Restaurant name: Bill's
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire
Description: Bill's started out in Lewes; the owner ran a fruit and veg stall which was destroyed by flooding in 2000 and he wanted to offer locals somewhere to sit down and eat, so the restaurant was born. It's now a small chain; I've already been to the one in Wimbledon.
Reason for visit: I met up with my old school friends over Christmas - we grew up in Salisbury and were all visiting our families there over the holiday period. When we were teenagers (18, of course!!) we used to go to a pub called the Chough; it remained under the same name (though I think different ownership) for many years but had just changed into Bill's restaurant. The layout inside was much the same and it was nice to be somewhere familiar, but at the same time good to try out a new restaurant. An additional reason for our visit was that the local paper was running a promotion for a free bottle of wine when two people ordered a main meal so it seemed like a bargain.
I ate: Rump steak with fries and garlic butter, £13.95. I didn't order a dessert but did try some of my friend's warm cinnamon mini doughnuts served with chocolate dipping sauce (£5.50).
My companions ate: There were 7 of us so we tried several dishes on the menu including the duck pie, bbq pork ribs, and the fish pie. One friend who is vegan had a selection of side dishes brought together as one meal.
The food was: Very good - my steak was very nicely cooked and my friends were all impressed with the food as far as I was aware. The mini doughnuts were especially good!
The atmosphere/service was: Good - we had a few dietary requirements for the chef to take account of and the staff were very helpful. We also decided to be cheeky and ask if we could use more than one voucher for a free bottle of wine as there were 7 of us dining, and they said yes!
Price range/value for money: It's been a while since I ate out in Salisbury and I'm used to London prices, but this seemed quite reasonable for what we had.
Would I recommend it? Yes, I liked the food and the staff were friendly and helpful. Perhaps it's because the Chough was one of my favourite haunts but I think this place will do well in Salisbury with locals and tourists alike.
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire
Description: Bill's started out in Lewes; the owner ran a fruit and veg stall which was destroyed by flooding in 2000 and he wanted to offer locals somewhere to sit down and eat, so the restaurant was born. It's now a small chain; I've already been to the one in Wimbledon.
Reason for visit: I met up with my old school friends over Christmas - we grew up in Salisbury and were all visiting our families there over the holiday period. When we were teenagers (18, of course!!) we used to go to a pub called the Chough; it remained under the same name (though I think different ownership) for many years but had just changed into Bill's restaurant. The layout inside was much the same and it was nice to be somewhere familiar, but at the same time good to try out a new restaurant. An additional reason for our visit was that the local paper was running a promotion for a free bottle of wine when two people ordered a main meal so it seemed like a bargain.
I ate: Rump steak with fries and garlic butter, £13.95. I didn't order a dessert but did try some of my friend's warm cinnamon mini doughnuts served with chocolate dipping sauce (£5.50).
My companions ate: There were 7 of us so we tried several dishes on the menu including the duck pie, bbq pork ribs, and the fish pie. One friend who is vegan had a selection of side dishes brought together as one meal.
The food was: Very good - my steak was very nicely cooked and my friends were all impressed with the food as far as I was aware. The mini doughnuts were especially good!
The atmosphere/service was: Good - we had a few dietary requirements for the chef to take account of and the staff were very helpful. We also decided to be cheeky and ask if we could use more than one voucher for a free bottle of wine as there were 7 of us dining, and they said yes!
Price range/value for money: It's been a while since I ate out in Salisbury and I'm used to London prices, but this seemed quite reasonable for what we had.
Would I recommend it? Yes, I liked the food and the staff were friendly and helpful. Perhaps it's because the Chough was one of my favourite haunts but I think this place will do well in Salisbury with locals and tourists alike.