It’s been a hot minute since I last wrote about Hydra, but it still remains on heavy rotation for me. They have a solid dinner menu that I adore, as well as newly updated happy hour that is worth checking out. Sadly, gone are the days of a buck a shuck, but they still do offer $1.50 oysters during Happy Hour which is an absolute steal for Downtown Vancouver. Hydra has a gorgeous lower floor with a bar as well as a beautiful upstairs dining space with lots of natural light by the windows. No matter where you sit, the vibes are always immaculate. I came by on a busy weekday and tried their new Happy Hour menu. Check out my full review of the Hydra Happy Hour below!
Hydra Happy Hour Drinks Menu
For Happy Hour, Hydra has a good selection of drinks to choose from. They have $6 pours of white, red, rose and bubbles as well as beer. If cocktails are more your jam, they also have a $8 feature cocktail, which on my visit was really tropical and fruity. For a more elevated pour, they have $12 glasses of premium red and whites to choose from.
I also got a bubbly cocktail to try because I can never resist a good cocktail. I went with the Just a Pear I Yuzu Know ($22) and it features Yuzu Triple Sec, Belle de Brillet, lemon, simple syrup, Blanc de Blanc. It was such an easy drinking cocktail and I am officially obsessed.
Hydra Happy Hour Food Menu
The Happy Hour food menu was so well priced (everything is $12!) we just went with one of everything and a dozen oysters and just called it dinner. On the table:
- Daily local oysters – $1.50 each
- Hydra spreads – daily selection
- Lamb Keftedes – sesame glazed meatballs, roasted red pepper sauce, whipped goat cheese
- Spanakopita – Traditional filo pies with spinach, feta, dill
- Kalamari – Humboldt squid, oregano, chili, lemon, tzatziki
- Lamb Sliders – Braised lamb, tzatziki, fries
If you’re an oyster lover, these $1.50 oysters are a steal. We got a dozen and they were fresh and came with a few different accompainments including a cucumber water, mignonette, horseradish and lemon.
The Hydra Spreads are one of my favourite things to order and during happy hour it comes with three dips and a side of delicious fluffy pita. The dips we got on our visit were Melitzana (smoked eggplant, paprika, scallions), Tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, dill) and Hummus (chickpea, lemon, tahini). The Lamb Sliders were the only miss for me. The sliders were a bit too mushy for me, I would skip this and get another plate of Lamb Keftedes. The fries were bomb though – extra crispy with a fluffy potato interior.
The Lamb Keftedes was a new dish for me and definitely a new favourite as well! The lamb meatballs are so tender and flavourful. The roasted red pepper sauce packs such a punch and the whipped goat cheese is the perfect creamy component.
The Spanakopita was crispy and delightful triangle parcels packed with spinach filling. It was really delicious and pairs really well with a nice big dollop of tzatziki.
The Kalamari was well fried and crisp. The squid pieces were large and meaty and not the dinky little tentacles that you get from other places. I really like a nice big squeeze of lemon on top to lighted up the dish.
Worth a Try?
Yes! Hydra is always busy and for good reason. Their food is really tasty and during Happy Hour it is super affordable! There is a lot of different selections that pair so well with their wine and cocktail options.
Hydra
Address: 475 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2B3 (inside EXchange Hotel Vancouver)
Website: http://www.hydravancouver.com/