In the Arts District, Everson Royce Bar touts $11 cocktails, $9 natural wines and discounted bites such as a grilled cheese sandwich and mushroom aranchini on its happy hour menu.
(Silvia Razgova / For The Times)
20 of the best happy hour deals in Los Angeles
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When happy hours triumphantly returned to bars and restaurants in 2022, it was a welcome excuse to get out of the house after two years of isolating and social distancing. In 2024, happy hours are booming once again, but this time with a different catalyst: inflation.
With the cost of dining out higher than ever, more and more restaurants are launching new deals to help offset the uptick in prices and attract new diners. While they’re at it, they’re redefining the category — happy hour is no longer just about discounted beers and shots or watered-down margaritas. Many are offering discounts on chef-driven dishes, spanning steak tartare to caviar bites to grilled kanpachi. Some are happening before dinner, while others are perfect for a late nightcap or a weekend afternoon. You can even find menus starring nonalcoholic beverages.
From downtown to Hollywood to Santa Monica, here are some of our favorite happy hours all over town, including plenty of summer-friendly patios and rooftops.
Showing Places
(Jim Sullivan)
Asterid
Downtown L.A. Californian $$$
The Walt Disney Concert Hall-adjacent restaurant from former Broken Spanish chef Ray Garcia offers a dinnertime happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. Expect plays on bar-food classics, like a maitake mushroom and Gruyère-stuffed quesadilla or a cheeseburger and fries, both under $20. For an elevated snack, try the $12 caviar bite with a dollop of the briny delicacy and crema on a honeynut squash tamal. Pair it with margaritas, negronis and classic daiquiris by beverage director Chris Chernock for $12, as well as beer and wine for $10. It’s a perfect pit stop before catching a performance next door.
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(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Damian
Downtown L.A. Mexican $$$
Chef-owner Enrique Olvera’s Arts District restaurant has been a destination for artful, contemporary Mexican cuisine (and a much-Instagrammed hibiscus meringue) since it opened in 2020. Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, the swanky staple does happy hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the bar and in a communal seating area. A small menu of drinks and snack items includes Chef Chuy Cervantes’ tlayuda of the day for $25, a duck carnitas taco for $12, plus $15 margaritas, $10 micheladas and $5 beers.
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(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Stay Zero Proof
Chinatown Bar/Nightclub $$
From Summer Phoenix and Stacey Mann, Chinatown trailblazer Stay is the first fully nonalcoholic cocktail bar to open in Los Angeles. On trend with the sober-curious movement of recent years, it’s a welcome addition to the city’s nightlife landscape. Recently, Stay has added a happy hour Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m., with a menu featuring four of its signature cocktails, including the Pig (pomegranate juice, strawberry, aquafaba, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup with a lemon sumac rim), a classic martini or a Ghia Spritz for $12, wines by the glass for $9 and beer for $8.
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(Silvia Rázgová / For The Times)
Everson Royce Bar
Downtown L.A. American Bar/Nightclub $$
This Arts District standby known for its sprawling outdoor patio and pitch-perfect burger has one of the most reliable happy hours in town. The offerings include $11 cocktails, $9 wines and discounted bites like arancini, meatballs and grilled cheese from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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(Giada Paoloni)
Dante Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills Italian $$$
As sunny weather warms up the city, take it all in from Dante’s perch atop the swanky Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills. This NYC transplant, which that helped popularize aperitivo culture stateside, does a $10 Martini Hour daily from 3 to 5 p.m., with live piano music Wednesday through Friday. Its award-winning bar menu is steeply discounted and features cocktail options ranging from classic martinis to Negronis, spritzes and more.
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(Kacey Hagler)
Gracias Madre
West Hollywood Vegan Mexican $$
Famous for its vegan fare and free-flowing margaritas, this West Hollywood staple does happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, offering $9 margaritas, $8 natural wines and $6 house beer. Food is priced at $7 and includes soy chorizo nachos, a ceviche tostada and crispy fried coconut strips. Or, score a full meal for $10 with the Happy Madre Meal, which includes a jackfruit slider, garlic-chipotle fries and a house beer.
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(Silvia Rázgová / For The Times)
Here's Looking at You
Koreatown New American $$
Lien Ta’s Koreatown fixture known for its globally inspired POV does a post-dinner-rush happy hour every night from 8:30 to 10 p.m. It’s a small four-item food menu that features smoked trout rillettes and jalapeño poppers for $12, a classic cheeseburger with au poivre mayo and fried onions for $17 and an 8-ounce baseball steak with curly fries for $26.
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(Last Word Hospitality)
Nossa Caipirinha Bar
Los Feliz Brazilian $$
Head to Nossa for superb Brazilian fare including the namesake cocktail, grilled steaks, prawn moqueca and more. Every day from 4 to 6 p.m. you’ll also find discounted food items like fried calamari, a steak-sauced burger and chopped hearts of palm salad. Pair your bites with cocktails for $11 and under, $11 wines and $5 to $8 beers and micheladas. Plus, the spacious sidewalk patio is perfect for postwork people-watching. Stop by on Wednesday evening for vinyl music ranging from Brazilian funk to bossa nova, tropicalia, disco and more.
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(Otoño)
Otoño
Highland Park Spanish $$
Travel to Spain without visiting LAX at this Highland Park favorite known for its updated takes on classics like paella, patatas bravas and more. Stop by for Siesta Hour, which runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and all night Tuesday and Wednesday (bar only), to save on tapas like pan con tomate, croquetas de jamón and boquerones. Food ranges from $5 to $12 and cocktails such as margaritas, negronis and an old-fashioned are all less than $12.
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(Mary Elda)
Queen Street
Eagle Rock Southern Seafood $$
Inspired by his Charleston, S.C., hometown, chef Ari Kolender (Found Oyster) debuted his love letter to raw and wood-fired seafood in Eagle Rock last summer. The recently added Low Tide menu runs every day from 4 to 5:30 p.m and features favorites such as oyster shooters , fried oyster sliders and grilled kanpachi wings, ranging from $4 to $22. Wash it all down with a sake shot and a shorty beer for $10. Enjoy the deal at the interior oyster bar or on the spacious patio on warm days.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Highly Likely
West Adams Eclectic $$
Inspired by her Wisconsin childhood, Kat Turner’s all-day dinette where you can get everything from a fattoush salad to a tuna melt does a 7 Under 7 Hour Monday through Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the West Adams location. Save on bites including fried artichokes and cheese fries for $7 or less, as well as house beer and wines between $5 and $7. The newer Highland Park location does happy hour as well but with slightly different pricing.
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(Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times)
Idle Hour
North Hollywood American $$
We promise you don’t have to time travel back to 1941 to find an affordable meal in this town. Instead, head to the historic North Hollywood spot that first opened that very year and enjoy $7 cocktails and bites from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday to Friday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Choose from dishes such as a flatbread pizza or a Homeboy Bakery pretzel served with queso dip, and cocktails like palomas, mules and an old-fashioned.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Ubuntu
Fairfax West African Soul Food $$
Helmed by acclaimed chef Shenarri “Greens” Freeman, this West African-inspired destination in West Hollywood is known for its innovative plant-based cuisine. Creative dishes such as jackfruit yassa, curry jollof arancini, seitan suya and a charred okra salad are among the stars of Freeman’s groundbreaking menu. Every Tuesday from 5 to 10 p.m., stop by for TwentyTues, which features $22 bottles of wine from Black-owned vintners for guests dining on the delightful garden patio.
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(The Aster)
Lemon Grove
Hollywood Californian $$
Former “Top Chef” contender Marcel Vigneron is helming this rooftop concept atop the glamorous Aster hotel in Hollywood. Take in 360-degree views while you save on bar bites such as charcuterie and cheese, smashburgers, lemon pepper wings, banana cake and more, all under $25 from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Pair your selections with $12 cocktails including a classic Sazerac, dirty martini or whiskey sour, plus $10 house wines and $8 beers.
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(Wonho Frank Lee)
Genghis Cohen
Fairfax Chinese American $$
The retro-inspired Chinese American restaurant on Fairfax channels New York in the 1980s in both setting and menu with dishes like egg foo young, chow mein and wonton soup served to you in a dark, vibey room complete with paper lantern-packed ceilings and an entryway fish tank. Every Tuesday through Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m., stop by to enjoy $8 Szechuan margaritas, mai tais and bloody marys (add an eggroll garnish for $1) alongside $8 glasses of sparkling, white and red wine and $5 Tsing Tao beer. Snacks including egg rolls, fried and steamed dumplings, fried butterfly shrimp and cold sesame noodles are all discounted to $5.
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(Desert 5 Spot)
Desert 5 Spot
Hollywood Bar/Nightclub $$
Tommie Hollywood’s honky-tonk-inspired rooftop bar is doing happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Round up your posse for sunset views as you dig into Outlaw tacos (two for $10), $9 cocktails and $6 beer and wine. The signature cocktails ($12 during happy hour) are all named for famous country songs, including a watermelon-strawberry margarita dubbed Jolene, a whiskey-based drink called The Devil Went Down to Georgia and a mezcal concoction called Walk the Line.
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(Wonho Frank Lee)
Little Fatty
Mar Vista Taiwanese $$
A hat tip to chef David Kuo’s childhood nickname, Mar Vista’s Little Fatty is a destination for Taiwanese soul food adjacent to sibling retail concept Fatty Mart. Stop by for happy hour daily from 5 to 6 p.m and save on snacks like $4 egg rolls or $5 fried dumplings and fried chicken bao, plus $9 wines by the glass and $10 cocktails, including a Japanese highball.
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(Philip Guerette / Gin Rummy)
Gin Rummy
Venice Tiki Bar $$
One part sports bar, one part tiki haunt, this breezy Venice go-to offers up happy hour Wednesday through Sunday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Save on bar food staples such as wings, coconut shrimp and fried calamari. Cocktails such as $10 frozen margaritas and daiquiris, $8 wines and $5 beer are the perfect way to wash away a long week.
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(Emma Arends)
Superfine Playa
Playa Vista Californian Italian $$
The duo behind downtown L.A.’s Rossoblu brought their love of Italy all the way to the beach by opening this Playa Vista concept last spring. The Cal-Italian osteria does happy hour at the bar, communal tables and front patio Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. Choose from dishes such as a cannellini and escarole dip, smashburgers and a fried chicken sandwich with arugula and cabbage slaw, all under $12. Sip on an Amalfi Spritz (limoncello, Prosecco, mint and basil flowers) or an orange and grapefruit paloma for only $11 each, or enjoy wines by the glass for the same price.
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(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Madre Oaxacan Restaurant & Mezcaleria
Valencia Oaxacan $$
A mecca for mezcal lovers, Ivan Vasquez’s Madre restaurant offers Oaxacan-sourced ingredients and recipes from his mother and now has locations in Torrance, Palms, West Hollywood and Santa Clarita, serving more than 400 unique, small-batch mezcals. On the happy hour menu that’s offered Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. at the bar and patio at all four locations, you’ll find both traditional Oaxacan and California-inspired dishes such as elote topped with sal de gusano, tacos stuffed with tasajo, barbacoa or chicharrón, and a shredded chicken enchilada with mole negro. Beverages start at $6 for wine and draft beer, $11 for cocktails including a frozé and a special Mezcal o’Clock flight with three tastings for $21.
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Eat your way across L.A.
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