Times are tough. And as much as we’d like to think the best solution (at least in the short term) is to drink away memories of your 401(k), drinks are expensive. Well, at least at the city’s increasing selection of hip, trendy bars and lounges.
But that’s where two little words come in handy: Happy Hour.
And it’s not just dive bars and hotel lounges that are offering weeknight specials. Around Town’s done the legwork for you—below, check out our top five upscale Happy Hour destinations.
Yeah, we know it’s often frowned upon to order the house wine. But when the house is Vintage Wine Bar (129 S. 13th St.), we’re pretty sure you can’t go wrong. Even for just $3 a glass. And don’t worry if you’re not a wino—stop by the cozy Midtown wine boutique weekdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and you’ll also find $2 Yuengling Lager drafts.
Cap off a long day of window shopping on Walnut Street at Alfa (1709 Walnut St.), where you can enjoy $2 Miller Lites, $2 Yard’s pints, $4 house wine and $5 cocktails from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. And if you’re feeling generous, take advantage of the bar’s Drink Board—prepay for a drink, write the intended recipient’s name on the board, and let them claim the drink, while you skulk away, unnoticed.
Step onto the patio at 1225 Raw (1225 Sansom St.), and you’ll feel transported to another world. The Midtown Village sushi and sake lounge is the epitome of sleek, suave and sophisticated—so it’s fitting that it’s not cheap. But stop by on weekdays between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., and you’ll shell out just $3 for domestic beer, $5 for house wine, $7 for sake and $6 for cocktails.
A happy hour that’s good for your soul awaits at Sole Food (1200 Market St.). The savory seafood restaurant at the Loews Hotel offers its own version of a 5-5-5 deal: $5 martinis, $5 specialty drinks and $5 wines. Add $3 drafts to that list, and you’ve got a winning combination. And for all you weekend warriors: This Happy Hour runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
With a menu full of $15 signature cocktails, 10 Arts (10 Avenue of the Arts) probably needs to be reminded that this isn’t New York. But stop by the swanky Broad Street lounge weekdays between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., and they’ll knock $5 off the price tag. No, a $10 cocktail still isn’t cheap. But with the stock market plummeting, the housing crisis expanding and the economy in the tank, you’ve gotta get your kicks somehow…right?
