Toronto’s best happy hours
Our favourites places for discounted drinks
More daily deals
Toronto is home to plenty of bars and restaurants offering discounted snacks and drinks during certain hours of certain days. They’re even legally allowed to call such occasions “happy hours” now. But the problem is knowing where to go and when. We’ve rounded up the best places in the city for after-work (or mid-afternoon, in some cases) bites and beverages.
Amano
The Union Station pasta joint—located steps from the GO platforms—pours Henry of Pelham wine for just $1 per ounce every weekday between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. during its Aperitivo Hour. Also: $6 barrel-aged negronis and $5 assagini (small plates) like pickled anchovies on crostini, genoa salami with piquillo salsa and goat’s cheese with poached figs. Union Station, 65 Front St. W., 647-350-0092, amanopasta.eatamano.com
Baro
Fiesta Hour is in full swing from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday at Steve Gonzalez’s Latin lounge on King West. A selection of bites and drinks go for just five bucks at Pablo’s Snack House, located on the second floor of the restaurant. 485 King St. W., 416-363-8388, barotoronto.com
Bar Buca
Every weeknight between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., both of Rob Gentile’s fancy Italian snack bars serve a selection of complimentary Italian snacks like house-made focaccia, cured meats, grilled vegetables and formaggio with the purchase of any cocktail. 75 Portland St. and 101 Eglinton Ave. E., buca.ca/bar
Bar Neon
This Bloordale local offers $1 oysters and $5 draft beers from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every single day, alongside their regular Mediterranean-inspired menu of dips and snacks. 1226 Bloor St. W., 647-748-6366, barneon.ca
Bar Reyna and Reyna on King
At both the Yorkville and Corktown locations of this Mediterranean cocktail bar, guests can sip on half-price glasses of wine every weekday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. And exclusive to the Yorkville spot is the bar’s “Make It Reign” special when bar rail and beer go for $5 after 11 p.m. 158 Cumberland St., 647-748-4464, barreyna.com; 354 King St. E., 416-546-3155, reynaonking.com
Beast
The Beast 120— that’s 120 minutes of food and drink deals—goes down Wednesday through Saturday between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. For it, there’s always a selection of wine and sake, negronis, plus Ace Hill or Henderson’s beer for $5. And to snack while sipping, there’s a rotating food menu of five-buck bites that may include chorizo tostadas, loaded fries or smoked elk sliders. 96 Tecumseth St., 647-352-6000, thebeastrestaurant.com
Brickworks Ciderhouse
The popular Toronto-based cider company has its very own bar in the east end, with happy hour deals Sunday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. until close. Brickworks offers their classic Batch:1904 cider and Mill Street Organic beer, plus tabbouleh hummus or hand-cut fries, all for just $5 each. Specialty ciders, like the Mint Basil and Rosemary Gin, plus plates of chicken wings and pulled pork poutine are just $7. 709 Queen St. E., 647-341-4500, theciderhouse.ca
Cactus Club
Head to this two-level Financial District lounge any day of the week between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Sunday to Thursday 10 p.m. until close for a whole bunch of cheap booze and snacks. The best of the bunch: $6 pours of house wine, $4 glasses of Longboard Lager, $7.25 bellinis, $10.25 negronis and truffle fries for $4. And on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every single bottle of wine on the menu is half off. 77 Adelaide St. W., 647-748-2025, cactusclubcafe.com
The Carbon Bar
Every weekday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., Social Hour at this barbecue joint and cocktail bar on Queen East means discounted drinks, including $10 old fashioneds and $6 glasses of wine, alongside complimentary bar snacks like blistered shishito peppers. 99 Queen St. E., 416-947-7000, thecarbonbar.ca
CRAFT Beer Market
Given its location at Yonge and Adelaide, come five o’clock, this mammoth 400-seat beer hall is a veritable sea of suits. But it’s worth joining the fray for the bar’s daily deals. Happy hour happens Monday to Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m and 9 p.m. until close, and all-freaking-day every Sunday. Mondays bring $10 six-sample flights, Tuesdays mean $6 local IPAs and half-price bottles of rosé, Wednesdays are for $6 local pints and $9 pounds of wings, all on-tap wine is half-price every Thursday, and some beers and snacks (fish tacos, brisket sliders) go as low as $4 on Fridays and Sundays. 1 Adelaide St. E., 437-922-2337, craftbeermarket.ca/toronto
The Drake Hotel
One of the city’s original hot spots offers $5 “afternoon delights” from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Such delights include house wine, basic mixed drinks, fries, olives and plant-based sushi. And for $10, the bar will make you a Moscow mule, a mojito or an old fashioned. 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042, thedrake.ca/thedrakehotel
Famoso
This popular Annex pizzeria has daily drink deals from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. until close, including Benchmark beers, 5-ounce pours of the house red or white, and 1-ounce highballs for a mere $4. And rotating food specials start at 4 p.m. every day of the week. 386 Bloor St. W., 647-748-2333, famoso.ca
Goods and Provisions
From opening hour until 7 p.m. every night, this cozy east-end eatery sells glasses of wine and select cocktails for $10, plus two-buck bivalves. 1124 Queen St. E., 647-340-1738, goodsandprovisionsrestaurant.com
Hy’s Steakhouse
After closing for almost a year, Hy’s is back in a big way. Sure it’s a steakhouse, but it also has a great weekday happy hour between 4 and 6 p.m. with live entertainment, special drink deals and 30 per cent off food. Get cozy in the lounge with a discounted cocktail and some of the brand’s signature cheese toast. 365 Bay St., 416-364-6600, hyssteakhouse.com
Insomnia
This beloved Bloor and Bathurst hang entices an early crowd with 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. specials every dang day. Five-dollar dips (guacamole, hummus and salsa) can be scooped up with an order of $4 tortilla chips, and enjoyed alongside half-priced Innis & Gunn IPAs or red, wine by the glass or bottle. They also have pretty chock-full charcuterie and cheese boards at $18 and $21, respectively, for those wanting a more substantial snack to share. 563 Bloor St. W., 416-588-3907, insomniarestaurant.com
King Taps
This Financial District favourite has no shortage of daily deals. There’s a selection of rotating beer, mixed drinks and wine specials, as well as discounted dishes like $5 tacos. Take it all in from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday to Saturday, from 9 p.m. to close daily, and all-day Sunday. 100 King St. W., 647-361-2025, kingtaps.com
Leña
O&B’s Argentine restaurant inside Saks does happy hour every Monday to Saturday from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. Guests can sit in the stylish art-deco-inspired room and sip on signature cocktails ($10), Liberty Commons Lager ($5) and select wines by the glass ($9). An order of empanadas goes well with just about any of them. 176 Yonge St., 416-507-3378, lenarestaurante.com
Liberty Commons
O&B’s brewpub in Liberty Village has daily deals from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., including $4.50 pints of Big Rock Brewery’s Alberta Genuine Draft, $9 Pimm’s Cups, $7 glasses of feature red and white wines, and loaded nachos for just $9. 42 Liberty St., 416-304-9403, libertycommons.ca
Luma
During “Magic Hour,” as Luma calls it, manhattans and select martinis go for just $6 each Monday-Saturday between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., so you can go after work and still have plenty of time to down a couple discounted drinks before catching a flick at the Lightbox. 350 King St. W., 2nd Floor, 647-288-4715, lumarestaurant.com
Mattachioni
Nestled on Dupont just east of Dundas, David Mattachioni’s most excellent bakery and pizzeria does Aperitivo Hour during the week from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., when classic 3-ounce cocktails are just $7. There aren’t any food specials, but the regular-priced $6 olive-and-sourdough basket is a great deal. 1617 Dupont St., 416-519-1010, mattachioni.com
Northwood
This long-standing Christie Pits cocktail bar offers a variety of signature cocktails for $2 off between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. during the week. Craft beers from the likes of Woodhouse and Dieu du Ciel are also $2 off from 5 p.m until 7 p.m. 815 Bloor St. W., northwoodto.ca
Oretta
From 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. daily, Oretta serves up Italian bites like tomato-basil crostini, beef tartare and calamari fritti for under $10 during its Aperitivo Hour. To drink, there are $5 glasses of wine, $7 negronis and $9 old fashioneds. 633 King St. W., 416-944-1932, oretta.to
Paradise Grapevine
This wine bar housed in what was once a Greek diner pours trendy natural wines and local craft beers for only $10 and $6 a glass (respectively) every day between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Bonus: Their hidden garden–like back patio is heated. 841 Bloor St. W., 416-536-7178, paradisegrapevine.com
Pearl Diver
Over in St. Lawrence, this seafood spot does what they like to call Zinc and Drink every day before 6 p.m. and after 10 p.m. This translates to a dozen oysters (shucker’s choice!) for $19.99 alongside cheap pints of Wellington beer or glasses of Tawse wine. 100 Adelaide St. E., 416-366-7827, pearldiver.to
The Pint Public House
Over by the Rogers Centre, this big sports bar and wing emporium has all kinds of drink deals, including select beer, wine and cocktails for $6 every day between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Go on Wednesday to tack on a $5 order of wings (and a $39 table keg of domestic beer). 277 Front St. W., 647-340-6395, thepintto.com
Prohibition Gastropub
Every day from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. until 11 p.m., this Queen East classic does $5.75 Hooch Hour drinks, including all bar rail, all beers and a selection of wines. 696 Queen St. E., 416-406-2669, myprohibition.com
Wide Open
For cheap, no-frills drinks, look no further than Wide Open. Daily deals include $4 everything on Mondays, $5 mixed drinks and $15 pitchers on Fridays and Saturdays, and a mere $2.75 for all drinks between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. every Thursday. Don’t forget to hydrate. 139A Spadina Ave., 416-551-7099, wideopenbar.ca
Know of another great happy hour? Let us know at food@torontolife.com
