Best Food-Centric Happy Hours In NYC
Foodies unite! We've narrowed down the best happy hours across the city that are serving up some serious grub. By Carly Petrone.
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Happy hour starts early (3 p.m.) at Cascabel Taqueria so get down there and start grubbing on traditional Mexican favorites like tamales, tacos, and gorditas. The Nachos LIbre ($5) is another great starter, made with corn tostadas, chihuahua cheese, pico de gallo, and habanero salsa. Add a side of Yucca Fries ($4) with chipotle aioli, paprika, and cilantro or Mexi Wings ($5) with housemade BBQ sauce, cojita cheese dressing, and cilantro and you've got yourself a tasty meal. Wash it all down with $7 margaritas or bottled beer and reward yourself for a happy hour well done.
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Stop into Rossopomodoro and enjoy their very first Italian Aperitivo Hour. From 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. their bar will be offering a true Italian experience by showcasing the tradition of aperitifs as a means to meet and socialize with others while gearing up for the meal ahead. For $15, guests can enjoy an Aperitivo (red, white, rose, prosecco, beer, or aperol spritz) along with a Cicchetti board of five rotating snacks or a Margharita pizza. Just a few examples of the daily Cicchetti include Arancini (green pea stuffed rice balls) and Mantanara Fritti (bite-sized fried pizza dough served with Passata di Pomodoro). You may just want to stick around for dinner and dessert!
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Step up your happy hour game at Artisinal Bistro. Grab a seat at their outdoor café, which has been outfitted with custom-made tables and chairs from Paris, and enjoy all that the classic French restaurant has to offer. Indulge in their happy hour deal and sip on a glass of Dom Perignon while nibbling on Caviar Toast as well as Three Truffle Cheese selections. The bar bites menu certainly doesn't disappoint with items like Mushroom Truffle Flatbread ($21.50) with summer truffles, fried egg, and parmesan and Escargot with leek fondue and Maitre d"hotel butter ($18). Pair your snacks with one of their signature cocktails ($19) like the Lavender Sour (Bulldog gin, lavender elixir, lime, agave, and egg white) or the Vanilla Whisky Sour (bourbon whisky, Madagascar vanilla elixir, Galliano liqueur, orange bitters, lime, and agave nectar). Have your evening in Paris without ever stepping on a plane.
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Stop into Bar Costata after work and pair their new bar bites menu with a classic Italian cocktail (available until 8 p.m.). Dive into whimsical takes on Italian street fare like Calamari Fritto served in a paper cone or Chef Michael White's luxury White Label Burger in bar-friendly sliders. You can even add a side of thrice-cooked fries with bernaise for just $6. Choose between four tasty $10 cocktails to go along with your order like The Hustler – apricot-infused old forester bourbon, cilantro, lime, and agricole rhum rinse – or the simple Milano-Torino – Campari, punt e mes, and club soda. If you're in the mood for a glass of sparkling wine beer, you've come to the right place – both are less than $7. Pull up a seat and stay a while.
More: New York's Best Mexican Restaurants
Looking for something other than the typical guacamole and chips to go with your margarita? Head over to La Biblioteca for $8 margaritas and caipirihnas as well as $5 beers and $6 house wines. Nosh on your choice of two kinds of tacos - carne asada, roasted chicken or grilled mahi mahi - for just $5. If you'd like to try something new, may we suggest a coca? This Spanish flatbread is also just $5 and comes topped with your choice of braised short rib, shrimp, or wild mushroom. Don't skimp out on dessert because hot, fresh churros are also, you guessed it, $5. Happy hour goes from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
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Carly Petrone is a freelance writer living in New York City.
