The best spots for oyster happy hour in NYC

The cozy, casual vibe, excellent playlists (plus occasional live music), and deliciously creative cocktails make this East Village gastropub a hit even when it’s not happy hour. But of course, the bar’s happy hour—hosted Monday through Friday from 4pm to 7pm—sweetens the deal by offering $1 East Coast oysters. Wash it down with cocktails, which include chefly ingredients like peppercorn syrup, apple-spice bitters and chipotle-infused agave nectar.

There is something very special about the ambiance at this breezy Williamsburg spot. High windows and beautiful wood tables, floors and walls fill the restaurant with natural light and a balmy airiness. Go for the dollar oysters during happy hour—available Tuesday through Sunday until 7:30pm—and throw in one of their delightful cocktails while you’re at it.

This gorgeous, NOLA-inspired haunt brings in the crowds, and all the more so during happy hour, which happens 4 to 7pm Monday through Friday and 11am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday. We can't think of a better way to spend brunch than sampling from the salon's 30 different varieties (based on market availability) of oysters for $1 each. Oh, and that special includes all clams, too.

This longtime fish shack has stood the test of time—it remains one of our go-tos for oyster happy hour. Danny Abrams's Upper West Side eatery (which also has locations in the East Village and West Village) serves up chef's choice, East Coast bivalves for $1 a pop every night between 5pm and 7pm. You can also score some fried oysters.

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This is not your average raw bar. If you’re feeling a bit jaded with the same old oyster deal, step into this East Village gem to try offerings like Sichuan tea-smoked oysters, or bivalves pepped with green-apple mignonette. Happy hour runs Tuesday through Saturday from 6pm to 8pm, and all day Monday and Sunday.

There are three reasons why this is a perfect date spot. Firstly, its interior is incredibly romantic, with lighting that’s neither too bright nor too dim and wooden tables and accents that make the dining experience feel like an intimate cabin retreat. Secondly, it has solid wine list to get your buzz on. And lastly, of course, oysters—their raw-bar menu offers East Coast and West Coast varieties as well as a number of other seafood delicacies.

Going here for oysters is like going to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for chocolate—it’s a no-brainer. There's a daily happy hour from 5 to 7pm (noon to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays), including $2 oysters (and clams!), plus half-off deals on Captain Lawrence Kolsch beer, on-tap sparkling wine and sherry and $5 oyster shooters. 

The dark, sexy atmosphere of this Lower East Side winebar is an apt setting for slurping down the aphrodisiac duo of oysters and wine. Happy hour offers $1 oysters and $15 carafes of wine every day until 7 pm—their lengthy wine list has something for every budget, as well as uncommon natural wines.

At the legendary 96 -year-old Grand Central Oyster Bar, located in the epic and gorgeous hub that shares its name, play it classic with a reliably awe-inspiring platter of iced, just-shucked oysters (there can be a whopping three-dozen varieties to choose from at any given time, from Baja to Plymouth Rock). From Monday through Wednesday from 4:30pm to 7pm and Saturdays from 1pm to 5pm, you can enjoy Blue Points for just $1.25 each.

This Boerum Hill cocktail bar is full of picture-ready curiosities, from the Technicolor prints on the walls to the twee mignonette-filled eye droppers (salty ponzu, fiery jerk) that accompany the impressive selection of shucked-to-order oysters. You can get the tavern's beautiful bivalve for one dollar each on weekdays from 5pm to 7pm.