A dreamy dinner at Olive Liverpool...

Even though I am lucky enough to try so many wonderful restaurants, I do love the comforting familiarity of visiting an old favourite. For me, heading to a well-loved haunt is like seeing an old friend who you know will never let you down, and so it was on Friday that without a dinner reservation secured, I decided to call one of my all time Liverpool favourites, Olive Restaurant and Bar.
Way back in 2006 when I moved to Liverpool it was one of the first places I tried. Back then it was called The Olive Press and it holds so many happy memories for me of lovely dinners and long lazy lunches over a bottle (or two on occasion!) of wine. It makes me feel so happy to revisit this particular old friend, especially since I used to live so close by. I picked up the phone and was happily accommodated by the lovely manager Neil with an 8.15 table for two.  Since I had a meeting which finished at 6.30, that left just enough time to pop to Amanzi for a couple of pre-dinner cocktails...St. Tropez Plage is my tip from their menu but I digress!  So, after cocktails and wearing my staple Friday evening attire of little black dress and heels, I crossed over Castle Street in the shadow of the historic Town Hall and teetered down the familiar staircase into the candlelit ambiance of Olive. Our table was not quite ready, so after being warmly welcomed we took a seat at one of the bar tables, and a bottle of chilled Chardonnay was placed before us in seconds. As the lamp flickered and threw pools of warm light across the table, we clinked glasses to our old friend and anticipated the meal to come. 

I must make mention of having never eaten a bad meal at Olive and I mean never.  This is saying something since I have dined there for the best part of nine years. Just like at their sister restaurant Gusto, everything at Olive is exceptional, from pizza and pasta to risotto. Ah yes, risotto. Allow me to wax lyrical on what a difficult dish this seems to be for restaurants to get (as Goldilocks would say) just right. I have lost count of the times I have ordered risotto at various restaurants, only to be presented with a puzzling puree or at the other end of the spectrum, a dish so thick and glutinous that it could be used to resurface roads.

Anyway, moving swiftly on, risotto is a dish that Olive gets right every time. Light in texture and with super flavours, I knew before we even sat down that I would be ordering it. Friday night service was in full swing, and as glasses clinked and laughter filled the air around us, the dazzling aromas coming from the kitchen reminded me that I had not eaten since a bowl of Bircher Muesli hours earlier. Thus without further ado, we ordered the tried and true garlic pizza bread with mozzarella to begin proceedings. As usual, the base was crispy and the melted mozzarella made us happy as only melted cheese can. What a time to be alive I thought, as I savoured the perfect bread and pretended to deliberate over main courses despite having already decided.

My partner opted for the Italian burger with mozzarella and pesto, served with fries. It is always good when a restaurant asks how you want a burger cooked, which Olive do. I opted for Pumpkin risotto with parsnip crisps. I honestly could not wait as this just sounded such a delicious dish. This being me, I also ordered a side of Polenta chips. These are just dreamy and I can ever resist the crunchy decadence of them when I visit Olive.  Needs must, and when boats need pushing out Friday night is a perfect time to do so!
Serious burger envy ensued when the mains arrived, the Italian burger was heaped with delicious mozzarella and pesto and it appeared to be the size of a planet. A few small sounds of approval were forthcoming from my partner as he devoured the beast, commenting that it was cooked to perfection and the side of handmade burger relish really added an extra je ne sais quoi, not that it was needed. I meanwhile, was lost in a blissful rhapsody of pumpkin, the risotto was creamy perfection with a hint of smokiness and the parsnip crisps added a lovely crunch of texture. A grinding of black pepper and a sprinkle of Parmesan over the top and this went from great to sensational. As I write this I could happily devour another bowl, never mind that it is past midnight...!

On to dessert and after a few token groans that we were ‘too full’ we managed to convince ourselves that we just had to order dessert in order for me to write a full review.  Excuses, excuses I know. Before you know it we had acquiesced to the delights of Chocolate brownie with ice cream (him) and Chocolate orange and Cointreau cheesecake (me) I was uncertain at this point as to whether the car would be able to carry us home at all! The desserts were as delicious as the mains and I almost couldn't finish, but the wonderfully rich chocolate orange and boozy Cointreau made sinful bedfellows and I just had to continue on until the last delicious forkful was defeated. He adored his brownie in equal measure and it was time for us to bid adieu to the evening over espresso and Amaretto.

I have ordered Amaretto at the end of my meals at Olive forever and the lovely Paul (who we have known for ages) made me laugh by having a glass ready for me at the end of the meal. We all had a lovely chat about restaurants, renovating houses and low - carb diets (which I think I need to resort to after this meal!) it was a wonderful evening and I think I will be seeing my old friend Olive again very soon! Thank you to Neil, Paul and everyone who made our evening so enjoyable!

 Great seeing you Paul!

 

Outfit-Zara dress and Primark heels, Marc B at Topshop bag.

 Olive Restaurant and Bar

www.oliverestaurants.uk.com

25-27 Castle Street, Liverpool, L24TA

0151 227 2303

 What do you guys think, would you like to eat at Olive Restaurant and Bar? I love to read your thoughts and thank you for reading this post! 

Until next time,

Camille 

xo.

Chic Networking Fashion Show

Last Sunday was quite a day of partying, as prior to the Iceberg Vodka party at Playground, I was fortunate enough to attend the Mother’s Day fashion and lifestyle show at Liverpool’s Hilton Hotel which was held by party and event experts Chic Networking* . They put on an absolutely amazing event as usual, and I felt like a very lucky lady indeed to have two events on one day. As a fashion and lifestyle writer, the most pressing concern for me was of course exactly what I was going to wear!  Luckily, I had invested in a gorgeous mint-coloured coat from Zara a couple of days before the event. I cannot walk through the doors of Zara without spotting something I want to buy, I am sure you all agree with me on that! The good news is this coat came in at an affordable £40 which I was pretty impressed by as it looks designer. Teamed with the coat I threw on my Boohoo dress which is becoming such a staple piece for the events I attend. Split to the thigh on one side, it is a classic black dress with just a sprinkle of allure. 

I love this mint green Zara coat for springtime.

The glamorous crowds arrive! 

Cupcake heaven! 

Arriving at the fashion show was exciting as everybody was wearing such chic outfits. I really enjoyed style-spotting. The Hilton looked stunning, with fairy lights and balloons festooning the staircase to the fashion show.  Since I was on the press list, we did not have to wait and we were whisked upstairs after being given cute VIP wristbands. Upon arrival, we were given a fab Chanel goody bag, containing all kinds of samples, chocolates and vouchers. Inside, the venue was bustling with fashionable people, and there were sumptuous cupcakes everywhere! There were interesting stands to explore, such as The Organic Juice Company, Blankstone Opticians who kindly let me try on some gorgeous Chanel shades and Elite PN, a company who deliver delicious meals to your home or workplace. Yum! The Iceberg Vodka bar was proving popular, with delicious cocktails being served to thirsty guests.  I had lost my voice, so networking proved rather difficult, but at least my sore throat gave me a good excuse to indulge in a few more cocktails!

 Chanel overload!

Amanda Harrington and Jade Ainsworth looked stunning as they posed with the Elite PN boys!

 Delicious canapés.

 The Iceberg Vodka bar kept everybody refreshed.

Cute gift bags for the lucky guests.

A stunning hairstyle by Easilocks 

The fashion show itself was amazing, with a brilliant set by DJ Mark Armstrong getting the crowds into the party spirit. The sweeping white runway dominated the room, and the anticipation was building as we took our seats. We were lucky enough to be in the second row, so I had a great vantage point for all the looks on the catwalk. 

There were some stunning dresses from several designers, and a few of them especially caught my eye. After the main collections, we were also treated to swimwear collections too, showing us all of those amazing looks to wear by the pool on our summer holidays.  There were many collections on show such as Mark Melia, Smudge Boutique and Melanie Louise who showed a selection of children’s designer wear on some extremely cute pint-sized models. The children got such big rounds of applause as they took to the catwalk and their outfits and accessories were just adorable!

 The designs were so striking and the models looked beautiful, with long sleek ponytails and perfect make up. I admired their ability to walk the runway wearing such incredibly high heels too. Skills! Let's not forget that time when even the seasoned pro Naomi Campbell tripped over during the Vivienne Westwood show in Paris in 1993! Anyway, the girls all walked just like supermodels and showed the designs off in all their glory. I think it is safe to say that every woman in the room was mentally making a wishlist of dresses as the girls sashayed past showing off the beautiful creations!

DJ Mark Armstrong got everyone in the mood to party with his excellent playlist!

I had a great time!

In between the collections there was time to go to the bar and grab a refreshing Iceberg Vodka cocktail, and it was fun to soak up the atmosphere before we took to our seats for the last part of the show. Mark Armstrong kept the room bouncing with some great tunes which were brilliantly mixed. By the end of the event, everyone had enjoyed such a lovely afternoon, and it was time for those lucky guests (including me-squeal!) to head to Playground for the Iceberg Vodka party...! Sunday was such an amazing day and I enjoyed the Mother’s Day fashion show so much!

I had such an amazing time and thank you very much to the lovely Chic Networking for inviting me to cover this event!

What do you guys all think, have you ever been to a fashion show or would you like to attend one? I love to read your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!

Until next time, 

Camille 

xo

*Disclaimer:

I was kindly invited to this event as a guest of Chic Networking. All opinions expressed are my own and honest.

Iceberg Vodka Launch Party with PK Agency at Playground Liverpool

I am lucky to get to attend some amazing events in the course of my work and on Sunday I was delighted to accept an invitation from the lovely PR guru Paul Knowles of PK Agency to attend the launch* of Iceberg Vodka at the exclusive Playground nightclub at the Hilton Hotel. Paul is the person to go to when you want to organise a stunning event!
It was held after the other fabulous event of the afternoon, a fashion show at the Hilton Liverpool One (separate blog post to follow on that!) so Sunday was quite an amazing day filled with parties!
The scene for the Iceberg party was set, with a red carpet adorned with a fabulous ice sculpture with a bottle of Iceberg nestled within. The flashbulbs were popping as a host of the beautiful people arrived such as model Amanda Harrington, model and writer Jade Ainsworth, Bollywood actress and model Amy Jackson and Big Brother star and celebrity Mark Byron. It was a breathtaking party which attracted all the right people. The striking bar area of Playground was laden with a mouth watering selection of Iceberg based cocktails served in cute Iceberg goblets and there was a tempting array of cupcakes and sumptuous chocolate-dipped strawberries to choose from. Later in the evening, trays of sublime canapés were circulated, keeping everybody happy as they danced long into the night. Iceberg vodka itself is deliciously smooth and can be drunk alone over ice or as an ingredient for cocktails. It is derived from unspoilt Icebergs which have naturally detached from Arctic glaciers off the coast of Newfoundland. Quadruple distilled and seven times filtered, then blended using Ontario sweet corn, the vodka has a soft light and sweet flavour. This tastes like such an elite vodka, far removed from well-known brands and in a whole different league. I could definitely imagine James Bond forgoing his usual Martini for Iceberg vodka any day of the week!

 

Delicious cocktails.

Model Amanda Harrington.**

Model and writer  Jade Ainsworth.**

 Actress and model Amy Jackson.**

Celebrity and Big Brother alumni Mark Byron.**

I met lovely blogger Hana Pablo at the party and we had a nice chat. It was fab meeting you Hana, hope to see you again soon! 

The party was soon in full swing and the lucky people on the guest list were having fun as soon as they walked through the door. Everyone was having such an amazing time, and the DJ got the crowds on the dance floor with a great eclectic mix of dance music and RnB. Everybody looked so glamorous as they always do at a PK Agency party, with girls in a stunning array of dresses and guys in suits or classic blazers with jeans. It was a fashion heaven, with so much wonderful people-watching to do that I almost forgot to sip my cocktails, I said almost...!
Playground is such a chic venue for a party, with leather booths, a sweeping bar area and a vast dance floor. The ceiling is decorated with eye catching lights which change colour, this adds a unique appeal to the amazing nightclub. There was such a great atmosphere, with everyone getting into the party spirit as soon as they arrived. The models from the earlier fashion show were out in full force, wearing some beautiful dresses which added even more glamour to the occasion.

The club was packed with party guests having a fab time!

It was so great to see Paul, even though I had lost my voice the day before so I could only squeak rather than speak! Nevertheless, thank you so much to Paul and his company PK Agency for kindly inviting me to the launch. We had such a wonderful night and I enjoyed every second of the glamorous party in such a wonderful surrounding.

 The talented mixologists at work on those yummy cocktails!

Turning up with some champagne before the amazing Iceberg vodka!

The cute Iceberg goblets.

The glamorous bar area.

Delicious chocolate strawberries!

Another of the stunning ice sculptures!

 Cupcakes and cocktails!**

Stunning limited edition bottles encrusted with Swarovski crystals!**

The amazing dance floor at Playground

What do you all think, would you like to try Iceberg Vodka? I wish you had all been at the party with me, it was such an amazing night! I love to read your thoughts and thank you for reading this post, I am looking forward to sharing the fashion show with you all next.

Until next time,

Camille 

xo.

*Disclaimer:

I was invited to this party as a guest of Paul at PK Agency, all opinions expressed are my own. 

**Images marked '**' courtesy of PK Agency