A splashy debut in Beverly Hills

BEVERLY HILLS has wealth, power, Rodeo Drive, world-renowned restaurants, celebrity and international mystique, not to mention a one-time hit TV show about people who weren’t from around here. About the only thing the city lacks is major nightlife.

Partners David Ross, Peter Pocsaji and Solomon Moskovich are looking to change that with the underwater-themed Aqua, a restaurant-bar-club that offers high-end dinner -- including fish flown in from Hawaii daily and tapas such as lobster tacos -- and by midnight frequently turns into a booty-shaking dance party for people from 21 to 70.

Such was the case on a recent Wednesday, when a promotion called “The Grotto” attracted patrons including balding men in three-piece suits, athletes such as former NBA player Olden Polynice, women in stylish dresses and kids in T-shirts and jeans. Some enjoyed bottle service in the lush VIP room for $250 to $1,000 a table; others chilled out on sofas and chairs. Most everybody ended up gyrating to Top 40 and hip-hop hits.

“People who live in Beverly Hills want to go out in Beverly Hills instead of driving to Sunset with the traffic,” says Pocsaji, who is familiar with the area, having spent five years as head of food and beverage at the Four Seasons Hotel. “Restaurant, bar, dancing -- nobody has this.”

“It’s nice. We appreciate the fact we have a place like this in Beverly Hills that we can come to where we feel welcome,” says Andrea, a first-time attendee who declined to give her last name. “This area is terribly stodgy so to have a place like this around adds some flavor. It makes it very colorful.”

Colorful is an apt description for the underground space, which opened in late January at the home of the former Hustler Club. Inspired in part by co-owner Ross’ fish tank company, Aqua features a bubble wall-backed primary bar, plasma TVs throughout its three rooms for the happy hour crowd and many lounge-styled chairs and tables for diners.

“We have the fish tank company, which we thought would be perfect to incorporate into an underground or speak-easy-style club,” says Ross. “We definitely based the whole theme around bubble walls, fish tanks, waterfalls.”

The underwater theme continues on the menu, with specialty drinks such as the Blue Lagoon (coconut rum, pineapple juice and Curacao). The trio of partners, along with David’s brother Robert, the director of business development, hope to brand the under-the-sea motif and eventually expand into L.A. and beyond with the Aqua name.

For now though, they are developing different themed nights and establishing a regular clientele base at the Beverly Hills location. In addition to Wednesday night’s Grotto, Thursdays are jazz nights, Fridays have more of a hang-out feel and Saturday night is, well, Saturday night.

“Saturday night, from 7 to 10 you have a dinner crowd, 10 to 12 mingling, 12 to 2 dancing,” Ross says. “It’s something we’ve tried to accomplish and it’s been working. As the evening progresses we have all these different vibes and people. It’s like you get three events in a night; dinner, more lounge-y, then a nightclub.”

Ross and Pocsaji hope that Aqua’s versatility makes for an unforgettable night.

“I want people to have the same feeling as I get out of it. That’s coming here, feeling as comfortable as they’d be in their own house, being able to socialize and meet people that they could communicate with and have a good time with, and feeling that they’re wanted,” Ross says.

“When I see that they enjoy themselves I can expect them to come back and I know I’ve done what I can to give them a great experience.”

Steve Baltin may be reached at [email protected].

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Aqua

Where: 424 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills

When: 6:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday

Price: No cover

Info: (310) 275-8511