The Best Happy Hours On The Lower East Side New York City

Any longtime local will tell you that the Lower East Side is not what it used to be; however, that isn’t a problem. The Manhattan neighborhood has become a hub for drinking, eating, and drinking some more—that’s how many bars and restaurants there are in the area! For your happiest hour yet—yes, even you disgruntled LES lifers—these local bars are worth toasting.

Excuse My French

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Wine Bar, Tapas

Topping off many “date night destinations” lists, Excuse My French is a must-visit LES spot for couples, groups, and anyone looking to feel the love—or just a good buzz. Visit weekdays and Sundays from 5 to 7 pm to enjoy two-for-one (per person) beers, wines, and well drinks. The thoughtful atmosphere and sublime small plates? That’s just icing on the cake—or should we say, gâteau?

Hill & Dale

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Gastropub, Pub Grub, American

Count on a cocktail bar featuring house specialties such as the Floozy and ingredients including egg whites and horchata syrup to set the bar (no pun intended) for happy hour experiences. At the Lower East Side’s Hill & Dale, happy hour, which takes place daily from 5 to 8 pm and all night on Mondays, includes $1 oysters, $5 drafts, $6 cocktails, and more.

Bar

Bar, American

Columbus Park in Chinatown, New York, USA.

Funky and famous, the historic 169 Bar is as “Lower East Side” as it gets. This LES landmark, which opened in 1916, accommodates everything from palm trees to borscht to leopard-print pool tables, not to mention its parched patrons. Every day from 12 to 7:30 pm, 169 Bar offers $3 beer cans and well shots, $1 off drafts, and $2 off everything else.

The Ten Bells

Bar, Market, Wine Bar, Pub Grub

A “natural wines and tapas bar” without a side of snobbery? Sign us up! You, too, can be a “wine person” with the help of The Ten Bells, explorer of unusual wines made from organic and biodynamic grapes whose daily happy hour from 5 to 7 pm features $15 carafes, $1 oysters, and no pretension.

Verlaine

Bar, Restaurant, Asian, Tapas, Pub Grub

Verliane is named after a 19th-century poet

Judging from the more than 1,200 Yelp reviews, it’s safe to say the secret’s out on Verlaine. The one-time local favorite now attracts drinkers from across the city, particularly during its daily 5 to 10 pm happy hour. For $6, you can sample the bar’s Southeast Sangrias, house red and white wines, and Verlaine’s signature Hanoi Lychee Martini, which according to the establishment has been served over 1.5 million times.

Sel Rrose

Bar, Cocktail Bar, French

Make both your wallet and your Instagram happy at the thirst-quenching (and inciting) Sel Rrose. This 20th-century Paris-inspired bar serves more than just looks at its daily oyster happy hour when fresh oysters can be secured and slurped for $1 from 4 to 6 pm. Don’t forget an accompaniment from the bar’s inspired cocktail menu, featuring ingredients such as herbs de Provence, peach-infused vodka, and egg whites.

Local 138

Bar, Pub, Pub Grub

The “typical Lower East Side bar” of your imagination, complete with graffitied bathrooms, television screens, and a cool clientele, comes to life at Local 138. Of course, there’s nothing typical about this pub’s daily happy hour, which takes place from 4 to 9 pm and features $4 draft beers, well drinks, and wines.

Jadis

Bar, Wine Bar, French, Pub Grub

With a daily happy hour featuring a number of mouthwatering deals, one Lower East Side spot makes discounted drinking feel indulgent. Enjoy a taste (literally) of the finer things in life at Jadis, where wines and beers start at $5 a glass, Prosecco at $7 a glass, and cider at $6. To enjoy the most buzz for your buck, take advantage of Jadis’ Wine Lovers Mondays when bottles over $40 are 30% off.

About the author

Julia Goicochea

Splitting her time between Miami and New York, Julia is a writer currently based in Brooklyn. She enjoys foreign films, 70s cookbooks, and bad detective novels.