The 12 best happy hours in NYC’s Theater District

You never know who on Broadway you might run into if you’re at The Palm before a Broadway show. Sometimes it can be scene on 50th Street between 8th and Broadway during happy hour (I ran into Jeremy O’Harris before seeing Romeo + Juliet at Circle in the Square) since it offers one of the best menus. Some of the options include $10 Prosciutto & Mozzarella Arancini, $12 The Palm “Mini” Meatballs, $12 Steakhouse Bacon “BLTs,” $11 Chicken Parmigiana Sliders and $11 ‘Kung Pao’ Calamari. The drinks can’t be beat with $8 cocktails, $5 beer and $7 wines. 

Bar area only
Sunday - Friday, 4pm-6:30pm

Oysters are on the happy hour menu at a prime pre-theater dining spot that gets customers in and out in time for the curtain. Marseille, located on 9th Avenue and 44th Street offers Connecticut Blue Point Oysters for $1.50 each. The menu also includes a $22 Tuna Tartare and a $16 Fava Bean Hummus. Add a baguette for $2.50. 

3:30-5:30pm daily

Another steakhouse hidden gem! Stop at Bobby Van's bar as you wait for your table. This is a good spot if you’re seeing shows like Oh Mary! At the Lyceum or the upcoming The Last Five Years at the Hudson Theatre. Bobby Van’s Grill on 45th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue. Bar Bites include $14 calamari, $15 loaded nachos, $16 guac and chips and $16 lamb lollipops. Only wine is on the happy hour here. Wines range between $10 - $12. 

Bar area only 
Monday - Friday, 4-7pm

If you’re seeing Broadway shows on the east side of Times Square like & Juliet at the Sondheim Theatre or Maybe Happy Ending at the Belasco Theatre, the Mermaid Oyster Bar is a prime spot. Located on 43rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, seafood options include $10 Salmon Tartare, $4 mini fish taco, $9 grilled shrimp and avocado slider, $3.75 mini New England Clam Chowder and $10 artichoke and spinach dip. The drink offers $12 cocktails and wine plus $9 craft beer.

Everyday 4-5:30pm

Boqueria is one of the more unique restaurants in Times Square with its Spanish tapas menu. The restaurant is located inside the AC Hotel New York Times Square on 40th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. It’s one block from the Nederlander Theatre where Redwood is playing. Menu items include bite-sized tapas from $2 pan con tomate, $6 croquetas de jamón, $12 mini hamburguesa, and $6 croquetas de setas. Drink options are $9 wine glasses or $22 carafes, mini martinis from $8-$9, $8 sangria, $6 cerveza and $6 zero-proof cocktails.

Monday - Friday, 3-6pm; Saturday - Sunday, 4-6pm

Happy Hour hop from Boqueria upstairs at Castell Rooftop Lounge, another cool, yet cozy rooftop bar with a fireplace and a specialty for martinis. In warmer weather, the doors open to the terrace. On Tuesdays, it features $9 “tiny” martinis from Espresso Martini, Manhattan, Cosmopolitan to Dirty Martini. There are also $12 classic cocktails, $10 wines and $6 beer. Food options are plentiful, too, while not on the happy hour menu. 

Monday - Friday, 4-6pm 

Experience the charm of Italy at Sicily on Broadway’s Restaurant Row. The restaurant is located on 46th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues and within walking distance to countless theaters. Small bites offered on the menu are $7 chickpea fritters, $2 wagyu beef meatballs, $2 oysters and $10 arancini. The $10 cocktails are a great option from aperol spritz, margarita or negroni. There’s $9 house wines and $6 beer. 

Available at the bar
Sunday - Thursday, 3-7:30pm

Rum is the name of the game at this midtown cocktail bar with drinks like a Mai Tai, Rum Punch or Daiquiri all for a good price of $10 each. House wines are $10 and beer is $5. Located on 47th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, stop here before seeing Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Barrymore Theatre or SIX at the Lena Horne Theatre. 

4-6pm daily

Shaking things up is the Rosevale Kitchen + Cocktail Room located inside the Civilian Hotel on 48th Street and 8th and 9th Avenues. This bar is a good choice if you’re going to an 8 o’clock show or your 7 o’clock show gets out before 9pm. The menu is a unique one with a martini flight of three for $20 or one martini for $15. The restaurant also offers light bites for $10 ranging from shrimp cocktail, french fries, tuna tartare and triple truffle arancini at bar seating only. 

7-9pm daily

Nothing beats skyline views while watching the sunset above Times Square at the Hard Rock Hotel on 48th Street between 7th and 6th Avenues. The RT60 Rooftop Bar and Lounge also has outdoor seating in warmer weather. Happy Hours options include $12 margarita, Moscow mule, Old Fashioned, Gin & Tonic with $10 wines and $8 beers. The restaurant also offers a full menu and hot tip: the bathroom is a showstopper in itself! 

Tuesday - Friday, 4-6pm

5 Napkin Burger uniquely offers two time slots for happy hour: one for the before show crowd and one for the late-night crowd. It’s an ideal spot on 9th Avenue and 45th Street which is close to many shows. Drink deals include $2 off draft beer and wine by the glass, $4 Brooklyn & Hi-Life bottles, $8 frozen margaritas, and $10 cocktails. Half-off appetizers include Guac & Chips, Onion Ring Tower, and Vegan Cauliflower Bites. 

Monday - Friday, 3-6pm
Sunday - Thursday, 9-11:30pm

Oysters and bubbly. Lady Blue, on Restaurant Row’s 46th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues, offers a dozen oysters and a bottle of prosecco for $37. In addition to $2 off small plates, there’s a $10 lemon drop martini, $9 old fashioned, and $9 wines and margaritas. The restaurant is inspired by a character in Harvey Fierstein’s play Torch Song Trilogy. 

Monday - Friday, 4-7pm