from tea to apple juice.You tick which ones you'd like and the staff do the rest. They pick it from within the store, add it to your bill and it's ready when you leave. Simple. You can even make up your own hampers of items to take away when you leave.

The place had a real buzz to it when we visited and, after sampling the food, we could see why. The premises are spacious and, if you're feeling in the mood to meet new friends there are communal tables of ten, where you can sit yourself down and share a meal with people you've never met before.

We weren't feeling that adventurous but we were pleasantly surprised at how friendly the staff were. Each one of them greeted us as we entered and our waiter for the night was attentive but not too intrusive.

The place has a lovely atmosphere, but what would the food be like?

We started with olives and garlic bread, which were delicious, followed by fishcakes with tartare 'slaw', baby gem and baby spinach salad and goat's cheese tartlet with slow roasted Mediterranean vegetables, feta cheese, cucumber riata, parsley, mint and lemon. Each dish proved a winner - beautifully cooked and prepared.

But what could top that in the dessert stakes? Pannacotta and Eton Mess, of course. Both were a delight to savor. The meal, washed down with two glasses of wine and two coffees, came to a what we considered good value for money at £57.31.

But Bill's isn't just somewhere to eat. There's a library area where you can chill out and have a coffee. It's also has a children's menu and spacious baby changing facilities in the disabled toilet. The actual restaurant is spacious and there's ample room between tables for disabled people to get in and out.

Simple, well cooked wholesome food looks like a winning recipe. According to manager Sumera Syed the restaurant is proving a big hit with customers. 'The place has been buzzing and well received and people have been giving us very good feedback,' she said.

The shop/restaurant concept is one that is sure to catch on. Anyone too busy to wait for an order of food can simply fill out a Bag of Bill's tick list, hand it in and then come back when convenient to pick it up.

Being surrounded by shelves full of delicious food to buy (we bought a jar of chutney which was delightful), all adds to a warm and inviting atmosphere.

A cafe, a restaurant and a shop - and interesting concept, but one which we feel is a winner.