Bill's Restaurant, Bury St Edmunds

It's been a while since I reviewed some gorgeous food and since moving down south I've been excited to try some restaurants around my home town. Although Bill's Restaurant is a chain, I couldn't wait to try it once it opened in one of my local towns, Bury St Edmunds. After spotting it on a many a London blogger's Instagram, my expectations were high:

Bill's Restaurant's motto is 'from breakfast til bedtime' and on this visit we decided to try the dinner. The restaurant was quiet, but not unusually so for an early Sunday evening. The waitress was accommodating when we asked to move due to a wonky table and we were quickly served, but not pressured into ordering quickly when we kept getting distracted from the menu by our conversation! The decor is carefully thought out, and an unbelievable transformation from the bank that the building previously housed. The small touches, such as the handwritten chalkboards and stripped wooden floorboards, create a rustic atmosphere and enjoyable dining space.

I ordered the duck pie for my main. The presentation was rustic and in keeping with the restaurant itself. The mash was tasty, and although I would have liked a little more duck, the pearl barley was delicious. I'll be honest and say that I thought it was a little overpriced at £11.95 for what is was, but it was still an enjoyable dish.

For dessert, I opted for the blueberry 'upside down' cheesecake. This presentation was far more impressive, in a adorable miniature jam jar accompanied by some delicious amaretti biscuits. It was quite a 'breakfast style' dessert and I enjoyed it very much. For me, it was the right balance between a treat but not overwhelmingly unhealthy dessert - although my dining partner's warm chocolate brownie did look fantastic!

All in all, the desserts stood out for me during this meal and I'd definitely return to try some more puddings. It now means that I'm itching to try the afternoon tea, as well as the breakfast menu which I have seen so many bloggers rave about. This seems to be Bill's strength, and I'm interested to see how they compare to the dinner options - plus I always like an excuse to eat out again!

If you've tried Bill's, what did you think of it? If you can recommend any restaurants in Bury St Edmunds or the surrounding area, please let me know!

OOTD: Urban Rose

I love sharing my style with you all and today I wanted to post another outfit of the day. This outfit features a bargain skirt from one of my favourite stores, Urban Outfitters:

Skirt: Urban Outfitters. Crop top: H&M. Socks: Primark. Boots: Asos. Necklace: New Look. Headband: Primark.

This skirt is actually still available on the Urban Outfitters' website in a M but I picked it up in an XS in the Liverpool store. It was a bargain at just £15, reduced from £38, and I even got another 10% knocked off thanks to my student card. The floral pattern is just my style and the colour scheme is going to be perfect for Autumn, The length hits perfectly just above my knee on my short frame, and I love the lace detailing along the bottom and up the sides of the thighs - it makes the skirt a little more grungy and means it would work well for both a casual day out and a house party. Urban Outfitters always nails that indie vibe so I always feel more 'trendy' than I actually am!

Today I teemed the skirt with some more lace in the form of a H&M crop top. This crop top is a dream and I am constantly hoping that H&M will bring it back in a variety of colours, because I wear it so much! I added a bargain headband from Primark that I had also picked up in Liverpool for just £3 and couldn't resist adding some matching frilly socks in the same colour.

What do you think of today's look? Have you picked up any end of summer sale bargains?

A Good Night's Sleep

After my evening skincare post, I thought that I'd create a post about getting a good sleep. Prepping my skin for bedtime is the first step, but I also have a few other tips to get you drifting off in no time:

First things first, I find that a really hot shower or bath helps me relax before bedtime. Rituals' Calming Creme Bath* is the perfect addition to any bath thanks to its white lotus and green tea ingredients. For an extra calming scent, I like the spray a few spritzes of Rituals' Bed and Body Mist,* which contains the same relaxing ingredients, onto my pillow. 

Pampering is a great way to relax and help you to drift off. My favourite quick fix is applying Soap and Glory's Heel Genius to my feet. A generous amount of cream, followed by a soft pair of cotton socks, leaves my feet feeling soft, pampered and toasty - cold feet are the worst!

A comfy pair of pyjamas are a must, I have a huge variety from Primark and seem to find myself picking up a new pair whenever I head into store. I also love my Anatomicals eye mask - I just adore the slogan which always makes me chuckle, and the silk feels soft on my skin. It effectively blocks out any excess light, making it so much easier to fall asleep.

Finally, I set one of my favourite apps called SleepBot, which is free from both iTunes and Google Play. This clever app sets an alarm and tracks your movements overnight. This ensures that it can sense when you are in a light sleep and wake you up then. It makes getting up in the mornings far easier! 

What products do you use to help you sleep better?