Bills. Once a relatively unheard of restaurant I discovered in Hoxton Square over 3 years ago, now a pretty huge chain spanning all over London and the UK. And I think if I'm honest that's probably why a review of Bills hasn't gone up sooner as - without sounding like an obnoxious, pretentious tit - I tend to stick to the more independent eateries for reviews in the hope that you may discover a new favourite rather than hear me waffle on about somewhere that's plastered all over your Instagram feed on a regular basis anyway.
Today however I'm being a massive contradictory twat I'm going right back on that as despite Bills being a chain that you've probably heard of if you're UK based, it's pretty bloody amazing. With the quirky design and atmosphere of an independant shop but with the popularity of a chain, it is easily one of my favourite breakfast spots and one that I very much enjoyed starting my Bank holiday with last friday.
Which if you follow me on
Instagram or snapchat - username theellenextdoor - this is something that you will
definitely be aware of #avocadowhore. After all, if you don't photograph it it never happened, right?
So I headed down to Bills at Borough - a stone's throw from Borough market so you obvs have to go and treat yourselves to brownies and cheese after - which is luckily close to where I live, and I have to say that it was such a beautiful morning. The weather - oh jesus christ I've gone back to being on a first date discussing weather - was absolutely stunning (and nothing like the hurricane we're experiencing as I write this post) and it just made for the best start to the day, and bank holiday weekend [insert party popper/"how the hell did it go so quickly" emoji here].
I touched upon the decor of Bills before but it really is exactly my thing. The exposed brick - which thanks to my fiance knocking the whole house down away all of our plaster, now features heavily in our new house - and rustic features (oh hey chillies hanging everywhere) just creates such a country, homely, chilled out, laid back vibe which I adore!
... Now to earn enough money to be able to justify hanging out at Bills all day for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner #lifegoals
The Bills breakfast menu is pretty much everything you could ever ask for in a breakfast. My only criticism for Bills is that they don't list a huge amount of gluten free information other than that they have gluten free bread (which is surprisingly tasty FYI) But apart from that, there is so much option for us coeliacs, just ask your waiter and they'll happily modify it to make sure it's gluten free.
Whilst I was deciding between avocado on toast or avocado on toast - LOLS at being a cliche blogger for life - I chugged down a latte whilst Dan went for the pot of tea which is such good value considering you could quite easily have a good 5 cups of tea (Omg I'm telling you how good value the tea was, when did I get so f**king old?).
Drinks demolished, it was time for food. Dan opted for the Bills breakfast - because he's a man, enough said - and I have to say, I was slightly jealous when perving on his sausage (sorry, couldn't help myself), bacon and mushrooms on toast. As always, Dan's reaction to his breakfast was "Omg, this is amazing" and whilst I can't add to that whatsoever, I think his empty plate just reinforced how good it was.
Any jealousy was demolished when my breakfast turned up because we all know Avo on toast is everything - BRB whilst I just shoot myself in the face for using the term "avo" - but in all seriousness, I probably do have it at least 3 times per week at breakfast meetings, so my standards are pretty high... I can happily say that Bills did not disappoint. The gluten free bread was surprisingly good and not too sawdust/brick wall-like and there was a good amount of avocado too (you do not want to see me when I feel like I've been done out of avocado [insert cry laughter/"no, but seriously"] emoji here). The poached egg - are you ready for my fake food critic line? - was cooked to perfection (LOL) and generally, the whole thing was a delight. I really really enjoyed this and true story, I was actually considering ordering another (before you judge, I have an appetite 3 x larger than the average person) but thankfully thought better of it!
Now that I've fangirled over avocado and eggs more than you thought was humanly possibly, it's time for the part of Bills that gives it that extra little somethin somethin and that's the shop aspect. From their very own jams and chutneys, to sweets and drinks. Oh, and teapots (I've been eyeing these up for years) you can tick the box and take away your own bit of Bills with you. Genius!
So that brings me to the end of my little Bills fangirl. I genuinely do think it's one of the best chain restaurants around right now and one of my absolute breakfast faves. So much so that I'm considering renting a seat for Saturday breakfast every week (and eating baked beans for the rest of my life) ;)
Have you been to Bills before? Where's your favourite breakfast spot in London? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)
As always, thanks so much for reading!
xx
Labels: Gluten free, Lifestyle
