NYCGuide
The Best Happy Hours In Midtown
Where to get a drink deal around all those office buildings in the middle of Manhattan.
If your life involves heading to Midtown on a regular basis to do things on a laptop in exchange for rent money, you’ll probably need to grab some drinks once in a while. And why pay full price for a pint or a margarita when plenty of spots offer discounts simply because you’re smart enough to walk into them at the right time. All of these places have Happy Hour deals, and they're all located in the land of business-casual wardrobes and New York-themed gift shops.
THE SPOTS
When: Tue-Sat, 5-8pm
The Deal: $10 Frozen Drinks; $9 Wine; $6 Beer
As the name suggests, this is a tiki-themed spot, and it’s where you want to go for a completely unserious time in Midtown. You can sit on cushioned banquettes in front of big pictures that look like tarot cards, and there are live piano karaoke sessions when you can channel your inner SZA.
When: Mon-Fri, 1-8pm; Sat-Sun, 5-8pm
The Deal: 50% Off All Drinks, Food, And Karaoke (Only In the Public Bar And Front Rooms)
This bar has 17 themed karaoke rooms, including one that’s all about the Avengers and another called “Sunset Blvd” with LA sleaze vibes. If you don’t get a private room, there’s a large industrial-looking public space with two bars and an in-house vinyl shop. They also do live comedy from time to time.
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photo credit: Liz Clayman
Valerie
When: Weekdays, 4-7pm
The Deal: $11 Select Cocktails; $9 House Wine; $7 Draft Beer; $1 Oysters; $16 Cheese & Charcuterie
Valerie is a huge bar just a few blocks north of Bryant Park with distinct seating areas set up throughout its space. One has Art Deco decor with burlesque murals, and another has tufted red leather seating. You can do a full meal here, with options like a New York strip, halibut, and roast chicken.
When: Daily, 4-6pm
The Deal: $8 Wines; $5 Beers
With its worn hardwoods, ceiling beams, and exposed brick walls, La Cava looks like an old tavern that’s been updated. This place is billed as a wine bar, but they’ll make you a martini if you want. The food menu is mostly American and Italian with a few French dishes like country paté and steak tartare sprinkled in.
When: Mon-Sat, 4-7pm
The Deal: $10 Select Cocktails; $8 Select Wines; $7 Select Beers (Only At Main Bar And High Tops)
Juniper is essentially a big pub with plenty of seating. The space has an extremely long bar, tons of tables, and a raised area in the back with banquettes. There are multiple TVs for watching adults who list “Linebacker” as their profession on LinkedIn, and you can order plenty of whiskey to drink with a pretty good burger.
When: Weekdays, 11am-7pm
The Deal: $8 Select Drafts; $8 Import Bottles; $7 Domestic Bottles; $7 Well Drinks; $8 Wine; $8 Select Shots
Despite the fact that it's across the street from Port Authority, we fully endorse this place. Beer Authority is huge, it has TVs everywhere, and there's even a big, semi-secret roof deck for when you need to breathe in air that isn’t accented with spilled beer. (Also, there's lots of beer.)
When: Weekdays, 4-6pm
The Deal: $12 Select Cocktails; $10 Select Wine; $6 Select Draft Beers
For a hotel rooftop bar in Midtown, Castell is pretty pleasant. It's sleek and modern, and it's the kind of place where you'd want to have drinks with a client or a coworker. Normally, cocktails here cost around $20—so these Happy Hour deals aren't bad.
Peter Dillon's Pub
When: Weekdays, 5-7pm
The Deal: $6 Select Pints; $4 Jameson, Cuervo, And Jägermeister Shots
Looking for an Irish pub near Grand Central? Might as well go to Peter Dillon's. It's only a few blocks away, it's full of quaint Irish decor, and it has a pool table. There's also a location on 36th, if you prefer something a few blocks south.
Playwright Irish Pub
When: Weekdays, 4-8pm
The Deal: $8 Select Drafts; $8 Select Cans; $9 Select Cocktails; $9 Well Drinks; $9 House Wine
There sure are a lot of Irish pubs in Midtown. This one's called Playwright, and it's about half a block from Herald Square. It has plenty of tables and a big food menu, and it also happens to be a Dallas Cowboys bar. (Try not to hold that against this place—but if you do, we understand.)
When: Daily 4-6pm
The Deal: $1.50 Oysters; $6 Estrella; $9 Select Cocktails
If you need an oyster Happy Hour, you’ll like the one at Crave. This place is more of a restaurant than a bar, but it has an attractive space with a vaguely nautical theme, and it's a good spot to grab a stool, drink a margarita, and go to town on some shellfish.
When: Daily, 11am-7pm
The Deal: $5 Select Beer; $8 Spicy Margarita; $8 Frozen Drinks; $7 Wine
This big, Nashville-themed spot has a pretty long Happy Hour. It also has a charming space with exposed brick walls and vintage decor, and you can and should eat some nachos and watch a game here.
When: Daily, 6-9pm
The Deal: $2 Off All Drinks
Industry Bar is a gay bar that's dark and cavernous with couches, colorful lighting, and more disco balls than the '70s. You may prefer to be here at 1am on a Saturday, but Happy Hour is when drink deals happen. So do the grown-up thing, and host your party at 7pm.
When: Weekdays, 4-6pm
The Deal: $10 Spicy Margarita; $10 Raspberry Cosmo; $6-$7 Select Beer; $10 Select Wine
With its booths, Edison bulbs, and quaint wallpaper, this attractive bar (think The Smith, but a pub) draws a younger after-work crowd. This spot has two floors and an extensive food menu with everything from birria tacos to a Korean steak sandwich.
When: Sun-Tue, 11am-2am; Wed-Sat, 11am-3am
The Deal: $10 Select Wine; $8 Select Shots; $5 Bud Light Pint (Until 7pm); $10-$11 Select Cocktails
The Happy Hour at multi-level sports bar Snafu never ends. So is it a real Happy Hour? Depends on your definition. If you're looking for a place to hide in the dark with a group and maybe play some pool near Grand Central, come enjoy a drink deal here.
When: Weekdays, 4-6pm
The Deal: $5 Narraganset Lager; $10 Select Cocktails, House Red, White, And Rosé
$10 drinks don’t sound that impressive, but Rum House makes the best cocktails in the neighborhood—and it’s the only place where you'll find us drinking within a block of Times Square. Bring a date and drop into this cozy room that looks like a fancy 19th-century saloon. (There might even be live music.)
When: Weekdays, 4-6pm
The Deal: $2 Off Wines By The Glass And Draft Beers
Ardesia is nice in a grown-up sort of way, and it's a good place for after-work drinks with a friend who hasn’t had a shot of tequila in at least five years. This wine bar has high ceilings and a big marble bar, and you can order a charcuterie board to enjoy with your discounted wine.
When: Weekdays, 11am-7pm
The Deal: $6 Select Beer; $8 Select Wine; $7 Well Drinks
The Stag’s Head is a pub on the East Side where you can hang out with friends and watch sports. There is, in fact, a stag's head on the wall, and this spot is still fun even after Happy Hour ends. If the weather's nice, drink on the back patio.
Draught 55
When: Weekdays, 4-8pm
The Deal: $6 Beer, Wine, And Well Drinks
If you’re organizing a group Happy Hour for you and most of your colleagues, Draught 55 has the space to accommodate everyone. This bar has multiple levels, and there’s even an “atrium” area that looks like someone tried to build a pub inside of a greenhouse (and succeeded). The food menu is enormous, with vegetarian and gluten-free options.
