A stay at Euro Hostel Liverpool VIP Suite...

A change is as good as a rest, and since I have been feeling in need of a little break lately I was very excited to be invited to review a stay at one of the VIP Suites of the new Euro Hostel* in Liverpool city centre. I used to live right in the city centre, so I was looking forward to spending a night back there. I really like the whole ethos of the Euro Hostel group, which offers stylish and affordable accommodation in Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and now Liverpool. There is a range of options on offer for your stay, such as simple dorm rooms, private rooms and VIP suites which accommodate groups of up to 8 guests. Euro Hostel Liverpool offers beds from just £12.50 per night, so it makes a great option for a budget place to stay in the city centre. 

 I arrived late on Friday afternoon and was warmly welcomed by the team. I was immediately impressed by the cool design aesthetic of the hostel, which is fun and quirky. A ‘geek's corner’ in reception is the perfect place for guests to catch up on emails at the computers located there, and there is even a printing service as well as free Wi-Fi throughout the hostel. The attention to detail throughout is so impressive, and I think that Euro Hostel is completely reinventing the idea of hostel style accommodation, as this is anything but basic.

 After checking in, I got the key card to my suite and took the lift down. I was so thrilled when I walked in, and I settled in straight away. The suite is so trendy and fun, with a huge open plan feel, six bunk beds with welcome packs and towels on each bed. There is a separate lounge area, with a comfortable sofa and scatter cushions as well as a huge flat screen television so that you can curl up and watch a movie after you have been out in the city if you just feel like relaxing.

I am obsessed with straightening my hair, so I was delighted to find that the suite even comes equipped with GHD hair irons and also a hair dryer. A little desk/vanity area provides the perfect place to get ready with a large mirror which features The Beatles on it! I caught up on some emails before sitting down to get ready for the evening. The walls have hangers where you can put your clothes and each goody bag contained mineral water, mini Red Square vodka, Berocca and a mug. 

 

I thought that the goody bags were such a thoughtful touch which made arrival feel extra special. The suite is just so spacious, and it comes with fully self-contained private bathroom facilities including toilet and sink in one washroom and a separate shower room. This is the ideal place to book for a get together with friends or family, or for a girls night out, as the location is simply excellent. 

The Euro Hostel is right in the centre of the city, next to Liverpool One (shopping and eating hub of the city) as well as MetQuarter (designer/high end shopping centre) and all the city streets full of shops, restaurants, bars, museums and art galleries. You could not wish for a better location for your stay in the city, as it is so conveniently situated. 

After settling in and spending some time getting ready and listening to music, I headed out to have pre-dinner drinks at Pima bar within the Hilton hotel. We spent a couple of hours there enjoying live music and sipping champagne, before we headed back to The Euro Hostel to enjoy dinner at The Hatch, the cool and stylish in-house bar restaurant. 

I was impressed by The Hatch menu, which includes all day breakfasts, light dishes such as wraps and baguettes, various salads and hearty dishes such as chilli con carne and red Thai curry. After a friendly welcome we were seated at a cosy table overlooking the sweeping bar area. 

The meal began with tasty chargrilled garlic bread with a variety of dipping sauces and I sipped a glass of Merlot whilst my dining companion enjoyed a pint of Guinness. 

We were both in the mood for a burger so we decided order those for our main courses. My dining companion had The H Burger, prime British beef burger with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce served on a toasted sesame bun. The burger was cooked to perfection and the addition of cheese, bacon and barbecue sauce made this truly indulgent. A towering burger which definitely hit the spot!

Meanwhile I had The C Burger, southern fried chicken with mayo also served in a toasted sesame bun. This was delicious, a large fillet of tender chicken wrapped in crispy crumb with just enough spice. Both burgers were served with a huge portion of crispy hand cut chips, salad and coleslaw. Delicious! We also enjoyed a side of crispy onion rings which went perfectly with the burgers. 

After this hearty and yummy feast, we were treated to hot mulled cider which put us in the festive spirit and we moved in to a higher area of the bar where we settled by the window to enjoy some more after dinner drinks. We were kindly sent over some shots of both coffee tequila and original tequila, and I ordered a British Bramble cocktail which was sweet and sharp, garnished with juicy fresh blackberries.

The night was so much fun and we lingered in the bar soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the music until late, before heading back to our suite where we enjoyed watching a movie in the relaxing chill out area before finally heading to sleep in the early hours of the morning! We had such a good sleep and I can confirm that the bunk beds were so comfortable! It has been years since I had slept on a bunk bed and it was such a cool and fun experience which totally took me back in time. We had an amazing stay at Euro Hostel Liverpool and I would not hesitate to go back as soon as possible.
Euro Hostel delivers reasonably priced accommodation, great service, stylish interior design and a bar which serves great cocktails and delicious food. This place ticks every single box and the city centre location makes it even more perfect! We popped out in the morning to get ourselves some coffee before we finally checked out and said a fond farewell to the luxurious suite. This was such a treat and I enjoyed it so much, it was good to relax.

What do you all think, have you every stayed in a Euro Hostel and do you like the idea of a hostel which offers stylish accommodation at super prices? As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!

Euro Hostel

54 Stanley St, 

Liverpool 

L1 6AU

Until next time,

Camille

xo

*Disclaimer

I was kindly invited to review Euro Hostel Liverpool. My stay and meal were complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are my own and honest.

An outfit and lunch at Piccolino...

Hi everyone, I hope that you are all well and that you have had a great weekend. I have had a busy one, so it was good to unwind today with a long and relaxing lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, Piccolino in Liverpool. You cannot go wrong with a huge steaming bowl of pasta and a large portion of garlic bread in my opinion! My route to happiness usually involves delicious food, let's face it!
It has been a while since I have shared any outfits with you here on Coco Cami, so I just thought that I would also show you the clothes I threw on for lunch today. Excuse how creased my dress was, that is the worst of cotton mix fabric!

I adore Primark, which is no secret if you have read my content for a while. I got this longline black shirt dress with a neck tie recently. I like the simple button through design and  find the cut is very figure flattering for a curvy girl like me. I paired it with knee high boots, a simple black tote and this gorgeous faux-fur Mongolian style collar also from Primark. 

Yes, my outfit was predictably head to toe Primark as usual, but with the addition of these slinky designer shades from Missoni which were recently bought for me as a gift. I think a little sprinkle of designer with a totally high-street outfit is always a good style rule. I simply love high street fashion stores rather than designer boutiques and besides, I would rather spend money on important things like food! Naturally I wore my trusty Daniel Wellington watch with this outfit. Remember, you can use my special code cococami to get 15% off your purchases from Daniel Wellington until January 15th. Order by December 21st for delivery by December 24th.

So then after battling the wind and drizzle to get a couple of outfit pictures, it was time to head to Piccolino for a long lunch. Piccolino is one of my favourite restaurants ever, the food and service are both amazing and I just love to dine there as often as I can.
I had not anticipated exactly how long our lunch would be, because we actually ended up being there for about four hours which shows how enjoyable it is! After enjoying artisan bread and focaccia, we ordered a bottle of crisp Chardonnay which was perfectly dry with citrus and apple. We ordered one of my favourites to begin the meal, Pane all’aglio, hand-stretched garlic bread topped with sumptuous melted buffalo mozzarella & fontina cheese. There are no words to describe how good this garlic bread is, trust me you need to try it! 

For the main course I chose the Ravioli Zucca which I had not tried before. I was intrigued by the pairing of roast butternut squash, amaretti biscuits, hazelnuts & sage butter and I was not disappointed. The flavour profiles of this dish were simply divine, with sweetness from the butternut squash and amaretti balanced by the woody tang of hazelnuts which also added great texture. The sage butter was irresistible and I devoured the dish in record time, savouring every bite of the soft freshly made pasta. Heavenly!
My dining companion enjoyed his pollo parmigiana pizza, which I also shared a slice of, (you know, just as if I did not have enough food already!) This is a perfect pizza with a tangy pomodoro sauce, plenty of mozzarella, garlic, tender chicken, cherry tomatoes, basil and Parmesan. Yum! 

On to dessert and in light of the fact that it is almost Christmas I thought that we should spoil ourselves and order a dessert each. I was in no hurry to leave due to the ambience and warmth of the restaurant, plus that silky Chardonnay was slipping down a treat! I was never likely to resist my favourite dessert at Piccolino, the Tortino al Cioccolato, warm chocolate fondant & caramel ice cream. This dessert is truly decadent with rivers of rich chocolate sauce within a soft chocolate sponge whilst the caramel ice cream adds the perfect cool contrast.

My dining companion went for a festive dessert choice, Panettone al cioccolato, chocolate panettone, bread & butter pudding served with a light custard. This was equally good, with light yet sweet flavours, a hint of zesty orange and sinful chocolate chunks within the perfect panettone.

The delightful meal ended with a lovely surprise of Prosecco being sent over. Little touches of finesse like this show the attention to detail which Individual Restaurant Company is renowned for. What an amazing (four hour!) lunch and by the time we left it was dark outside and we felt so happy and full of delicious Italian food which frankly is good for the soul. What a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon, I am so grateful for days like these when you can just take your time to enjoy life.

What have you all been up to this weekend and do you like Italian food? As always, I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Piccolino 

14a Cook Street,
 Liverpool,
L2 9QU

0151 236 2555

http://www.individualrestaurants.com/piccolino/

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

Festive Gift Guide with Daniel Wellington...

I cannot believe that it is this time of year again already, time that is for me to bring you a very special festive Gift Guide/Wish List with Daniel Wellington.
If you are anything like me, you have probably left it slightly late to complete all of your Christmas shopping, so I am hoping that some of these ideas will come in handy for you. The idea is that I take you through a few gift ideas and of course, the girls gift ideas all happen to be things that I would love to receive myself, so if any of my family or my boyfriend are reading this, you know what’s up!

Girls gift guide

First of all, I have selected this gorgeous 2016 Diary from Paperchase. I love the striking and cute design and who does not love a good diary. It is a useful and stylish gift and I think this one from the Nordic Nights range is a bargain at £12. 

Next up is this River Island Winged Tote Bag. I always think that River Island bags are such good quality and I own a few myself. I think that this is the type of bag which is equally ideal to take to business meetings or a casual day out. It is perfect for any occasion and it looks designer, plus it is only £45

I drink so much tea and coffee every day, especially when I am working from home, so this cute Antler Woodland Mug really caught my eye. I think that a mug makes a cute and thoughtful gift and the design of this one is arty yet fun at the same time. 

I had one Christmas wish well and truly granted when I was sent the stunning Classy Sheffield Watch by Daniel Wellington. It would make a beautiful gift for any stylish lady in your life and it has the added touch of glittering Swarovski crystals around the watch face. This is a timepiece which is perfect to wear for celebrations and milestones and with this is mind I will be saving mine to wear for special occasions. The watch has a 34mm face, leather strap and a finish available in rose gold or silver. At £159 this is a designer watch at a super price and you can have it gift wrapped for an extra touch of finesse. Remember, you can use my special code cococami to get 15% your purchases from Daniel Wellington until January 15th. Order by December 21st for delivery by December 24th.

At this time of year my skin is looking pretty pale and tired, and I love Origins products. Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturiser gives you really radiant skin, so I think any woman would be delighted to receive this £24 pot of goodness! It is packed full of ingredients to give your skin a youthful glow, so it is definitely a winner in my opinion!

Who does not enjoy receiving a box of chocolates as a present? These from Hotel Chocolat are so luxurious and they are just so much more special to give as a gift than some generic chocolate from the supermarket. The Classic Christmas Sleekster is a stunning box of delicious chocolates for £22. Yes please! 

I always wear Alien by Thierry Mugler, which I adore, but I recently tried this Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum 30ml and I think it is a stunning scent plus I love the packaging. Are you listening, Santa?! Any lady would be impressed to get this fragrance as a gift, which costs £45 and has notes of Black Coffee, White Florals and Vanilla. 

Guys gift guide 

This Dapper Sheffield Watch would make the ideal gift for any stylish guy in your life. I have got one wrapped up for my boyfriend and I know he will love it. This watch is £219 and comes with silver or rose gold finish, stylish blue hands and a leather strap. Add gift wrap for a festive touch and do not forget you can use my special code cococami to get 15% your purchases from Daniel Wellington until January 15th. Order by December 21st for delivery by December 24th.

If the man in your life prefers a slightly more luxe scent, I would recommend Jo Malone Cologne as a gift. This Oud and Bergamont Cologne is stunning, with so many layers. It costs £105 so it is in the more expensive fragrance bracket, but you only need to use a little as the mysterious and smoky fragrance goes a long way.

Zara makes such stylish clothing and I love the menswear collections. This Coat with quilted lining would make a good present for any guy who has an eye for style, as it is well cut and I love the colour. £89.99 from Zara. 

These Skullcandy Uproar Headphones are cute and trendy with subtle branding. Any guy who loves music would like to get these as a gift, and at £19.99 they are currently on offer down from £29.99 

This John Lewis Strasbourg Leather Laptop Briefcase, is a perfect gift for a stylish man as well as being useful and practical, for £149.00 it goes with any outfit and fits so much in it. 

So that is all from me for now, I hope that you have enjoyed this and some of these gift ideas have been of some use to you all! Remember, you can use my special code cococami to get 15% your purchases from Daniel Wellington until January 15th. Order by December 21st for delivery by December 24th at Daniel Wellington

Do tell me, which of these gifts catches your eye and have you done all of your Christmas shopping yet? 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 invited to collaborate with Daniel Wellington on this holiday post, the watches were complimentary for the purposes of this article. All opinions expressed herein are my own and honest. 

Christmas dinner and music at Hogan's of Hale...

Tucked away in the pretty Cheshire village of Hale, Hogan’s of Hale* is a live music and restaurant venue which I was delighted to be asked to experience last night. 

We arrived to find Hogan’s looking so seasonal with festive garlands and a beautiful Christmas tree glittering in the reception. The open plan design of Hogan’s give the space an immediately welcoming ambience, with a sweeping bar area which gives way to the stage area on the ground floor and a mezzanine Bistro restaurant level above which looks directly over the stage.

Hogan’s of Hale showcases a variety of great live music in an intimate setting, and we were fortunate enough to be invited to the Dougie James and The Soultrain evening consisting of dinner and the music show. This band has a loyal following dating back decades and the talented singer and musicians perform an array of well-known classic soul music. 

We were warmly welcomed and shown upstairs to the stylish restaurant where we took our seats. We were kindly given some of the best seats in the house on a table which directly overlooked the stage. I was excited to see the musicians already warming up for the performance!
I sipped a crisp Chenin Blanc as we perused the special festive menu which consisted of several mouth-watering options of starters, mains and desserts. We decided on two courses, a main and a dessert, and as soon as I saw the menu I was impressed by the use of local and seasonal produce such as Kidderton Ash goat’s cheese and Cheshire turkey. We tucked in to a basket of fresh baguette with farmhouse butter as we decided what to order.

I was immediately swayed by the option of Cheshire turkey with traditional trimmings as the whole environment was so festive and I have not had a Christmas meal yet this festive season. I was delighted to be presented with delicious turkey served with roast potatoes, gravy, chestnut stuffing, honeyed carrots, sprouts, pigs in blankets (sausage wrapped in bacon) and cranberry sauce. I was so impressed by the food which was delicious and beautifully presented, my desire for a hearty Christmas meal was satisfied by this divine plate!

 My dining companion chose 8oz sirloin steak which was cooked to perfection and served with pont-neuf potatoes, red cabbage, green beans and Bordelaise sauce. The flavour profile of this dish was excellent and the steak was perfectly cooked whilst the accompaniments complemented this so well. The Bordelaise sauce was delectable and I was impressed to see the addition of this as it added a further gastronomic flair to this dish. Bordelaise sauce is always a classic and this enhanced the steak so much with the red wine really coming through.

For dessert I could not resist Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, which was rich and boozy with plenty of fruit and a tangy topping of redcurrants which drew out the flavours. My dining companion chose chocolate brownie with candied pecans and ice cream, a delectable treat indeed. The brownie was full of soft and chewy texture and chocolate flavour whilst the candied pecans were an irresistible treat which sat so well against this dessert.

Full to the brim of wonderful food, we sat back and sipped a second round of drinks as the show began with classics such as ‘rollin' on the river,’ ‘lovely day’ by Bill Withers and 'My Girl'. The band really raised the roof and everyone was getting in to the spirit of the evening, dancing and clapping along to the live music. It was such a fun atmosphere and the downstairs bar area was full of people enjoying the performance. We were privileged to have such a super view of the show and the acoustics of the venue made the night even more memorable. We had a lovely chat to Barry Hogan, who owns Hogan’s of Hale and he told us all about how much fun it is to run a place like Hogan’s of Hale which is renowned for excellent entertainment as well as delicious food. 

We had such a lovely evening and it was really festive. I like the fact that you can go to Hogan’s of Hale for either the music show or dinner or combine both in to one evening. They have recently introduced an indulgent new lunchtime festive menu too which is ideal for friends, families and business lunches. The menu comprises appetising starters such as beetroot cured salmon with horseradish Crème Fraiche and Parsnip and Honey Soup. Mains include Cheshire turkey with trimmings and chestnut stuffing, cod supreme with savoy cabbage, samphire and tomato sauce Vierge and wild mushroom risotto with black truffles and Pecorino cheese as well as classic desserts such as Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, vanilla crème brulee with shortbread and British cheese board.
Mmm, now all I need is another Christmas meal as I am thinking about the amazing food last night! Thank you so much to Hogan’s of Hale for a truly festive evening, I am now really in the Christmas spirit! I think that Hogans's of Hale is a great place to visit for a celebration such as a Christmas meal or simply for an evening of great entertainment, dinner and drinks! 

Hogan's of Hale 

Crown Passages

Hale

Cheshire 

WA15 9SP

0161 929 1755

The Bistro 

0161 929 9524

So that is all from me for now. What do you all think, do you like the idea of enjoying live music alongside a few drinks or a delicious meal in the Bistro at Hogan’s of Hale, 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 Hogan's of Hale, the meal and music show were complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are my own and honest.