Bill’s Restaurant launches new summer menu and live music gigs

To welcome in the summer season, Bill’s is launching a Summer of Music series of outdoor gigs hosted at its restaurants across the UK.

The original Bill’s was a fresh produce store and café in Lewes, East Sussex, opened by greengrocer Bill Collison in 2000. There are now over 70 restaurants across the UK.

The Manchester restaurant opened on John Dalton Street in July 2014, seating over 300 diners and drinkers in the bar lounge, multiple restaurant areas, with outside seating both out front and the large terrace to the rear.

It serves eclectic British dishes made with fresh and seasonal ingredients, and there’s an in-store shop stocking a large selection of gourmet branded products including breakfast tea, Italian ground coffee, chocolate, jams, dressings and olive oils.

It’s warm and comfortable with a ton of nooks and crannies perfect for an intimate get together, as well as larger tables for bigger groups. A catchy playlist and friendly staff giving a warm welcome as soon as you walk through the door.

And with the launch of the new summer menu, you can enjoy seasonal dishes alongside classic favourites whilst listening to free performances by up-and-coming artists.

It features a range of new seasonal dishes although classic staples remain for loyal customers who know what they like.

Bill’s Summer Salad (£14.50) is perfect on a hot sunny day with baby kale, freekeh grains, super sprouts, pomegranate, asparagus, blueberries, watermelon and red onions. Your five a day on the one plate.

Or try the sharing mezze plate (£14.95) where you can sample a few of the starters in one go.

Freshly baked spiced tortilla chips come with Pico de Gallo salsa; Dakkochi chicken skewers marinated in a spicy Korean barbecue glaze spritzed up with spring onion and lime; light crispy calamari served with a creamy garlic and lemon mayo; and baked crab cakes made with all white crab meat alongside a fresh tartare sauce. A great way to start a meal or simply accompany an evening of drinks.

Classic dishes still feature heavily on the menu, which is not surprising since they make them so well here.

We love the juicy 10oz sirloin steak (£18.50), chargrilled to order and served with fries, pea shoots and your choice of béarnaise, peppercorn, garlic butter or chimichurri sauces.

And Bill’s Fish Pie (£13.25), a medley of cod, salmon, smoked haddock, prawns, peas, spring onions, mustard and cheddar mash – hearty and warming when the weather takes a turn for the worse as was the case when we went.

Accompanied by one of Bill’s Signature Negronis (£7.25), a real 70’s concoction of Beefeater London Dry Gin and not shy on the Campari, you can’t go wrong.

Summer of Music is at Bill’s Manchester is on Thursday 13th July from 7pm and features an acoustic set by singer-songwriters Lucy Mayhew and Ollie Lloyd.

www.bills-website.co.uk