Cafeteria: A Seventh Avenue Chelsea Institution With $5 Tiny-Tinis, 4–6pm Weekdays
Cafeteria has been on Seventh Avenue in Chelsea since 1998, and its weekday happy hour leans hard into martinis: Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm, Tiny-Tinis — mini classic, dirty, lychee and espresso martinis — are $5 each, full-size cocktails are $10, Founders beer is $7 and house wine is $9.
The kitchen does American comfort food, and the happy-hour bites follow suit: deviled eggs for $6, pigs in a blanket and classic beef sliders for $10, mac + cheese spring rolls for $8, and herb, truffle or polenta fries from $6. It’s run by The Cafeteria Group, the same people behind Empire Diner.
The Happy Hour
Happy hour runs Monday through Friday, 4–6pm. Cocktails are $10: Aperol Spritz, a classic or Rude Margarita (jalapeño tequila), and classic, dirty, lychee or espresso martinis. Tiny-Tinis in those same four martini styles are $5. Founders beer is $7, and the house Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or Albariño is $9. Small bites run $6–$10, including $10 hot wings and $9 shrimp or avocado tacos. The combos are the better math: a classic martini with fries for $15, a flight of three Tiny-Tinis with fries for $20, or the flight with Teenie Weenies for $25. No weekend happy hour. Verified on Cafeteria’s own happy-hour page in October 2026.
The Room
Cafeteria is at 119 Seventh Avenue in Chelsea, a short walk from the 1 at 18th Street. Tables book on Resy, and takeout orders go through Toast. The site doesn’t post regular opening hours, so check before a late visit; the happy-hour window is the part it does publish.
Who Cafeteria Is For
| Occasion | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Cheap martinis | $5 Tiny-Tinis, 4–6pm on weekdays |
| A martini flight | Three Tiny-Tinis with fries for $20 |
| After-work snacks | Bites from $6, including $10 beef sliders |
| Comfort food | Mac + cheese spring rolls and polenta fries |