Holly Heywood sees comfort food meet fusion cooking.
The decor at Bill’s restaurant in the Bullring, Birmingham effortlessly blends industrial with eclectic chic. In a similar way, its menu managers to blend comforting favourites with interesting and more unusual options. Perhaps this is reflected in its client base, as on the night we visited there were couples of all ages, groups of friends and families. Sadly it was a tiny bit to chilly to enjoy the outdoor terrace overlooking St Martin’s and the city skyline, but it’s worth bearing in mind for future visits.
The service was seamless and personable throughout the evening, with different members of staff picking up one from the other like a well practiced relay squad. There’s a tacos menu on offer, alongside a cocktail collection full of Tex-Mex flavours. The Frozen Arctic Margarita brought a touch of the border to the table, sashaying in with a flash of blue Curaçao on its icy depths.
From the starters, we chose chimichurri roast beetroot, served with humous and flatbread, date molasses and mint. If you think beetroot is a little pedestrian, think again. This was juicy, sweet, spicy and something I’d happily order on a regular basis. My dining companion chose padron peppers with miso, a combination that proved delicious.
From a large selection of mains, the vegan spinach and lentil curry was wonderfully assertive with spices. A generous serving with soya was accompanied by coconut rice, flatbread and mint yoghurt plus a squeeze of lime. It was so generous that I struggled to finish, although I begrudged leaving any behind. A duo of chicken dishes, a chargrilled breast served on a bed of creamed potatoes and buttermilk fried with truffle mayo was judged a fine balance of comfort food and something more exotic. The wedge salad, complete with vegan feta, basil dressing, apple, hummus and walnuts was a perfect addition.
Bill’s legendary cheesecake flowerpot concluded the meal. The passionfruit cheesecake was complemented by chocolate soil and a white chocolate flowerpot, the whole looking rather too beautiful to eat. Rather scarily, my partner mentioned that he might have had a little too much chocolate…a sacrifice he was willing to make. That’s clearly an epic and extraordinarily beautiful cheesecake.
Mention should be made here of Bill’s standing in the free from community. There is a gluten free menu, covering many items from the main menu, as well as lots of vegan choices. It is a pleasure to see so many options available on the menu, and to be able to dine easily with friends at any time of day.
Bill’s offers a great variety of menu options at all times of day, and there are well selected choices for all your dining companions. You could dine there regularly with plenty of variety, although it might be difficult to keep me from ordering that delectable chimicuhrri beetroot and spinach and lentil curry over and over again.
We dined as guests of Bill’s. Opinions are, as always, our own.
