NYL Restaurant Liverpool...

NYL Restaurant* in Liverpool is a restaurant I have heard good things about lately, it has a reputation for serving great food inspired by the cuisine on offer in New York. I had not had the pleasure of dining there before, so I was delighted to be invited along for a meal there last week.
The restaurant is housed in the architecturally stunning surroundings of the Royal Insurance Building which has been sympathetically restored, retaining the Stucco work, high ceilings and wood panelling which speak of the grandeur of the building. The open-plan, contemporary restaurant design ensures that NYL feels like a little corner of Manhattan in the heart of Liverpool.

The interior is stunning, with leather booths, striking lighting and a vast bar area. We were warmly welcomed by the General Manager Robin and whisked to a cosy booth, where we enjoyed fresh artisan bread with olive oil and balsamic as we sipped an excellent Merlot.

My starter of Leek and Potato soup, served with a mini tin loaf and homemade pickled onion butter was beautifully presented in a tureen. The soup itself was outstanding, hearty and rich with a perfect flavour and a slight peppery kick. The tin loaf was still warm and it went perfectly with the pickled onion butter which was undoubtedly one of the best butters I have ever tasted.

My dining companion chose a starter of Mozzarella Salad, marinated heirloom tomatoes, frisse lettuce, popcorn shoots, watercress pesto, balsamic reduction and olive oil. This Mediterranean style starter was fresh and light with lovely flavour profiles and a refreshing quality.

For the main course my dining companion ordered a 16oz Rump Steak which arrived perfectly cooked to his preference of medium rare and beautifully presented with braised shallots, confit tomato and a dressed salad. The steak was tender and juicy with a slight smoky flavour, complemented by the sweetness of the braised shallots and crisp salad.

I ordered the risotto of Mediterranean chicken, chorizo, piquante peppers and Manchego cheese. This dish was a work of art, beautifully presented in a tower with the rice in the centre, the sauce surrounding it and the chicken on top. This was a delight to eat, the chicken was tender, the rice was fluffy and the piquante pepper sauce elevated the flavours to the next level whilst the chorizo added depth.

We chose classic comfort foods as our side orders, firstly Macaroni and cheese which was superb, with plenty of sauce and an irresistible melted cheese topping which was slightly crispy. The triple cooked chips meanwhile were served in a generous portion and they were crunchy on the outside with a lovely golden colour which is how chips should always look in my opinion! Topped with a little coarse ground sea salt, they tasted just divine!

Before dessert, I enjoyed a limited edition Halloween cocktail which is currently available at NYL, called the Cherry Corpse. It was tasty and tropical with a hit of sweetness, and I think sipping a few of these would certainly be a fun way to celebrate Halloween!

The dessert menu read like a gazetteer of indulgence, and after intense negotiations we finally decided ! First we chose cookies and cream which was a deconstructed Oreo cheesecake, with a sumptuous white chocolate and vanilla mousse pot served alongside two Oreo cookies with a creamy filling. Fresh strawberries and a nut brittle crumb rounded off this sweet symphony, which was a decadence of both flavours and textures.

The second dessert of chilled chocolate fondant with pineapple and Sambuca sorbet and strawberry gel was equally sinful, I have never tried a chilled fondant before so this was a delight to experience. The chilled fondant was similar to a mousse, full of intense chocolate flavour and the Sambuca gel added a hit of aniseed which enhanced the experience whilst the strawberry and pineapple flavours brought this dessert to a sweet denouement.

We enjoyed every bite of this amazing meal, which was indulgent in every way and showed a real flair for menu development and innovative reinventions of some familiar dishes. The food and service at NYL were both excellent and the magnificent surroundings only add to the old-school glamour of an evening spent here. Thank you to NYL Restaurant for such a lovely evening!

NYL Restaurant and Bar

1 North John Street, 

Liverpool, 

L2 5QW

0151 294 4069

www.nyliverpool.com

What do you all think, would you like to enjoy a delicious meal at NYL and which of these dishes would you like to try? As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

*Disclaimer

I was kindly invited to experience NYL Restaurant, the meal was complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are my own and honest.

Quick outfit of the day...

Hi everyone, I hope that you are all having a lovely weekend. I just thought that I would bring you a quick outfit of  the day, even though I love to blog about food, I also like to bring you a little style content when I can. Way back when I started Coco Cami, it was more about fashion so it always makes me smile to do an outfit of the day for you, as it reminds me of when I first started blogging. I have a lot of meetings for work during the week, and I like to look stylish but also formal at the same time. I popped in to a shop I do not normally visit the other day, Select. I was pleasantly surprised as they had some gorgeous pieces in stock and I bought this grey wool effect sleeveless jacket. I have a passion for sleeveless jackets at the moment and I have bought plenty of them lately!  

I would not necessarily wear the jacket with ripped jeans for work meetings, but I love this way of styling it at the weekend, which looks dressed down and dressed up at the same time. My Primark cold-knee jeans are one of my favourite ever items and I wear them so often. I have many pairs as they are easy to style and  they always make me feel confident.
The bag was also an amazing bargain from Primark and it cost just £9 even though I have seen similar styles which are designer and cost a fortune. I also got the shoes in Primark, I am 5 feet 11 inches tall, so I do not often wear heels unless I am attending  an event. These kitten heels are the ideal compromise as they still look elegant without adding too much height and I love the pointed toe which I always think looks so cool.

 I tied my hair in a ponytail and backcombed it with Bastiste dry shampoo to add volume. A simple black polo neck sweater completes the look, and the whole outfit is definitely perfect to wear at the weekend to head out for shopping and lunch.

During the week I would add a black leather pencil skirt to this look instead of jeans and it would be ideal to wear to meetings. I just love grey and it is a departure from black which I usually wear most days! I saw a quote on Pinterest which said 'I will stop wearing black when they invent a darker colour' which just about sums me up! I am not really in to wearing much colour and I usually stick to neutrals although I have a couple of red dresses which I love.

Outfit details:

Bag, shoes and jeans-Primark

Sleeveless jacket- Select 

Top- River Island 

What do you all think, do you like the trend for sleeveless jackets? How would you style this piece?
I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post !

Until next time,

Camille 

xo

Statement necklace from Happiness Boutique Berlin...

It is surprising how much jewellery can change an outfit and really make a look feel more polished. Often when I just want my outfit to look a little bit more together, I find myself reaching for a favourite piece of jewellery to dress it up. From simple silver rings to a choker or a statement necklace, I have so many favourite pieces which I reach for again and again when I want to add the finishing touches to an outfit.
I was recently contacted by the lovely Happiness Boutique in Berlin,* who gave me the chance to style a piece from their new collection. I chose a beautiful sparkly tiered Bold Clear Crystals Statement Necklace and days later a cute package arrived from Germany complete with an inspirational quote and a cute handwritten note! 

Happiness Boutique Necklace 

Outfit-Head to toe Primark 

The necklace looked beautiful online, but it was even more perfect than I imagined when I unwrapped the parcel. This is certainly not an everyday piece, with tiers of diamond-style stones which sparkle radiantly; this is the ideal piece to wear to a special occasion such as a formal dinner or a night out and I can’t wait to wear it really dressed up with a floor length black dress I have from River Island. I had a lunch to attend this weekend and I knew that the necklace would look beautiful with a simple outfit and heels. 
As usual, I could not decide what to wear, and first I styled it with a grey bustier top and sleevless blazer, but in the end I chose a simple wool cape trimmed with faux fur, a pair of my favourite skinny cold-knee jeans, black ribbed tank top and a tote bag. I wanted an outfit which was simple and stylish, which would really allow the necklace to take centre stage and sparkle in every way! 

Happiness Boutique Necklace 
River Island Top

 Zara Jacket

Jeans, shoes and bag- Primark

Cape-Primark

Other Items-as before 

The weather refused to play ball for these outfit photographs and it remained resolutely cloudy throughout, but we managed to get enough good photographs to show off the necklace before it was time for me to leave for lunch (running a few minutes fashionably late naturally). 

Happiness Boutique have so many gorgeous pieces available in their online store, I recommend you have a look and you will find some beautiful items which will dress up every outfit from a plain t-shirt and jeans to a black dress.

At lunch the necklace proved to be quite a talking point and I got so many compliments and questions on it. Happiness Boutique were so helpful and professional and the parcel arrived in a matter of days, I will definitely be shopping with them in the future.
On another note, I love the trend for capes at the moment and this one was a bargain from my favourite store Primark and I think it makes an ideal transitional piece for your Autumn/Winter wardrobe as it can be layered over a simple sweater and jeans to create a really elegant look.
So that is all from me for now, a big thank you to Happiness Boutique for this stylish necklace!

What do you all think, do you like statement necklaces and how would you have styled this piece? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Until next time,

Camille

xo



*Disclaimer 
I was sent this necklace by Happiness Boutique, this item was complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are my own and honest. 

The Brink Liverpool

As a food writer, I am fortunate to eat out frequently but it is rare to come across a truly different concept. I was delighted then, to be invited to visit The Brink in Liverpool, which is a concept I have not come across before. The Brink is a brilliant initiative which combines a restaurant, coffee shop and bar with an event space where live music, film screenings, workshops and groups are just some of the things taking place. This already sounded good to me, but The Brink is even more special because it is completely alcohol free. This creates a relaxed environment where people can come together to enjoy great conversation, activities, drinks and food created with premium seasonal ingredients.  

That is all pretty amazing to begin with, but furthermore The Brink is a recovery social enterprise which means all of its profits are channeled into supporting those recovering from alcoholism and addiction. 

We were given an amazing welcome from Michael and Richard on front of house, who had reserved a cosy table for two for us. The lofty ceiling has pretty lanterns suspended from it and there is a welcoming feel to the restaurant space with wooden furniture, posters on the wall, a large bar area with a chalk board detailing the menu and delicious cakes on display.

At a table nearby, a couple were tucking in to large plates of delicious looking fish and chips and they rounded off their meal with a game of draughts which I found so charming.

On Michael’s recommendation, we decided to start our meal with a Bollywood Sour, a delicious alcohol free cocktail which was a refreshing burst of lemon, ginger, elderflower, apple and sparkling water topped with a strawberry and ice.

Perusing the food menu, our eyes were drawn to the tantalising selection of mini plates, we were torn between options such as Goats cheese and fig samosa with red pepper jam and pan fried baby chorizo with thyme and wild flower honey reduction. After a few minutes of hot debate we finally decided on what to order.

I adore fishcakes, so I chose the hake and spring onion fishcakes with handmade tartare sauce and herb salad whilst my dining companion was drawn to the Hickory barbecue back ribs with red apple slaw. The Lebanese style hummus,  baba ghanoush and za’atar flatbread was our other choice, which we thought would be great to share.

One word, wow. When the mini plate selection arrived I was so impressed by the stunning presentation, the flowers garnishing the plate immediately spoke of a fine dining style. The fishcakes were light and crispy with a delicate flavour and the tartare sauce was the best I have ever tasted. The flatbreads were piled atop a tower of delicious olives and salad and the hummus and baba ghanoush were very flavoursome.
My dining companion was in raptures over the hickory ribs, which were smoky and tender with a divine barbecue sauce and the red apple slaw gave the dish a refreshing and sweet kick which complemented it perfectly. 

Head Chef Paul Samuel Elackman came over to chat to us and told me all about his impressive background working in several renowned kitchens and even abroad. I commented that his dishes reminded me of a fine dining style and it turns out that this is his signature style of cuisine. He is passionate about using seasonal and local ingredients and he gave me a sneak preview of his new ‘autumn almanac’ menu which looks simply sublime with specials available which show a keen eye for menu development.

On to mains and I chose the baby aubergine, chickpea and tomato curry. This delightful curry was delicately spiced with plenty of rich flavour and a little sweetness from the tomato whilst the aubergines were tender and tasty. Heaps of fragrant jasmine rice and a slice of flatbread were the ideal partners to this delicious curry.

My dining companion had chosen the tropical spiced chicken kebab with harissa mayonnaise, fruit pearl cous cous and za’atar flatbread. Again the presentation of this was stunning, with a huge chicken kebab nestled against a pillow-like flatbread surrounded by the giant fruity couscous. I helped myself to some of his dish and it was irresistible, with melt-in-the-mouth chicken which was so tender and which played perfectly against the vegetables and cous cous.

This was without doubt one of the best meals I have ever had the privilege of enjoying, the food was beautifully plated and the dishes themselves were all delicious. The Brink is a hidden gem serving amazing food made with premium ingredients for undoubtedly some of the most reasonable prices in the city. 

We shared a dessert which was the special of the day, a custard and coconut tart, which was simple and elegant with toasted coconut giving way to a layer of rich custard.

We rounded off the evening with two coffees and a lovely chat with Michael and Richard who both told me a little more about The Brink. There is something going on all the time at The Brink and I think the alcohol free concept works so well, providing a relaxed space where there is no pressure to drink. I would not hesitate to recommend The Brink to everybody, they cover everything you could possibly want from a coffee and cake to breakfast (which is conveniently served all day) and a full food and drink menu. There are so many reasons to visit, not least the amazing food, warm welcome, varied events and the cosmopolitan atmosphere. Bravo indeed to the team and thank you so much for inviting me to experience The Brink. What do you all think, do you like the idea of an alcohol free restaurant, coffee bar and event space? Which of these dishes would you like to try first? As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!

The Brink

15 - 21 Parr Street

Liverpool

L1 4JN 

0151 703 0582

http://www.thebrinkliverpool.com/

Until next time,

Camille 

xo

*Disclaimer 

I was kindly invited to experience The Brink, the meal was complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are my own and honest.