Review | Weekend Brunch at Bill’s, Covent Garden

After their brand new refurb, we check out weekend brunch at Bill’s Covent Garden – big plates, stylish decor and some incredible desserts!

With restaurants across London and the UK, Bill’s is a pretty well known name. When family members or friends have been to visit in the past, it’s topped the list for simple quality food, offering a menu with dishes suited to a variety of tastes. The Covent Garden branch has had a recent facelift, so now’s an excellent time to head down and check out their weekend brunch menu. Which, obviously, we did.

We’ve been to Bill’s a few times over the past couple of months, and the Bill’s Sharing Plate has become our go-to starter – minus the beetroot and pine nut pesto, which I ask for the plate without (purely down to personal taste). The Devilled Chicken Skewers are a major favourite – soft chicken in a spicier than expected marinade, they’ve got a real kick to them. And I can’t get enough.

I’ve found the Bill’s calimari to be a bit hit-and-miss at other restaurants, but on this day, Covent Garden got it right. While still not the best calimari I’ve had, the batter was nice and crispy, with an excellent consistency to the squid rings. The foccacia is perfect for spreading with generous helpings of hummus, red pepper tapenade and smashed avocado. My only minor complaint is that there are only three pieces – which means some half-and-halfing if you’re sharing between two.

For the main course, I chose the Bill’s Garden Plate – a vegetarian brunch option, featuring poached eggs, halloumi, roasted plum tomato, charred peppers, smashed avocado, hollandaise sauce, mushrooms, potato rosti, baked beans, sourdough toast, pea shoots and mixed seeds.

The poached eggs were cooked very slightly over than I’d personally prefer, as the yolk didn’t run when I sliced into the centre. But honestly, that’s just me being fussy – they were by no means overcooked, and tasted fresh and delicious. Especially teamed with the hollandaise sauce, which was a rich and creamy delight.

Posher than the traditional hash brown, the potato rostis went down a treat – a thin, gorgeously crisp exterior gave way to soft, gently-cooked to perfection grated potato. Move aside hash browns – I’ve got a new breakfast carb-load. 

I forgot to ask for it without mushrooms as I’m not a fan, but apart from those, I wolfed down everything on my plate. The roast plum tomatoes, peppers and pea shoots gave a lighter touch to the brunch plate, making it more veggie-heavy. Basically healthy, right? 

Normally I opt for the chocolate dessert, but after my big ol’ Bill’s brunch, I decided to try something a bit lighter, so ordered a Lemon Roulade. And when it arrived, it went a long way towards replacing chocolate in my heart!

Because ‘desserts to share’ is the best kinda order, I had to give the Warm Chocolate Brownie a try as well, of course. It was gooey and sweet, bathed in a really rich chocolate sauce that I ended up scooping from the bowl once we polished off the brownie.

I was super impressed with the Bill’s Covent Garden weekend brunch – generous portions, fresh tasting ingredients and great tastes, at affordable prices for a central London restaurant. It’s a great place to take visiting relatives or friends, as the menus offer a bit of something for everyone  – including vegetarian and vegan options. And the decor of the venue is gorgeous – the ideal spot for a long, languishing weekend brunch.

Bill’s (Covent Garden)
St Martin’s Courtyard, Slingsby Pl, WC2E 9AB
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