Photo: Cibo e Vino/Facebook

8 Most Underrated Happy Hours in New York City

New York City Restaurants + Bars
by Nickolaus Hines Apr 19, 2019

New York City is expensive. That’s a well-known fact that locals, tourists, and even people who’ve never been to the city are all too familiar with. If you plan your day right, though, eating and drinking (especially drinking) in the Big Apple can seem almost, well, affordable. Because for every fancy wine bar, typical Irish pub, and late-night bar in the city there’s somewhere nearby with a killer happy hour.

These are the most underrated happy hours in NYC that’ll make you forget how expensive everything else in the city that never sleeps.

The Folly in NoHo

Folly

Photo: The Folly/Facebook

There are good happy hours, great happy hours, and happy hours that seem to run as long as the normal opening hours of other bars. The Folly is a mix of all three. Designed like a pirate ship and located on the basement floor of a building on Houston, The Folly has $7 beer, wine, and frozen grog. If that last one doesn’t sound good to you, just give the frozen Painkiller a try, as it’s one of the best frozen drinks in the city and just as tasty in the winter as it is in the summer.

When: 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM every day

Where: 92 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012

Boqueria (multiple locations)

Boqueria

Photo: Boqueria/Facebook

This Barcelona-inspired tapas bar is just what you need after work or before a night out. Boqueria’s three locations in Flatiron, SoHo, and the Upper East Side serve up seasonal small plates and affordable beer and cocktails to wash it all down. The specials include $6 beer, cocktails for $8 to $11, and a pitcher of sangria for $37.

When: 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM at the Flatiron location, 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the SoHo location, and 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM at the Upper East Side location

Where: Multiple locations in Manhattan

Cibo e Vino in the Upper West Side

Cibo e Vino

Photo: Cibo e Vino/Facebook

If wine is more your speed, head to Cibo e Vino for a taste of that Italian cafe life with glasses of pinot grigio, Montepulciano, or rosé for $6 a glass. Mediterranean-inspired small plates are available to stave off any hunger. This place is an especially good one to keep in mind if you find yourself free on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday when it’s half off all bottles of wine all day.

When: 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM every day, and all day Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday

Where: 2418 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

The Horny Ram in Midtown

Horny Ram

Photo: The Horny Ram NYC/Facebook

The Horny Ram is one of the rare bars that’s worth going into Midtown for. In the summer, there’s an open outdoor terrace, and it’s a well-known brunch spot on the weekends. What it should be known even more for, though, is the daily happy hour with $7 beer, wine, and seasonal cocktails (as well as $1.50 oysters).

When: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM every day

Where: 951 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022

The Flying Cock in Murray Hill

Flying Cock

Photo: The Flying Cock NYC/Facebook

Many of the happy hours you’ll find in the city give specials on easy to make tall drinks or already cheap beers. The best, however, have discounts on the eye-catching cocktails that make them a desirable place to go in the first place. The Flying Cock is one of the latter. The Irish pub’s happy hour drops the price of select beer, wine, and seasonal cocktails to $7. Use this happy hour as a chance to try drinks like the Finding Nemo (tequila, grapefruit, blue orange liqueur, lime, ginger beer, and orange gummy fish served in a clear pouch), or the Don’t Be So Old Fashioned (fig-infused bourbon, maple syrup, Averna, apple bitters, and orange zest).

When: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM every day

Where: 497 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016

Vinatería in Harlem

Vinateria

Photo: Vinatería/Facebook

Vinatería is an inviting neighborhood spot that features a Mediterranean-inspired wine and food menu. Go for happy hour, when you can munch on $1 oysters and $7 snacks like polenta fries while sipping on cocktails or wine for $7, or beers for $4. This space is especially attractive in the summer when you can take your drinking to the outside patio that wraps around the corner building.

When: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM Saturday through Sunday

Where: 2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10026

Tijuana Picnic in the Lower East Side

TP Interior 2

Photo: Tijuana Picnic/Facebook

A popular spot for parties, tacos, and good drinks, Tijuana Picnic’s menu is loaded with quality tequila and mezcal selections as well as beer and wine. There are two levels: upstairs and a lively downstairs. It’s the type of place you want to go to get the party started, and during happy hour there are $5 Tecates, $10 cocktails, $12 beer and shot combos, and $5 tacos. On Wednesdays, there’s also frosé and sangria $10.

When: All night on Tuesdays and from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Wednesdays and Thursdays

Where: 151 Essex St, New York, NY 10002

Yours Sincerely in Bushwick

Yours Sincerely

Photo: Yours Sincerely/Facebook

This bar is the best place to fall in love with cocktails served on tap. A line of tap handles on the back wall spits out twists on classic cocktails rather than beer, with options like daiquiris and piña coladas. The vibe is calm, local, and inviting. Come for happy hour, when a chalkboard behind the bar shows which cocktails are $5 that day. No matter what’s on offer, it’s likely to be the best $5 cocktail you’ve ever had.

When: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM every day

Where: 41 Wilson Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237

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