Eatery Hopping: Bill's Restaurant, York

Finally free from the shackles of exams and term-time commitments, chum (and fellow blogger) Steph and I decided to take a trip into the centre of York for some pudding. Strange as this may seem to some, there has been many an Instagram of a 'pudding date' (I am aware that the apostrophes make me look about ninety years old) which very much appealed to us.

Bill's was selected as our taste destination of choice, with the menu meticulously scrutinised prior to our visit. For me, this is a very necessary activity before going for food anywhere, purely because if I didn't have a rough idea of what to order then I would quite possibly sit gazing at the menu for hours on end. Naturally, by this point I would be so far beyond hungry that the only logical solution would be to order every single thing available. Therefore, for the sake of my bank balance if nothing else, as well as the fact that I very much enjoy reading about food, I like to plan. It also means I can look forward to what I'm going to have, so that's very much a plus.

nothing like a swag little reflection selfie here and there

Our visit to the restaurant was preceded by a browse of various shops (specifically H&M, still not over the Coachella range..) during which we most definitely earned our pudding lunch (and spent some dosh.. flower crowns and summer fashions come at me). After a very pleasant wander, we found our way to the object of our lunchtime desires. We were seated very quickly just by the window, which had been opened out completely so your meal is even more fab when combined with the hubbub of the street and more importantly the warmth of the sun (another successful weather prediction, 100% success rate on sunny trips into town so far. Go me.)

The decor was fantastic. From the lit up signage as soon as we set eyes on the place to the chandeleirs and huge light fixtures as well as the little details dotted around, the whole restaurant is pinterest-perfect. There were bunches of dried chillies hanging from the ceiling (Steph, avoider of all spicy food to me, spicy food obsessive: "Think of all the spicy joy they could have brought.") Even the salt and pepper shakers were tiny and adorable. How? I have no idea. Also featured: these random rolls of wallpaper which didn't really seem to serve a purpose, but looked pretty nonetheless.

First on the agenda was drinks; usually a straight up tap water gal (hydration is important, kids) or, if I'm feeling extravagant, a fancy lemonade, this time I was very much intrigued by the sound of one particular drink on the menu. I managed to restrain myself from the Bill's pink lemonade and vanilla ice cream float, and instead went for this delicious mix of watermelon, peach and raspberry. Coming from someone who doesn't even like watermelon (it is too watery and it is too bland, there's no getting around it), this was incredible. I didn't think a juice could be incredible, but there you go. Something new every day. Complete with little rasberry seeds and bits and pieces of this and that, this certainly did the trick of making us both feel very summery.

Having well and truly entered into the summer vibe with our sunglasses perched atop our heads and our decidedly midsummer-appropriate outfits, we ordered our chosen puddings. After a few minutes of ogling in wonder around the interior, our culinary delights were bestowed upon us. (And yes they were absolutely worthy of this grandeur.) Steph went for the treacle tart with honeycomb ice cream and caramel sauce, while I decided to grace my life with the Eton mess with fresh strawberries, mascarpone, crushed meringue and strawberry coulis.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this was, without a doubt, among the very best puddings of all time, and Steph says the same of hers. Guess we'll just have to make a return trip to see if any of the other puddings can top them. Alternatively, the mains look ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE. Got a bit enthusiastic there, probably due to the fact that there is a brilliant set menu available - two courses for £9.95 or three for £11.95. Bargainous. We're already planning our return.

Safe to say, these definitely went down a storm, as was verified by our spotlessly clean plates at the end. Fully satiated, we had a quick browse round the various things for sale (a lot and all of it very cool, not even just edible things but kitchen stuff as well - LOVE) before venturing into the Shambles for several hours of just (sh)ambling around York.

We supplemented our pudding lunch with some fudge samples from York Fudge Kitchen, a substantial number of truffles from York Cocoa House, and some fancy tea handed out of a shop window in shot glasses. I'm as perplexed as you are, but I like fancy teas a lot lot lot so I'm not complaining.

After finally finding Dog & Bone vintage shop and acquiring myself some dungarees (brand 'Explorer' - extensive googling has still left me with no idea where they are actually from), and spotting approximately fifty billion ice cream vans, we decided to call it a day and head home. A day decidedly well spent, and it is now time for me and Steph to compose a list of all the eateries we want to try in York. Hint: there are a LOT. We may have to start considering PhDs to ensure we have enough time..

*All photos in this post are mine. If you wish to use any, please ask my permission and credit me!*