Theater District
Happy Hour

Three hours every day, weekends included, on a roof a block from the 48th Street houses. The regular cocktail list runs $18–23, so a $12 negroni is a real cut, and a $5 house beer is about as cheap as a roof gets in this zip code. The Verdict: the best pre-theater happy hour in the district, and the window ends at 7pm, right when you need to leave for an 8pm curtain. The Local Move: a spritz and $5 deviled eggs at 6pm. The Honest Caveat: it fills fast after work, and the cheap list is short.

Every cocktail on the list is half off, which takes an $18 drink to $9, and the second window opens at 10pm, as the shows let out. The Verdict: the best before-and-after deal in the district. The Local Move: a smaller burger and a $9 cocktail at 5pm, then back at 10:30 for the second round. The Honest Caveat: weekdays only, and the half-price beers are mostly the light lagers.

The cheapest priced happy hour in the district: $5 beers and $7 margaritas, wine and liquor, on 54th between Broadway and Eighth, in a bar that doubles as a comedy club. The Verdict: the value pick at the north end. The Honest Caveat: weekdays only, and it’s a hike from the 44th Street houses.

A $4 beer and a $5 margarita, the lowest drink prices on this page, with $8 samosas and $10 chicken 65 alongside. The Verdict: the cheapest drink in the district, if you can get there before 4:30pm; a weekday matinee crowd can fit one in before a 2pm curtain. The Local Move: for an evening show, the $45 three-course pre-theater dinner. The Honest Caveat: bar seats only, and it ends at 4:30pm.

The after-show happy hour: every night from 11pm until the 3am close, on 8th Avenue between 50th and 51st. The Verdict: the best late round near the theaters. The Local Move: a $10 espresso martini when the curtain comes down. The Honest Caveat: nothing earlier in the evening, and no food deals.

Julian Medina’s Mexican bistro runs a bar-only happy hour on weekday afternoons. The Verdict: another matinee option, next to the 50th Street houses. The Honest Caveat: no posted prices.

Every day 4–7pm, open until 4am Thursday to Saturday. The Verdict: a daily window on 52nd St. The Honest Caveat: the bar doesn’t publish its happy hour prices.

No happy hour, but every martini comes as a $14 Mini or a $22 Regular, which is the smartest pre-show pour on the block. The Verdict: order small and make the curtain.

The jazz club next to the 44th Street theaters, with sets most nights. The Verdict: the post-show plan if you’re not ready to go home. The Honest Caveat: a ticket and a $20 minimum per set.

A Theater District pub that opens early for match days and serves food until 4am. The Verdict: the after-show burger. The Honest Caveat: no weekday happy hour; the deal is Sunday brunch.

Wood paneling and Broadway memorabilia between Seventh and Broadway. The Verdict: the room to argue about the show until 4am. The Honest Caveat: no posted happy hour, and burgers are $23–24.

Half a block from the 48th Street houses, with an AstroTurf roof. The Verdict: a reliable pre-show pint with a seat. The Honest Caveat: it mentions a happy hour but posts no times or prices, so pay full price.

Meaghan Dorman’s third Dear Irving, with a terrace over Broadway at 54th. The Verdict: the best-looking room in the district. The Honest Caveat: full price, no discount window.