiny, and in a container far too big for it. It offended me both aesthetically and greedily! To be fair though, they were nice, and the chicken was enough, soft, juicy and well marinated. I snuck a bit of her kofte too and it had a lovely spice to it. She certainly had a big enough portion.
So a safe menu, but well executed, good service, but with a bit of a wait, and a slight paucity of fries. Not bad at all really.

A brief stop as we were passing through town to get the train. Having looked at the other places nearby Bill’s menu seemed nice and fresh with a minimum amount of frippery.
We went in and were greeted by a nice server who showed us to a seat. For that time of the morning she was the right mix of friendly, efficient and chatty. Left us to it then came back for a drinks order.
I had my usual cappuccino and here is where they lost a star. It was a rather nice cup, good coffee well made, served in a far too small cup! I want a coffee, not a taster. May seem harsh but too small a coffee is a profit driver and we need to stamp out this sort of thing. Give decent drinks!
My two fellow eaters had scrambled eggs and aside from a thought that they could be a bit softer seemed very nice. One friend had «sausages» that were an affront to the name. I can’t comment on the taste but they were an inch and a half long at most.
I had Eggs Benedict. Good muffins, nice ham, smallish eggs and a Hollandaise sauce good flavour but a slightly too wet consistency. I enjoyed them.
The place is a chain, but nicely laid out and easy too see everything. A wifi password is given and the service efficient. Not able to comment on other times, but it was a very pleasant Sunday breakfast experience.
Just bigger coffee cups please!

For my first blog post I thought I’d start with somewhere in the heart of Glasgow, which is new and has been highly anticipated. I was so looking forward to our visit — a treat for my boyfriend for Fathers day and I was extremely impressed with the interior of this new restaurant.
The whole place is a mix of modern lighting and shabby chic with refurbished benches and soft furnishings. We were seated quickly by a really enthusiastic waitress and offered both the full menu and the special Lunch menu.
The full menu offers many unusual treats including small plates, starters, mains, from the grill and desserts. The Lunch menu offers a small selection of starters, mains and desserts which, at first glance, offers great value for money with 2 courses for £9.95 and 3 for £11.95.
Whilst perusing the menu we settled on a small plate of Tortilla chips with mixed dips
The tortilla chips were clearly homemade and had a slight spice to them which was lovely, however we found all three of the dips to be quite bland. The Guacamole, in particular, tasted of nothing and had a slimy texture without the usual added flavours of coriander and lime.
I decided to order from the Lunch menu and started with the Crispy Squid;
The Squid was perfectly cooked and not at all stringy, in a lovely crisp Panko breadcrumb. The sweet chilli went beautifully with it and had a nice spice to it. My boyfriend ordered the Crab, Chilli and Prawn cakes with Mango salsa and he said they were lovely and flavoursome and was surprised by how nice the salsa went with them. Having both really enjoyed our starters we were excited for our mains to arrive…
I decided to go with the Pan Fried Paprika Chicken Breast, with Sweetcorn Fritters and Avocado and Tomato Salsa. It seemed a nice combination that I hadn’t seen on a menu before. Unfortunately when my main arrived I was not impressed. The chicken was dry and lacked flavour, the sweetcorn fritters were stodgy and chewy and the salsa tasted of nothing but tomato seeds. Even with a healthy seasoning with salt and pepper I still left a lot on my plate. Martyn ordered the Marinated Chicken Skewers with Tomato, Mint, Parsley and Lemon Cous Cous, Tzatziki and Flatbreads. The Chicken was even drier than that on my plate, the Cous Cous was dry and flavourless with none of the mentioned Parsley or Lemon. Even the side of Tzatziki couldn’t salvage the chicken, and again most of the plate was wasted.
Had the dessert not been part of the Lunch deal we wouldn’t have bothered ordering, due to how unimpressed we were with our previous course. However I decided to go with the Mini Doughnuts with Chocolate dipping sauce. The Doughnuts themselves were light as a feather and coated in Cinnamon and Sugar, they were slightly warm and absolutely delicious. Strangely, the accompanying sauce was completely stone cold! The dessert would have been much better with a warm chocolate sauce but we still managed to eat the lot between us!
Overall we weren’t that impressed with the experience, and we paid £43 for the pleasure, including some Still Water and a few Cokes. Interestingly the table next to us both left most of their plates as well. I don’t think we’ll be back

We went for pancakes & milk shakes. Only one kind of milkshake & only one kind of pancake. You can add to ur pancakes but their not slow on adding everything up on you bill. I was charged £1:50 for a tiny jug of maple syrup & my friend was charge 50p for a splash of milk in her Americano. Other friend had the breakfast. It was luke warm & they forgot the beans. By the time they came he’d finished his breakfast. He kids did like their milkshakes although more squirty cream than the shake. Giving it 3 starts as lovely interior & I did enjoy my porridge but prob won’t be rushing back. £88 for a breakfast for 6. £15 a head & really nothing special.

I went to Bill’s on Sunday to treat my friend to a pre-​birthday lunch. We’re big fans of Las Iguanas next door, but we’ve been quite a lot recently so I thought it would be nice to have a little change.
I was excited to visit because I’d heard about their «breakfast through bedtime» ethos but after I had a peek online at the menu it seems that I misunderstood what that meant! I thought their breakfast menu was available all day — I was very wrong — it’s only available until 1pm on Sundays. Not going to lie, I was pretty upset by this because their breakfast menu looks really good!
I arrived first and got seated in a booth. I really liked the décor and the atmosphere of the restaurant. As I walked to my seat I was greeted by various members of staff, which I thought was a bit Americanised but nice none the less! Our server was very helpful and polite but the service was just a tad awkward (long silences, waiting at our table after we finished talking, etc). But she saw me holding a present and was interested in who’s birthday it was and made conversation with me which was nice.
I ordered a tap water while I waited and got a big carafe and two glasses sent to the table, which is good! I think some places really resent you ordering tap water. When my friend arrived we were quick to order. We both ordered a watermelon, peach and raspberry juice to drink and when it came it was nicely decorated with big slices of watermelon. The juice was amazing and I had to stop myself from drinking it all in one go — it had been quite expensive £3.35 for a regular, £4.30 for a large!
The food came very quickly, my friend ordered the mac n’ cheese with asparagus and leeks which looked very nice. It doesn’t come with any sides, but it’s quite a healthy portion so she wasn’t complaining. She said it was good, but the asparagus on top was very tough and difficult to eat. I ordered the halloumi and hummous, which is a grilled halloumi cheese with hummous, a roasted red pepper, baby gem, sweet chilli sauce and yogurt on a sesame seed bun with fries (although now I type it out I can’t remember there being sweet chilli sauce or yogurt on it). The fries were fantastic if I hadn’t been feeling a little ill (hungover) I would have scoffed them all! The burger was very nice too, but a little difficult to eat as the toppings were falling out all over the place! Perhaps a bigger bun would be better!
Our table was cleared quickly afterwards, the staff are very on the ball and attentive. While we were chatting our server brought my friend a slice of the chocolate brownie and ice cream on the house since it was her birthday. I thought this was an incredibly nice gesture and perfect because my friend has a mega sweet-​tooth! I tried a little of the brownie and it was perfect! Nice and gooey which a sharp flavour.
When we got our bill they had added a 10% service charge which was optional, usually this annoys me when it’s on bills for small tables, but as it turns out I didn’t have any change in my purse for a tip anyway so was able to include it all when I paid by card. I thought the main’s (both £9.50) were a bit on the pricey side for the quality and quantity.
Overall I would say I had a pleasant experience in Bill’s but I’m not sure if I’d go back for a meal. I still want to try their breakfast offerings, and if their cocktails are as good as their juices, I’ll definitely be back for drinks. I just feel like for what’s on offer, I’d rather go back to trusty Las Iguanas next door for food instead!

As soon as I perused the menu for Bill’s I knew I wanted to go. I am a big fan of big breakfasts and lazy brunches and the Bill’s Breakfast menu (served until 12pm Mon-​Fri & 1pm Sat/​Sun) sounded pretty good.
I booked a table online (always a bonus) for a Saturday late morning & wasn’t quite sure if I *needed* to have booked or not but it’s always safe too when you’re not familiar with a place. Turned it was only about 60% full so without a reservation we would’ve got seated no problem.
Upon arrival we were greeted by a very friendly lady who made me laugh as when I stated my name she said ‘Ah, I see you’ve asked for a booth…’ Me: ‘Err…no, that’s my name!’, ‘Oh! I see! Haha! Well would you like a booth?!’ Yes please! Haha! Our booth table was nice & I really liked the open & airy, yet still warm, feel to the whole place. We were asked if we wanted the Breakfast or Lunch menu (this was at 11:45am) which was nice to be able to have the choice like that. We were also given the ‘shop’ menu to look at. They took our drink order and also asked if we would like still, sparkling or tap water for the table ~ another thing I liked. I ordered a soya flat white & it was very good. I was pleased they even had soya milk.
After a wee while a very bubbly, cheerful waitress came and took our food order & she apologised profusely for ‘keeping (us) waiting’ but I didn’t feel we were waiting long at all… I ordered the Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon on Toast and my boyfriend ordered the Eggs Benedict (of course!). Both came pretty quickly and both of us enjoyed them very much. I can only comment on mine as I didn’t get a look in with the eggs Benny; it was practically INHALED by my boyfriend! Haha! He said it was ‘up there’ with the best he’s tried. Good stuff. Mine was really good ~ scrambled eggs were maybe a wee bitty overcooked but I know some folk don’t like/can’t eat scrambled eggs that are maybe a bit runny.
I wouldn’t normally have a dessert for brunch but I just couldn’t resist the lure of the Pecan Pie! Oh my! Pecan Pie! It was recommended, alongside the warm mini cinnamon doughnuts (yum) by the waitress and I chose to swap the Banana Ice-​Cream for Vanilla (I’m not a big fan of banana flavoured things) which wasn’t a problem. My boyfriend went for the Jaffa Cake, which was just like a huge Jaffa Cake! Both were delicious.
The toilets are quite far away down some stairs so maybe take some breadcrumbs or a piece of string with you if you have a tendency to get lost easily… The toilets themselves were very clean & upon leaving 2 lassies said ‘Ooh, nice toilets! Bill’s — niiiiice choice!’ I had to agree. Also on my way down to the loos another waitress passed me and said ‘Hello!’…man, they are SUPER friendly here!
All in all a solid 4 star visit… I will wait until my next visit to see if it can push to 5. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of here was the ‘optional’ 10% Service Charge added onto our bill. Although it wasn’t an issue here (as all the staff were lovely) I would much prefer to give a tip if and when I feel it is deserved (it usually is!)…adding it on to the bill (Bill!) just feels a bit sly, especially if you’re maybe someone that doesn’t check these things. Apart from that I will most definitely be back. See you again Bill, until next time.

Wasn’t really sure what to expect but as this place is pretty new and I hadn’t tried it I popped in for a spot of lunch.
Reading the reviews here I see it’s part of a chain which explains why it’s got that kind of polished experience to it, not a bad thing but a little bit ‘distant’.
I got shown to a seat and given the breakfast menu, given it was 12.30 I would’ve thought I could’ve chosen to have some lunch there but I’m still not sure if that was an option, in fact it was only after I’d ordered that I saw a tray of food containing burgers and chips, oh well, maybe next time, but it would’ve been nice to have been told there was another menu available.
As it was I avoided the egg/​bacon/​fried stuff combo (having had a bacon sammich for breakfast) and opted for the blueberry and buttermilk pancakes which come with extra blueberries, strawberries and banana, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
The food arrived super quick and looked great, but it would’ve been nice to have had more fruit, or more maple syrup (or both, heaven forbid!) as the pancakes themselves were a little bland.
I had a fresh orange (freshly squeezed) and soda as well and was a little shocked to find that my drink cost £4! The pancakes cost £6 so the final bill felt a little one-​sided.
Still, the service was good, efficient and always around if you wanted them but I can’t say I’ll be hurrying back.
The food was ok but not great, the layout and décor is nice enough but nothing special and I’ll go back to my early point — this ‘feels’ very much like a chain. Efficient but nothing memorable.

I was really looking forward to visiting Bill’s and a bit like other reviewers, for some reason I thought this was Bill Granger’s place. Despite it having nothing to do with the chef, I was still keen to check it out.
We found ourselves in town at that awkward time of 4 o’clock after a brisk walk out the West End. Too late for lunch, yet far too early for dinner, the menu and breakfast through dinner vibe, meant there was lots of options to suit us.
Its a bright and airy space inside, all nice wood and colours, and the staff were super friendly and laid back. We were invited to choose our seat and choose our seat by the window. We were given the menu for both the main selection, specials and an afternoon tea selection. Taking our drinks options we asked a few questions about some of the menu items and the guy was super helpful and nothing seemed a hassle.
Some of the mains sounded good with options like burgers, pies, salads and boards. On this occasion though the afternoon tea menu really appealed, so we opted for a somewhat eclectic mix of chips to start (just to sample them :)), followed by scones with jam and clotted cream and then chocolate brownie to finish. There was also an actual afternoon tea option at £9.95 which would have been good value too.
The scones were delicious — lovely and warm and tasted fresh out the oven — by far some of the best I’ve had. The chips were a bit salty but nice enough. Onto the chocolate brownie, it was lovely and hot with some of the essential brownie gooey and fudgeyness required.
On the whole a great venue and good value for money with friendly staff. Bill’s is a great addition to the city, and I look forward to visiting again soon.

Bills in Soho was on my hit list when I was there over New Year, so I was delighted when I found out a Glasgow branch was opening!
We visited on their second day of trading, and could smell the ‘newness’! The greeting was good, and the overall ambience very relaxed. It was obvious there was a launch team present, training the local team, and for that reason, the service was a little stilted.
The menu is lengthy, and should suit most tastes. We are from the set menu and if offered superb value. The house wine is also very quaffable at £15 a bottle.
There were a few teething problems, but we discussed those with one of the launch team and were super impressed with the approach, professionalism and openness.
Once they have their first few weeks under their belt, this is going to be city centre go to place for good value casual dining.

I’m actually not that familiar with the Bill’s chain but there’s actually 50+ across the UK — and now they’ve arrived in Scotland (with plans to open in Edinburgh and Aberdeen).
First up, Bill’s doesn’t have anything to do with Bill Granger, the Aussie Chef. I thought it did but no, it’s a different guy called Bill who got an allotment and then turned it into a deli and then a massive restaurant chain.
It’s a great location in the city centre and massive inside. It’s not a vast space though — segmented into cosy areas so it all feels quite snug. I like the décor — it’s definitely a bit «market corner store» inspired and there’s even a larder area where you can buy stuff to take away, like chutney, sweeties, teas, hardware (?!) and chocolate bars. There’s a basket of apples out the front too which you can help yourself to — cute touch.
I ordered a Bill’s Green Juice while we looked over the menu which was delicious — green apple, spinach and grape. Yum! We ordered from the set lunch (and early supper) menu which was a ridiculously cheap £9.95 for two courses. I got ham hock & pea terrine for starter and the chicken schnitzel with salad. Food arrived quickly and I liked the terrine although it was slightly lacking a bit of salt. It was a great sized portion though and there was a tonne of chutney to go with it.
Our mains arrived not long after and I was pleased with my schnitzel but my dining companion commented her meal wasn’t very warm (steak & chips). So much so she had it sent back. I was happy with my meal but I popped to the loo and on my way back, bumped into the waitress that said they would cook me a fresh schnitzel while we waited for the steak to be replaced which I thought was lovely of them — even though I didn’t ask and was happy to eat mine less than hot. While we waited they delivered another round of juices which was a nice touch. The second schnitzel I got was actually better seasoned than the first and came with an essential lemon wedge which was great. I’d also got a side of sweet potato fries which were absolutely delicious.
Our bill came to just over £30 which is pretty decent for a lunch for two for two courses with drinks and extra sides. Even though there was some hiccups with our visit, it is their second day and they couldn’t have dealt with them better. I don’t think this place really feels like a chain but perhaps it’s because I’ve never visited a Bill’s before so it’s a novelty to me? It’s quite different in the Glasgow dining scene at least and their brunch menu looks epic so I’ll be back for that.
Notes:
— lunch & early supper menu is available between 11.45am-6.30pm, Monday– Friday and is £9.95 for two courses or £11.95 for three
— there’s a private dining room
— the loos are a bit of a trek and downstairs
— there’s free wifi (see photos/​tips for the password). That being said, it didn’t work too well on my phone and I couldn’t iMessage people.
— free apples out the front