IT might be only the second Neighbourhood restaurant and bar in the world, but they are calling it the flagship for all other Neighbourhoods to come. And it will not be alone.
Yes, the all-dancin’ all singin’ darling of North West nightlife has landed in Castle Street, “bringing a little bit of Miami” to the city.
It means the people of the Pool have finally got a Neighbourhood to call their own, after bolstering the fortunes of the Manchester original, in their absolute droves, since it opened three years ago.
As you might hope, as you might expect, it’s veh stylish.
We nipped in on Monday after work for a feel of the place and stayed rather longer than necessary.
For who would wish to leave this warm, plush and cheery interior - all the vision of Edwyn Designs which is responsible for Manchester’s Australasia, among others. It is yellow. Very yellow. As yellow as our pallor the following morning.
Neighbourhood’s Liverpool home is 62 Castle Street, a grand former banking hall which, frustratingly, nobody has ever really cashed in on.
In 2006 it opened as Room. Room was good, at a time when there was pretty much zilch in the downtown area, but it was a bit, well, frigid. And as for the subsequent Cajun-themed incarnation - “What’s Cookin’ at 62” - that was just plain daft.
No, with its pillars, domes and beautiful ornate friezes, the old banking hall needed some modern money and imagination to bring it to life. Now East Coast Concepts, the company behind Neighbourhood, has delivered, helped in no small way by a multi-million pound injection of development capital from North Edge. There are plans to go forth and multiply across the north of England.
Brand Director Ashley Williams said: “The brand is the ideal fit for the city. The venue is perfectly situated amongst the vibrant commercial district and we will also be looking to cater for and become involved with the thriving corporate clientele."
This Neighbourhood is not frigid. Rather it has managed to maintain the best of the old, a host of its original features, while offering “a vibrant all-day dining destination specialising in sushi, seafood and steaks"
“It will be a corporate social hub throughout the week and offer a go to destination for a night out Thursday through to Sunday," promises the blurb.
What that means is come the weekend, after 11pm, the music is turned up. DJ, producer, remixer and radio presenter Anton Powers is on the decks, dancing girls, sax players and drummers are on the tables.
To enjoy all this late night prancing and cavorting, cocooned in one of those buttercup banquettes with your chums, you’ll need at least £100 each. That’s the minimum drinks spend per person. Out in the bar area, £50 will allow you to rattle your jewellery until the wee small hours.
With a four litre punch bowl of Royal Mojito at £400, this might not be as hard as it initially sounds. But hang on partygoers, it all beats doing the walk of shame on the Sunday morning Oxford Road stopper.
If late nights and punch bowls aren’t your bag, there’s plenty of food and drink action going down the rest of the week. Cocktails are the £9 mark and range from classics to speakeasy style. Wines, are by the glass and bottle from an extensive list, starting at around £24, and a pint of birra or Coast to Coast IPA comes in at £4.95.
Beef Wellington 
Fillet steakIt would have been rude not to take up Neighbourhood's offer of something to eat and the impressive beef Wellington with madeira sauce (£24) and the grass fed fillet steak (£28) showed every hallmark of a very capable kitchen in these nebulous days. A punchy Malbec, by the 250ml glug, helped soothe the woes of the world and after this and a couple of good Cosmopolitans, Monday started to get very happy indeed.
Neighbourhood Liverpool offers two private dining rooms catering for upwards of 30 guests, and a mezzanine level which is available to hire for private functions. As is the hospitality theme of the year, there are breakfasts, lunches and brunches for all comers, all hours of the day.
Ashley Williams added: “We’re mixing things up in Liverpool. This will become our new flagship site, giving us the opportunity as a brand to introduce new concepts and ideas – we’re hoping to bring a little bit of Miami to Liverpool.”
James Hitchen, owner and founder of East Coast Concepts said: “Now is a very exciting time in our journey and we have big growth plans across the group. The opening of Neighbourhood Liverpool will bring the company’s employee headcount over 200 and we’re planning to open a further three venues next year taking our unit count to six.”
Back in Liverpool, all the early indications are that the jinx of 62 Castle Street has been broken. A heady cocktail of grand, historic surroundings and the insatiable party crowd of this particular 'hood, will almost certainly drive out the cobwebs and prove to be something of a banker.
*Neighbourhood Liverpool, 62 Castle Street, Liverpool L2 7LQ. Tel: 0151 230 1717
