Columbus Circle
Happy Hour

Half off every wine by the glass, every beer and the seasonal spritz, so a $13 glass is $6.50 and a $10 beer is $5, three floors above the circle. The Verdict: the best happy hour at Columbus Circle, and the only properly cheap glass of wine on the circle itself. The Local Move: a glass and a tartine before a 7:30 curtain at Lincoln Center, two blocks up Broadway. The Honest Caveat: cocktails aren’t included, it closes at 8pm, and there are no reservations.

A block west of the circle on 58th, with the longest window around: seven hours, noon to 7pm, every weekday. The cocktail list is $19, so the $16 Storyville saves $3; the better buy is an $8 Guinness and an $18 burger with fries. The Verdict: a trim, not a bargain, but it’s open when nothing else nearby is discounting. The Honest Caveat: one cocktail on the happy hour list, and $14 wine is only cheap by Central Park South standards.

Six hours every day, noon to 6pm, a block from Lincoln Center. Regular cocktails are $20–22 and beer $10, so a discount would matter. The Verdict: the only daily window around the circle. The Honest Caveat: the happy hour prices aren’t published.

Four hours every day, a block and a half west of the circle. The Verdict: an early sushi dinner with a drink. The Honest Caveat: no posted happy hour prices, so we can’t tell you what it saves.

On top of the Museum of Arts and Design, with the park and the circle under the windows and a singer or pianist most evenings. The Verdict: the best view on the circle that doesn’t need a hotel key card. One full-price drink at sunset is the move.

The Mandarin Oriental’s reworked speakeasy, with a Silk Road cocktail list. The Verdict: the date-night room on the circle. The Honest Caveat: no posted prices; budget like it’s a five-star hotel, because it is.

A cocktail bar four floors above the circle, with a window on the park. The Verdict: a good drink at a hard price. The Honest Caveat: $22–28 cocktails and no happy hour.

A lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows on the park, open until 3am on Friday and Saturday. The Verdict: the late option on the circle. The Honest Caveat: the cocktail prices aren’t posted.

Jazz with the park lit up behind the bandstand. The Local Move: the $15 late session Thursday to Saturday at 10:45pm, the cheapest way in. The Honest Caveat: walk-ups for the 7pm and 9pm sets are limited.

A bar in the LeFrak Lobby that anyone can walk into, ticket or not. The Verdict: the easiest pre-concert drink at Lincoln Center. The Honest Caveat: no posted prices, and it closes at 8pm.