Tilleys Bistro

Very relaxed and the food was delicious. Order the small plates so you get a taste of many. If you are confused just ask. Staff will help you with a smile.

Quick glance:
+ convenient location
+ cheap set menu for lunch
+ large venue
+ good portion size…
— … but food is nothing to shout about
— service of variable quality
I came here for a Saturday lunch after a tour around the Roman Baths partly because of its convenient location. Despite the hundreds of tourists milling about, we were seated at Tilleys promptly as there were many tables tucked away downstairs.
The restaurant offered a cheap option for lunch, costing only £12.50 per person for two courses (or £15 for three courses). Some mains of the day ask for a £1 supplement, which is very reasonable. On the day we visited, for example, Tilleys had cod as well as lemon sole as a special, which attracted a supplement, as well as whiting at no additional cost.
I found the waitress serving us to be slightly abrupt. When she told us about the special mains of the day, she briefly explained there was the whiting, the lemon sole with butter and lemon, and cod with parsley and butter, without elaborating, for example, that the whiting were breaded fillets or how the other fish were prepared. (It was only after we had ordered, I heard the other waitress explaining in more details about how the fish was prepared and served to our neighbouring table).
When we ordered mains, which came with one side detailed on the menu as vegetable of the day, potato of the day, etc, we had to ask how the potato was prepared, and then prompted our waitress to tell us what the vegetable was.
During our meal, our water jug was empty and our waitress came over to ask us if we wanted anything. Before I could say «more water please» she had already turned around and almost ready to dash. I would like to put this down to inexperience and ignorance rather than a rude service, but it did make for a disconcerted experience.
The food itself was nothing to shout about. The starter was more visually appealing than the mains, and the fish I had (cod) and my partner ordered (whiting) was slightly overcooked, but still edible and we walked away full.
It’s a little darker in the basement, with a rather somber ambiance. The waitress who served us seemed a bit tired, and the food itself represents the height of British cuisine from the late 80s (Tilleys is a family-​run restaurant founded in 1983). It’s a good, cheap place for lunch, although I wouldn’t classify it as cheerful.

I went here, and it was ok. It IS a busy restaurant, and has a very good lunchtime deal. Staff are fine, but not over friendly and it attracts a generally older clientele. You can read my full review here: