Our Story

bills is part of a global restaurant family established by Australian restaurateur, cook and food writer Bill Granger when he opened his first restaurant on the corner of a crossroads in Sydney’s Darlinghurst in 1993. It was an instant success, known for serving fresher, more beautiful dishes that were unlike anything on offer at the time, along with a buzzy atmosphere where locals and travellers, families and friends gathered for Bill’s sunny, relaxed approach to food. That founding ethos continues to pulse through everything we do today.

We are family

Bill was always enthusiastic, fun, quietly but inspiringly ambitious, and endlessly generous. “I’m one of those cooks who make too much when people come to dinner, so if there’s six people coming, I cook for ten,” Bill once said. He was an incredible friend, collaborator, and most important of all, the most loving, supportive husband and father. Family was everything.

Bill’s founding spirit carries on with his partner Natalie Elliott, their daughters Edie, Inès, and Bunny, and our teams around the world. While former television and film producer and director Natalie prefers to quietly stay behind-the-scenes, her presence can be felt in every element of the restaurants. “Nat’s name might not be above the door, but the door would never open without her,” Bill said. His passion for family continues to flow through the belief that our restaurants will always be about community: not only embracing and caring for those who come to dine with us, but the people who work with us and the suppliers we source from.

“I remember going to his first Sydney restaurant in Darlinghurst. It was so cool, so relaxed, great food and coffee and years ahead of its time. He was there in full effect, so welcoming and just so nice.”
Jamie Oliver, 2023

Going global

After opening bills in Darlinghurst and then a second restaurant in Surry Hills in 1996 (relocating next door eight years later), Bill set off on a global journey to bring his distinctive style and ethos to the rest of the world. Starting with Shichirigahama in Japan – there are now eight restaurants across Tokyo, Osaka, Kanagawa and Fukuoka – at the same time opening the first Granger & Co. in London’s Notting Hill. These were followed by a restaurant in Seoul, four more restaurants in London and two in Sydney. Today, the group has 19 restaurants and while they each have their own sense of place and individuality, Bill’s original passion for quality, simplicity and generosity runs through every one.

“Mr. Granger had no intention of reinventing the image of Australian food as seen from abroad, but he did”
Julia Moskin, The New York Times, 2018

Art & Design

Considered, comfortable and light-filled, one of Bill’s greatest loves was for relaxed but timeless contemporary design, particularly drawing on a mix of mid-century classics and clean-lined, modern silhouettes. Soothing sunrise and sunset hues on the walls frame energetic paintings and photography by rising and established Australian artists. “I want our restaurants to be welcoming and easy because the Australian attitude towards eating is egalitarian and fun,” he would say.