NYC’s Best Happy Hours — Where to Get “Happy” with a Cocktail in New York City
When the clock strikes five, an internal alarm clock goes off in the heads of most New Yorkers — time to run to the bar! But where’s the best place to go? I humbly compromised my sober state to find out.
The Hour of Happiness
Anyone who’s anyone in New York City knows the true importance of a little something called Happy Hour. It’s a highly regarded time of day that celebrates the end of the nine-to-five grind, the beginning of an evening out with friends, or simply another way to kill that time in the middle of the day that awkwardly straddles lunch and dinner.
Of course, everyone has their usual spot to hit up for some good happy hour deals and a cool crowd, but I wanted to know which ones are really the best of the best. For the sake of being a reliable and thorough happy hour researcher (and not for my own pleasure in any way whatsoever, of course), I figured I needed to spend some time out in the field. So I grabbed a few happy hour cohorts and mapped out a game plan to casually drink my way through Midtown and Chelsea.
Pounds and Ounces
After a long day of work, our happy hour crew left the office promptly at 5:00 to set out on our tipsy tour of the town. It was a sunny day and the time was ripe for a casual drink. First stop on the agenda? Pounds and Ounces at the corner of 18th Street and 8th Avenue.
I was nearly knocked off my feet by the question, “Are you Kara?” as soon as I walked in the door. This attention to detail and hospitality continued throughout the visit, as we were brought to our reserved table in the back, served their most desired appetizers, and prompted to try their tastiest drinks.
The things that struck me the most were the restaurant’s brightly lit ambience and the uniquely shaped table that sat smack dab in the middle of the dining area, accented by the funky mural painted on the back wall. The quirky ornamentation of the room confirmed my suspicions that this place must have a good story to tell. I was delighted to find that this ocular appeal was coupled with extravagant yet somehow well-priced food and an incredibly friendly wait-staff.
Cooper’s
After starting off with a casual, low-key bar, we were ready to move onto something a little more lively, so we walked down the block and over to Cooper’s. We sat down at the bar for a casual chat in a fun, energetic atmosphere and left with a good buzz going. With a selection of 30 beers on tap, everyone was able to find something they liked to sip on.
The vibe was upbeat, with plenty of hardworking businessmen on hand to cool down after a long workday. For well-cultivated beer drinkers who are looking for a hip scene to check out, this is certainly the place to go.
Stitch
As a bar hopping veteran, I can tell you that over the course of time, you’ll come across some establishments that could be considered memorable and plenty of others that would more accurately be described as “passable” — and in our humble opinion, Stitch belongs in the latter category.
In this dimly lit bar, we were greeted by a couple of ordinary bartenders who served us a couple of ordinary beers before talking to a few groups of ordinary people. We walked around a bit, finished our drinks, and then decided we were ready to move on to the next bar.
District Tap House
To finish up our evening of happy hour hopping, we headed a block up to Midtown’s District Tap House. Although a seemingly tame establishment from the outside, the vibe on the inside told a completely different tale. After being let in by a friendly gentleman in a sharp suit, we were greeted by the immediate boom of a bar packed with intriguing-looking people, all engaged in exciting conversation and sipping on a wide variety of craft beers.
We were handed beers in trendy wine glasses and spoke with a few different groups of people who definitely approved of the establishment as much as we did. The manager showed us around the main bar, the private cocktail lounge in the back, and then took us into the office to tell us a little bit about what makes this place so special. It goes without saying that, in terms of selection and atmosphere, this place surely had it going on.
And the Award Goes to…
My expert happy hour pick goes to District Tap House, which takes the prize for Best Happy Hour in Midtown and Chelsea! When you’ve got a lively, hip bar scene with good prices, a killer selection of libations, and a friendly staff to boot, you can’t really ask for much more in a happy hour experience.
Needless to say, we had a great time exploring the endless playground of happy hours in the big city. I left feeling a little bit more like a true New Yorker than before, now that I had the “in” on Happy Hour.
