Resto, superclub, speakeasy, golf lounge: A one-stop nightspot in QC
While the nightlife scene in the South Triangle and Scout areas is still very much vibrant, big one-stop dining and entertainment spaces remain few and far between, if not non-existent altogether, in this part of Quezon City.
Many of the establishments that dot Tomas Morato and Timog Avenues, as well as the smaller surrounding streets, are standalone restaurants, bars, and clubs. So if, for instance, you want to go dancing after a nice sit-down dinner, or go somewhere else quiet to wind down after a riotous set at a comedy bar, chances are you would be doing a fair bit of hopping from one venue to another.
And good luck with that if you plan to bring a car. If you have been on a night out on this side of the metro, you would know that parking is very limited. On the busiest of nights, some streets intersecting Morato can get choked with vehicles flashing hazard lights.
But what if you can eat, party, and chill all under one roof? This is the kind of experience the people behind the Hydro Group hope to provide with their newly opened, multiconcept entertainment venue in the heart of QC. Located on the corner of Scout Albano and Panay Avenue, this black, industrial chic building houses a restaurant, a golf simulator lounge, a superclub, and a speakeasy.
Daytime offerings
While the establishment, which covers 1,040 sqm of space, is built mainly for late-night revelry, guests—which may include families and professionals seeking to mix business with pleasure—can reasonably start their day at Hydro even before the sun goes down.
From 9 a.m. (7 a.m. on weekends) onwards, breakfast and lunch can be had at the Wave Restaurant + Cafe, whose menu consists of Filipino, American, and Spanish dishes served in hefty portions made for sharing. A must-try item is the sinfully rich Spaghetti Negra, which uses squid ink pasta and doesn’t scrimp on shrimps.
Wave also boasts a pizzeria, with pizza offerings coming out freshly baked from a brick oven built from scratch. Seasonal menus highlighting different international cuisines are also in the works.
After a hearty meal, conduct your meetings in one of the three private rooms that come equipped with a television set. The 18th Hole, an interactive golf simulator lounge, can also serve a similar purpose—all while you practice your tee shots in between your presentations.
Pregame
Grab dinner, or perhaps pregame at Wave, before dancing the night away at the Hydro Super Club, whose electrifying beats are dispensed by sought-after local DJs, and even international ones—like the renowned South Korean EDM DJ Jeonghyeon—at special events. The place is sound-proofed, so the sounds of rowdy merrymaking don’t bleed into the other rooms within the building.
And if you want to take a breather from the cacophony, or relax somewhere more subdued before going home, then head upstairs to the moody and dimly lit Aged 25 Reserve (open until 5 a.m.), and browse the whisky bar’s selection of premium liquors, fancy cocktails, and more upscale food options.
At first, the owners planned to put up a grill or a beer garden similar to the establishment that used to stand on Hydro’s current location. But eventually, with input from partners from the hospitality industry, they decided that a multi-concept space would best maximize every inch of the prime piece of land.
“We want to provide an elevated dining and party experience. And the place was designed in a way that will make our guests feel like they can stay here for a long time—‘yung hindi na sila lalabas pa,” Maricar Damaso, one of the owners, told Lifestyle.
She and her husband and co-owner, engineer Dan Damaso, are mainly involved in the construction business, but wanted to expand their portfolio to include entertainment and hospitality ventures. And they made sure that they stayed hands-on in the process, from erecting the building to the crafting of furniture and the installation of the superclub’s high-end sound system. “Small details matter,” Damaso pointed out.
Excluding Aged 25, the space hosts 1,000 to 1,200 guests. The kitchen can also curate a catering menu, which makes Hydro a suitable venue for corporate events, product launches, or functions. And with its proximity to the television networks, the place is slowly becoming a favorite filming location.
While Hydro has been open for only two months, the group’s ultimate goal is to be the North’s answer to the likes of Revel or Xylo in the South, said managing partner Elaine Estrada. And moving forward, the Hydro Group plans to expand and keep its entertainment lineup varied, by bringing live bands to the superclub, and acoustic singers to Aged 25.
“People living in this area don’t have travel too far for a good club scene. Or maybe the partygoers who frequent BGC would like to have a change of environment,” Estrada said. “We hope to show that you can also party in style here in the QC area.”
