If oysters grew on trees, we’d be planting those things 24/7. Unfortunately, they grow in the ocean—where it’s cold and dark and full of squid so large we all just call them “giant squid.” And maybe that’s why oysters are so expensive. The good news is, oyster Happy Hours exist. Here’s our list of the best ones in NYC.
THE SPOTS
When: Daily, 4-7pm
The Deal: Half-Off Oysters; Half-Off Glasses of Sherry; $12 Martinis
At this Spanish seafood bar you’ll find a transistor radio playing indie music, a cartoon poster of a wine-drunk penguin, and a pack of neighborhood people wearing glasses and baseball caps seated in tiny wooden booths. Come for drinks and snacks with a date or a friend during the daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm when oysters are half off and martinis cost $12.
When: Monday-Friday, 3-6pm
The Deal: $1.50 Oysters; $5 Chicken Sandwich; $5 Shrimp Roll; $12 Cocktails; $10 Wine; $8 Beer and Shot; $6 Beer
Nobody Told Me is a neighborhood cocktail spot with tropical wallpaper and drinks with ingredients like pineapple-infused rum and coconut cashew milk. If you can slip out of work a bit early, get a seat near the big windows up front and enjoy $1.50 oysters, discounted drinks, and sandwiches from 3pm to 6pm.
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When: Daily, 12-3:25pm and 5-6pm
The Deal: $9 for 1/2 Dozen Oysters; $18 for a Dozen Oysters; $11 Specialty Cocktails; $10 Wine; $6 Beer
Fish Cheeks is a popular Thai restaurant in Noho where you’ll probably encounter a wait, but the food will be worth it. Come by during the afternoon Happy Hour when there’s less of a wait, or head over at 5pm for the same deals.
Pizzette
When: Daily, 4-7pm
The Deal: $1 Oysters; $4 Beer; $6 Red Wine; $8 Aperol Spritz
Pizzette makes their own cheese and sourdough crusts, and they have gluten-free and vegan options as well. So you can do a $1 oyster Happy Hour and still invite that coworker who’s always left out of the office pizza party.
When: Monday-Friday, 3-6pm
The Deal: $1.50 Oysters; $5 Beer; $7 Wine; $9 Mixed Drinks
Seamore’s is a place where you can come with a group of friends, spend a somewhat reasonable amount of money, have a nice night out, and eat something sort of healthy involving fish. You can also enjoy $1.50 oysters and discounted drinks on weekdays while you wait for your sustainable fish tacos.
When: Monday-Friday, 4-6pm
The Deal: Half-Off Full Oyster List
When we’ve got the itch to throw back a dozen oysters and some beers in a place without windows (we have very specific cravings), we like to come to one of our favorite spots in Chelsea Market. The Happy Hour is the best way to dive into oysters at Cull & Pistol.
When: Daily, Until 7pm
The Deal: $1.50 Select Oysters
ROKC (Ramen, Oysters, Kitchen, and Cocktails) is a casual spot with a nice rotating selection of oysters and cocktails that are truly unlike any other cocktails we’ve had elsewhere. You won’t find the cocktails on their Happy Hour menu, but you can get select oysters for $1.50 until 7pm.
The Quarter
When: Tuesday-Friday, 4-7pm
The Deal: $1 Oysters; $10 Cocktails and Wine; $5 Beer
The Quarter has one of the greenest gardens in Brooklyn, with tall hedges and sheer curtains surrounding the patio. Get there on the earlier side to secure a table in this garden, and order a platter of dollar oysters right away.
When: Daily, 4-7pm
The Deal: $1.50 Oysters; Discounted Drinks and Food
Seawolf is a fun place to hang out when you want to feel like you’re on a quick getaway to that other coast across the country. The beachy vibe, nightly DJs, and ode to surf culture make it a fitting place to keep the oysters and frozen drinks coming as the sun starts to set.
Baba Cool Williamsburg
When: Daily, 5-7pm
The Deal: $2 Oysters; $2 off beer and wine
Baba Cool is an all-day day cafe in Williamsburg with a great backyard where you can enjoy discounts on oysters and drinks when the weather warms up.
Ama Raw Bar
When: Daily, 5-7pm
The Deal: $1 East Coast Oysters; $2 West Coast Oysters; Discounted Drinks
This East Village spot had a moment on TikTok in 2021, but don’t let that deter you. The airy outdoor space with floating jars of flowers deserves the attention that it gets. The TikTok set has probably moved on by now, but you should still make a reservation if you want to drink a lychee martini and eat some oysters during the very popular Happy Hour.
Twist Restaurant
When: Monday-Friday, 3-6pm
The Deal: $1 Oysters and Clams; $3 Heineken and Coronas; $5 Select Drafts and Bottles; All Cocktails Buy 1, Get 1 Free
Twist is a seafood restaurant with outdoor space that's good for big groups, families, and children. You can get dollar clams with your oysters, and the the buy-one-get-one-free cocktail deal makes this an ideal spot for your group to hold court for a while. They also have plans to open a rooftop bar.
Valerie
POWERED BY
When: Monday-Friday, 4-7pm
The Deal: $1 Oysters; $11 Cocktails; Happy Hour oysters only availible with drink purchase
You're going to see a lot of gold, marble, and leather at Valerie. So if your life doesn't feel decadent enough at present, stop by for a platter of $1 oysters, and order something from the gin-focused cocktail menu.
Bar Crudo Oyster Bar & Restaurant
When: Monday-Friday, 3-7pm
The Deal: $1.50 Oysters; Discounted Drinks
When it comes to seafood, former ceviche pop-up Bar Crudo knows what its doing. Come here for the chef's selection of $1.50 oysters, and try very hard to not be seduced by the full seafood tower.
Café Standard
When: Sunday-Thursday, 4-6pm; Friday-Saturday, 4-5pm
The Deal: $2 Oysters; Discounted Snacks; $12 Select Cocktails; $10 Select Wine; $7 Select Sparkling; $5 Select Beer
This is a little cafe on the ground floor of the Standard East Village where you can grab a drink and a few oysters any time of the day. They have a huge outdoor space with a bunch of patio tables out front that isn’t usually too crowded, so keep this place in mind for all your last-minute seafood needs.
When: Tuesday-Sunday, 5-7pm
The Deal: $1.50 Oysters; $5 Wine and Beer
Mostly, we like The Flower Shop because it’s fun to drink in a basement that feels like a suburban home from the 1970s. But sometimes we hang out in the restaurant on the ground floor, which is a nice place to eat oysters with coworkers or a date on the Lower East Side. Once you finish eating, you can head downstairs and play pool.
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When: Tuesday-Friday, 4-6pm
The Deal: $15 Dozen Oysters; $12 Select Cocktails; $5 Bottles, Cans and Drafts; $10 Select Wine
Good Night Sonny is a great casual cocktail bar in the East Village where you can grab a little table by some big windows and have a conversation with someone. It’s perfect for a date, especially during Happy Hour when drinks are discounted and oysters are $15 for one dozen.
When: Tuesday-Sunday, 5-7pm
The Deal: $1.50 Oysters; $11 Select Cocktails; $10 Select Wine
If you couldn’t tell from the name, this place specializes in shellfish. Most of the menu consists of mussels prepared in a bunch of different ways, but there’s also a daily selection of oysters. They’re only $1.50 during Happy Hour (which goes even longer on Saturdays and Sundays).
When: Monday-Friday, 3-5:30pm
The Deal: $1.50 Oysters
Jeffrey’s Grocery is a classic West Village spot with an excellent raw bar and a whole lot of Feel Good Factor. The latter is amplified during Happy Hour, when you can have a bunch of $1.50 oysters.
The Deal: $1.50 Oysters; $6 Select Oyster Shooters; $9-$11 Select Cocktails; $6-$8 Snacks; $7 Michelada; $5 Tecate; $30 Bottle of Prosecco
When: Wednesday-Sunday, 4-6pm
If you’re looking to eat delicious food and hang out in the mid-50’s on the East Side, there’s no better place to do so than Crave Fishbar. Their menu is filled with seafood hits, but the oyster Happy Hour is particularly excellent, as all their assorted oysters are $1.50.
When: Daily, 5-7pm
The Deal: $1 Oysters; $5 Narragansett; $9 Select Wine; $12 Select Cocktails; $6 Fries
Bar Belly is the ideal post-work hang for when you don’t want to commit to a full meal. Have a drink and eat oysters solo, or stop by with someone you can only tolerate chatting with for about an hour.
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When: Monday-Friday, 5-7pm
The Deal: $10 Half-Dozen Oysters; $18 Dozen Oysters; $7 Oyster Shooters; $10-$11 Select Cocktails; $4-$5 Select Beer; $9 Select Wine
The Wayland is the ultimate all-purpose bar. You can use it for first dates, after-work hangs, and rowdy Saturday night drinking. But you should also be using it for weekday Happy Hour, when they serve a dozen oysters for $18 and have discounts on their excellent cocktails.
When: Daily, 5-7pm
The Deal: $2 North Shore Oysters, $10 Cocktails, $5 Draft Beer
It’s hard to come across a normal bar on the Lower East Side. You know, something without a gimmick. Like couches covered in plastic. Or arcade games. Or a toilet-less bathroom. Black Crescent has none of those things. It’s just a normal-looking room with good food and a great oyster Happy Hour.
When: Daily, 4:30-6:30pm
The Deal: $1.25 Oysters; Discounted Drinks and Snacks
There’s one Mermaid Inn on the UWS and a second in Chelsea. Both of them do the same oyster Happy Hour with some very affordable wine and beer. The UWS location is perfect for parents, and the Chelsea one is great for a casual date night or a quick drink with someone’s younger sibling who wants your career advice. Choose accordingly.
When: Weekdays, 4-7pm
The Deal: $2 Oysters
Sel Rrose is a sceney LES seafood spot with an oyster Happy Hour that happens weekdays from 4-7pm. The oyster specials are always changing, and they have a lot of different options. If you work in the Soho/Nolita/Chinatown area, this is a good place to have in your back pocket.
When: Daily, until 7pm
The Deal: $1 Oysters, $18 Carafe Of Wine
A Lower East Side staple for more than a decade now, The Ten Bells is one of those bars that’s always a good time. It has a ton of character, is always filled with regulars, and has way better food than a fun wine bar in this part of town really needs to have. On top of that, they serve $1 oysters during Happy Hour.
When: Daily, 5-7pm
The Deal: Half-Dozen Oysters & A Beer For $12 Or $16 With Wine
Upstate Oyster Bar’s $12 six-oysters-and-a-beer deal is tough to beat. Plus, Upstate gets their oysters fresh daily, and the special includes whatever just came off the boat. This is the ultimate neighborhood restaurant, and if you’ve never been, you are doing yourself a disservice.
When: Daily, 5-7pm
The Deal: $1 Oysters, $5 Drafts; $8 Cocktails and Frozen Drinks; $6 Select Wine; $18 Carafes
There are Brooklyn bars where you can play pool and others where you can sip natural wine, but at Maracuja in Williamsburg, you can do both. This overachieving dive bar doesn’t have a cocktail list, so the general policy for Happy Hour is “If you know it, we can make it.” Come sit on their casual patio for discounted seafood and drinks if you live nearby.
When: Daily, 4-6:30pm
The Deal: $1 Oysters; $10 Wine Glass; $35 Wine Bottle; $10 Daily Cocktail; $8 Beer; $10 Israeli Nachos
Lighthouse is a place where everything seems to move at a slower pace. The atmosphere at this Williamsburg Mediterranean restaurant laid-back, it’s never too busy, and the Happy Hour wine price applies to whatever bottle is open. (Go ahead and stay for dinner too. The entire menu here is great.)
When: Monday-Friday, 6-7pm, Saturday-Sunday, 5-7pm
The Deal: $2 Oysters; $14 For 6 Oysters And A Glass Of Bubbles; $6 House Wine; $5 House Beer
St. Mazie has become one of our favorite bars in Williamsburg. It has a fun, retro feel (without feeling kitschy), a pleasant back patio, and good live music most nights. Hit it during Happy Hour to take advantage of all of the $2 oysters.
When: Weekdays, 5-6pm; Weekends, 2-4pm
The Deal: A Dozen Oysters for $25; $1 Off Draft Beer and Wine By The Glass
If you work or live near downtown Brooklyn, Grand Army’s oyster and cocktail situation should be on your radar. The drinks are great, and the food here mostly involves raw bar stuff. They serve a dozen oysters for $25 during Happy Hour, so go hang and take a load off.
