When I was invited to visit Bill's in Chequer Street, St Albans, I thought I knew what to expect.

Bill's is definitely a high street favourite and for many, walking into a restaurant like this would make for easy ordering. It's easy enough to pick your go-to favourite dish, right?

But on opening the menu there were some additions I didn't recognise, which is all down to the new revamped interiors and menu.

The new look and feel focuses on family appropriate meals and sharers, so steak and rarebit pie, roast chicken and salmon with seasonal veggies were potential options, along with some of Bill's favourites with a twist.

To start off, we ordered toasted ciabatta with avocado, which was the perfect thing to whet our appetites before tucking into a starter of duck puffs.

These were little parcels of spiced duck in a delicious pastry, with a sweet sauce and salad. The puffs were perfectly light with a tasty filling that was both meaty and sweet. The sauce was similar to a sticky plum sauce and was a great start to what was shaping up to be a delicious meal.

Following this, we tucked into our mains. I ordered the Bill's favourite, the fish finger sandwich.

But the new version of this classic added some tempura prawns to the mix, making it sweeter and more indulgent. The avocado sauce on the bread had a delicious smokiness which worked perfectly with the cod and prawn, without overpowering the delicate fish and seafood flavours. I also upgraded my fries to sweet potato, which were absolutely standout with a soft, sweet inside and a crispy outer coating.

My guest ordered another Bill's classic, the fish pie, which was creamy and comforting, served with seasonal greens.

For dessert, it was a tough decision as the menu now boasted a sticky toffee pudding or apple and gooseberry crumble, a twist on the previous menu's apple and blackberry dessert.

My guest opted for the melting banoffee sundae, which had its own touch of the theatrics as the waitress poured over the hot, sticky, toffee sauce to melt through the chocolate dome which encased gooey banana, chocolate, ice cream and toffee chunks.

This dessert was not for the faint-hearted and was an absolute showstopper.

Meanwhile, the more generous portions on the new menu almost led me to call it a day sans-dessert. Well, almost.

I opted for the ice cream in clotted cream, chocolate and salted caramel flavours, all of which melded into a delicious dessert.

One thing that also stood out was the delightful staff who were incredibly charming, attentive, and desired to give us the best meal possible, even to the point of asking feedback on our departure.

Bill Collison, the founder of the franchise, has said he hopes the new menu will be one that will entice families if they fancy a treat on the weekend or a night off from the kitchen. The menu, homely ambience and kind staff certainly deliver on this, making Bill's hopes a reality.