Bill’s has welcome back diners to three of its Kent restaurants, with eateries in Canterbury, Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells now open from breakfast through to dinner.

Staff are taking extra precautions to keep visitors safe during the pandemic, with thermal cameras being used to check temperatures upon arrival and tables rearranged to comply with social distancing regulations.

We went along to sample the sumptuous dinner menu on offer at the Sevenoaks restaurant in London Road.

Situated in the attractive Lady Boswell House, a rustic stone building with vast arched windows, the venue also offers seating in a large terraced area, which has quite a continental feel.

It was a mild evening so we opted to sit outside, beneath the fairy lights.

We started with a bottle of Pino Grigio, brought to our table by our lovely waitress, along with an ice bucket and a cloth for pouring.

The wine was crisp and fresh, enjoyed most by myself as my colleague who accompanied me was the designated driver!

After considering our dining options at great length, as everything on the menu looked so delicious, I opted for the devilled chicken skewers with a spicy barbecue glaze, spring onion, lime and tzatziki was my choice, and it was utterly divine.

The chicken succulent, with just the right kick, balanced with the cool, Greek-inspired cucumber and yoghurt dip.

I was pleased the portion was not too big - there's nothing worse than a enormous starter leaving you with hardly any room for the main.

Speaking of which, for my main course, I had the slow cooked beef rib, braised in Cabernet Sauvignon wine, which was just how I hoped it would be - tender, tasty and melt-in-the-mouth.

It was served with seasonal greens and chive mashed potato and was a sophisticated take on home-cooked comfort food.

Despite being full to bursting by this point, I could not resist sampling the warm banoffee doughnuts.

They arrived in all their sugar-dusted, caramel-coated glory, with fresh whipped cream and sliced banana.

Some doughnuts are very heavy but these were light and crispy and a perfect finish to a delicious meal and lovely evening out.

My colleague had an equally delightful experience:

The crispy chicken and sesame dumplings starter was just divine, the spicy barbecue went perfectly with them and had a bit of a kick to it. I polished it off in no time.

Sitting outside all evening also made dining out lovely, especially in this Covid-19 situation and the little blankets staff left for diners to keep warm was a lovely little touch - not that we needed them during our visit as it was a beautiful evening.

My Mojo marinated chicken skewers were also delicious.

The grain, salad, tzatziki and grilled flatbread are a perfect accompaniment to the marinated chicken and the dish is just so fresh and delicious and not heavy at all.

Our waitress couldn't do enough for us either, she made our dining experience great - it really was a perfect night out and my first since lockdown eased.

Read more: Eat, Drink, Shop

Read more: All the latest news from Canterbury