Garden nook in the city

The Gardens Café & Social House at The Grove by Rockwell offers a casual yet cool vibe that would allow individuals to relax and unwind. Photos by Leo Sabangan

It is one modern nook straight out of what could be a well designed and well thought out scrap book.

The Gardens Café & Social House was born out of a desire to create a dining destination that offers a casual yet cool vibe that would allow individuals to relax and unwind.

“With this new creation, my goal is to provide a new destination for multiple cosmopolites who crave for change and remarkable experience. We offer a soulful dining experience where guests can enjoy quality dining food in an inviting, stylish, warm, relaxed, and modern atmosphere,” said Bridget Co, co-founder, chef owner, and designer of The Gardens.

“(I personally designed) the look and feel of The Gardens Café & Social House to reflect a highly personal restaurant, bringing sophisticated, warm private dining room with fresh, eclectic styles for the urban community,” Co added.

Stylish dining

According to Co, the aim was to make a bold yet beautiful statement that will give an artful and stylish dining experience for the guests.

“The Gardens has been modernly outfitted and equipped with clear glass walls to allow natural lighting to come in … and for guests to enjoy the view of the greenery and skies. I designed all of the ceilings with stylish accents,” Co shared.

The ceilings, clean white cove lights with greens, and the drop down mix of natural paper, bold steel, and rattan lighting fixtures were the highlight of The Gardens’ design.

“A black ceiling with gold frames and a golden cut out Georgian Medallion at the center of the crystal chandelier express a sophisticated charm. Another section has a ceiling designed with frosted acrylic glass, surrounded with blue LED lighting to enhance an intimate outdoor ambiance,” Co noted.

“We also have a ceiling design that speaks of our support for the preservation of natural resources, as we used recycled wood at the main entry of the dining hall,” Co explained.

“These were beautifully handcrafted into cubes, installed from wall to ceiling, giving a 3D effect that shows how magnificent simple, natural repurposed materials can be. Below this ceiling is a line of Philippine-made Machuca tiles to complement the wooden cubes,” she further said.

The Gardens—which is located at The Grove by Rockwell alogn C-5—further mirrors the owner’s immense liking for creating artful, unique, and themed dining experiences.

Social house

“During daytime, The Gardens serves outstanding selections of entrées to suite the taste and lifestyle of niche urbanites. At night, it becomes a cozy place where guests come for memorable dinner meals, artisanal wine, handcrafted sangria, and selection of scotch,” Co said.

The Gardens is also more of a social house where guests feel the comfort of sharing plates, memories, stories. and togetherness with friends, professionals, acquaintances and strangers.

“The Gardens Café & Social House is a nook where guests, cultivating farmers, servers and cooks, travelers, and the green planet come together in harmony,” she concluded.