The best happy hours in Melbourne

Have you ever dreamt of experiencing the grandeur described in The Great Gatsby? If so, that’s entirely possible by booking in for a dinner within the Art Deco-inspired halls of Luci. Just in time for summer, the restaurant has launched its new Afternoon Aperitivo offering in partnership with German gin distiller Moneky 47. It's your chance to swill some of the bar's classiest gin cocktails ($20) and snacks ($9 to $12) to a sultry soundtrack of live jazz. Think lychee Spritzes, chocolatey Negronis and fruity gin punches spiked with earl grey cold brew. On the gin-centric snacks front, you've got gin and grapefruit oysters; gin-cured Tassie salmon with black pepper crumpet and mascarpone; seared scallops with gin pineapple carpaccio; and more. The Afternoon Aperitivo deal is available on Thursdays and Fridays, from 3pm to 6pm. Get more info at the website.

This Richmond bar set in a re-purposed State Bank is taking girls' nights outs to new heights with their latest Luxe Thursdays promotion. Pop in from 4pm until late and be treated to roving caviar bumps, $2 fresh oysters and $8 glasses of bubbly, with a cute themed backdrop for Instagram pics. Make a booking here.

There’s plenty to get excited about at Queen Victoria Market (QVM) right now. A swish new food hall has just opened, the Summer Night Market is back and in very exciting news, Brick Lane Brewing has opened a brand new double-storey venue in the heart of the market precinct. If you're after an inexpensive bevvy, head to Brick Lane Market's new upstairs venue to enjoy $9 pints of Brick Lane's core range of beers, $9 glasses of chardonnay and pinot noir and the $15 cocktail of the week. Happy hour runs from 4pm until 6:30pm every day of the week, except Monday when it's closed.

This Mexican eatery is home to one of Australia's most extensive ranges of tequila and mezcal and offers a menu that blends traditional Mexican food with native Australian ingredients. Best of all, you can enjoy $10 full-sized Margaritas made with Don Julio Reposado from 4pm to 6pm, every night the restaurant is open for trade (Tuesday to Saturday, weekly). As one of Australia's finest purveyors of tequila and mezcal, not only are these Margs delightfully affordable; they're also some of the best you can taste in Melbourne. Score!

In celebration of summer and the festive times ahead, one of Melbourne's most beloved institutions for wining and dining, Neighbourhood Wine, has just launched ‘Patio Aperitivo’. Everday, from 4pm until 6pm, all diners on the terrace can enjoy a free snack with each drink purchased. Think fresh pacific oysters from Tassie with a smoky soy vinaigrette; spelt tarts with raw tuna, kohlrabi, mascarpone and elderflower; Robbins Island wagyu with bone marrow and sourdough crackers; and honeydew melon and capocollo. For those after an aperitivo, the thoughtfully curated cocktail menu includes house favourites such as the Fitzroy Northside (thyme syrup, fresh mint, lemon & lime juice), Venetian Spritz (Rondo & Lemoss Prosecco with fresh orange and a green olive) and a Sullied Martini (Four Pillars Gin, dry vermouth, muddles green olive & Kampot pepper). Catch you on the terrace!

If you're a gin lover, this drinks deal could potentially be the best going around in Melbourne right now. Brogan’s Way is giving Melburnians a new excuse to celebrate the end of the working week, running new Gin O’Clock specials from 5pm every Friday at their Distillery and Bar on North Street, Richmond. You'll get to try some of Brogan's Way's famous G and T pairings at a special price, by the hour on the clock. Think $5.50 from 5pm, $6.50 from 6pm and so on. The price of the cocktail only increases by $1 every hour, all the way until 11pm. Bottoms up! If you're hungry and keen to stay on for a late night supper, there are some tasty eats available from the menu such as baked chorizo, flammekueche (a popular dish from central Europe) and bread and dip. Bookings can be made at the website.

Formerly known as the Bush Inn, a long-standing favourite among Toorak locals, the friendly corner pub has now rebranded itself as Toorak Hotel. It might sound a fair bit fancier, but plenty of the appeal remains in the 19th-century establishment: family-run values, a public sports bar for watching the footy over a pint or two, and a great deal of respect for the long, colourful history of the building. Its happy hour deal runs Monday to Friday each week, from 4pm until 6pm. You can get $5 pots, $10 pints, $8 house wines and sparkling and $10 Aperol Spritzes, plus complimentary nibbles.

Situated on the corner of Little Bourke Street, Amphlett House is a 120-seat taphouse offering exceptional drinks and elevated pub classics in a relaxed and welcoming environment. The happy hour at Amphlett House is daily, offering $5 schooners and $10 pints from 4pm to 6pm.

This newly renovated crowd favourite puts on a happy hour between 4pm and 6pm every weekday. Help yourself to $7 basic spirits and house wines, $8 pints and $10 Spritzes, or treat your friends to $15 jugs.

Windsor's much-loved modern Japanese restaurant and Karaoke bar, Tokyo Tina, is now offering 2-1 cocktails every Monday, pouring from 5pm. Don't expect your boring run-of-the-mill cockies around here. Using premium spirits and expert mixology smarts, the bar will be slinging Lychee Spritzes, Mizuchi Margaritas and Cucumber Yuzu Sours. Get around it!

Sometimes you want a serious meal - a pizza, some lamb rump or a steak with triple cooked chips. But on other days you may just want a little four-dollar snack sized chicken wing or arancini. Whatever way you stomach is playing it, Hoo Haa in Windsor can sort you out. Better yet, the secret hideaway bar upstairs is slinging $5 sparkling, $7 basics, $8-$10 pints, $6-$8 schooners, $8 frozen Margaritas and half-priced cocktails from Thursday to Saturday, in the hours between 4pm and 6pm every week. The bonus is Friday has a second happy hour between 9pm and 11pm, and Saturday has a second happy hour between 11pm and midnight, so you might as well stick around on the weekends. 

Every Monday to Friday between 4pm and 6pm, this bayside behemoth slashes the prices on your favourite bevs. You can’t beat $5 Carlton Draught pots, house white and red wines and prosecco, or $8 Tanqueray gin.

Snugly situated in the basement of the new Le Méridien Melbourne, Dolly is an immersive restaurant and cocktail bar that transports its guests back in time to the glamour and mystique of 1930s cinema. Meander down the curved Art Deco staircase to unearth a moody and strangely seductive dining alcove most passersby up above on Bourke Street would be surprised even exists. From Tuesday to Friday, take your after-work drinks to the next level with $10 wines by the glass and cocktails from just $15. Reservations aren't required so you can wander in at your leisure.

Saké is Rockpool Dining Group's contemporary Japanese restaurant. Situated at Hamer Hall, it's the perfect spot for pre-theatre dining and drinks before a show or after an exhibition at nearby NGV. Held on Tuesday to Sunday each week from 4pm to 5pm, Sake Hour is your best time slot for snagging a hot deal. Think $10 wines, a 250ml Sake of the Week for just $20 and $7 whisky highballs and G and Ts. You can also get your hands on $5 edamame, $10 popcorn shrimp and chicken karaage, and an array of other classy Japanese snacks at affordable prices.

Williamstown's harbourfront restaurant Pier Farm is ringing in summer with their new Summer Spritz special, available from 4pm to 6pm daily until the end of the season. The deal g ets you a trio of specialty Spritzes for just $15 each (they're normally $22), alongside a mouthwatering line-up of aperitivo snacks. You'll feel as if you've teleported straight to the Amalfi Coast. Though walk-ins are welcome, bookings are available at the website.

The popular pub and beer garden has brought back its happy hour every weekday from 4pm to 6pm. Celebrate with $8 house wines and basic spirits and $10 pints.

Sometimes you need a happy hour on the very first day of the week. This Fitzroy beer bunker is the place to get over your Monday blues with $5 pots and $9 pints of lager from open until close. You can grab the same deals on Tuesdays if you're upstairs for the Catfish comedy night, and on Thursday you'll get 20 per cent off all cans from the fridge. And the value doesn't stop there. On Friday and Saturday each week, early bird gig-goers can get their hands on $5 pots and $9 pints. Make sure you cure your Sunday hangover with $12 Bloody Mary cocktails from noon to 5pm.

Spring has sprung, and so has Baby's new aperitvo offering. The Richmond fave is offering a delicious line-up of seasonal favourites every day from 4-6pm, including $9.50 cocktails (like a classic Aperol Spritz or Spicy Passionfruit Margarita), $7.50 glasses of pinot grigio and $6.50 Peroni Rossa. As is the Italian way, a complimentary snack comes with each aperitivo cocktail ordered. Bellissimo! 

This northside live music venue and bistro guarantees a good time. Treat your mates with $7 house wines and spirits and $10 pints every day of the week between 4pm and 7pm. And if you feel like sticking around after 7pm on a Wednesday night, you've got an evening of drag trivia to get around. See you there for some laughs and libations!

It’s $8 pints and wine every weekday between 4pm and 6pm at this easygoing historic pub. Ramp up the value even further with a $15 jug of HC Draught and if you get a little peckish, you've got $2.50 oysters and $15 schnitties to sink your teeth into. 

This Carlton mega pub and rooftop bar is popular among uni students thanks to the $8 wines and spirits and $10 pints poured between 4pm and 6pm every Monday to Friday.

Locals in the know head to this inner-southside spot for its cheap pizza, but on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 4pm and 7pm, it also offers $6 schooners, apple cider, ginger beer, basic spirits and house wine.

This classic South Melbourne pub keeps the good times going all week long, with $10 pints and $8 selected wines and spirits every day between 4pm and 6pm.

Bask in lovely riverside sunsets at this South Wharf watering hole with $10 wines and Spritzes and $8 schooners on weekdays from 4pm to 7pm. Wanna maximise bang for your buck? For just $59, you can sip on free-flowing premium Spritzes, plus snack on charcuterie, share plates and bottomless fries with dipping sauces. Find out more about the Spritz sessions here. 

This Fitzroy staple is serving $27 Sangria jugs on Monday to Saturday evenings between 4pm and 7pm, so all you have to worry about is kicking back and taking in that stunning city view. Throughout the week, there's also $8 pints and glasses of wine and $16 Negronis at sundown. The best part? From Monday to Wednesday and all day long, you can grab a pizza for just $3 with any drink purchased. What a steal! 

Caulfield locals will enjoy this relaxed pub’s happy hour, serving $8 house wine and selected Aussie schooners, plus $15 cocktails, every weekday from 4pm to 6pm.

You can’t miss Thursday nights at this High Street mainstay, with an epic combo of $9 pints and $1 buffalo chicken wings and cauliflower bites available from 5pm to 11pm. Wednesday's also a great time to pop in, with $12 burgers and fries and an open mic night.

Escape the hustle and bustle of Swan Street and seek refuge with $4 pots, $8 pints and wines, and $15 Aperol spirits served Monday to Thursday between 4pm and 6pm.

Every Monday to Friday between 4pm and 6pm, you can enjoy $7 schooners of beer, cider and seltzer, $7 wines and discounted cocktails on the rooftop of this vegan-friendly northside pub.

Fancier folk should take advantage of half-price bottles of wine with all meals served at this inner-city spot overlooking the MCG every Thursday. Find out more here.

This North Fitzroy institution is keeping it simple with $7 schooners, house wine and basic spirits, and $12 cocktails on weekdays from 4pm to 6pm. 

As part of the Lucas Group's new Cocktail Hour promotion, you can get $9.50 cocktails at this swanky Japanese restaurant every Thursday from 4pm to 6pm. Available upstairs in the Chablis Bar, try a refreshing Toki Highball to finish the work day in style.

Another glamorous Lucas restaurant is also partaking in the Cocktail Hour offer: Society – the ritzy new fine diner in the Collins Street precinct. Make a beeline for The Lounge to snack on matchstick fries with caviar aioli, and Society's Lemon Aspen Martini at just $9.50 a glass. The bar will also be pouring exclusive wine offerings from the likes of Dom Pérignon and Piper-Heidsieck. The deal is available on Thursdays only, from 4pm to 6pm.

Head straight to the Yarra after work for $9 selected pints, wines, spirits and Spritzes available from Monday to Friday between 4pm and 7pm.

Skinny Dog Hotel has always been a favourite for Kew locals, but this summer ushers in a new and exciting era for the 150-year-old neighbourhood watering hole. A lush new upstairs bar and bistro has opened on the rooftop, Skinny Dog Upstairs, where you can channel your inner California cool amidst the greenery over freshly shucked oysters with prosecco foam, Spritz cocktails and share plates. It's also launched a new Summer of Spritz promotion, meaning you can get two Spritzes for just $25 between 2pm and 6pm every Sunday. Cheers!

Weekdays at the Belle are so much sweeter with $6 selected tap beers, $7 house wine, sparkling and basic spirits, $10 Spritzes and $12 Espresso Martinis and selected cocktails. Better yet, you can get these prices all day on Mondays, and between 3pm and 7pm on Tuesdays to Fridays.

It’s cheap and cheerful at this Docklands oasis with $7 wines and spirits, and $10 pints from 5pm to 7pm every day. Keen to knock off for an even earlier bevvy? Schooners are only $8 daily if you grab one from 3pm to 4pm.  

Find $4.50 pots and $7 house wines on weekdays between 4pm and 6pm at this relaxed neighbourhood pub. With great pub meal specials throughout the week such as the $23 steak night on Tuesdays or the $20 parma night on Wednesdays, you might as well stick around for a delicious dinner too.