I’ve decided to start a little side bar for where to find decent happy hour deals. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of reading about places with supposedly “great happy hours,” excitedly pooling all my pennies and change together in my hot little hands, only to pull up a stool at the bar for $6 cocktails. This is not a deal in any sense.
When I think of a happy hour–I’m looking for booze under $5–hopefully including tip, and I’m a generous tipper. I plan on keeping my expectations high.
The first installment in this series will be Barramundi, on the Lower East Side. I’m not usually down in that neighborhood after work, but I should be. In the few hours after work, before the late night, hyped up crowds start to fill bars, this has become my favorite time to relax and have a drink with friends. Well–back to the story. I was down here with two friends after collecting my wallet from the Life Cafe on Ave. B and E. 10th St. (I thought I lost it during an intense brunch session two Sundays ago. Let’s just say, bottomless screwdrivers are never a good thing…) and so we began our search for a happy hour spot. As fellow workers in the publishing industry, we all share my same vision for what constitutes a good happy hour deal. Right before reaching Rivington, we found it–Barramundi, a small, cozy bar filled with lots of tacky, colorful Christmas lights that lit up the little sandwich board outside that read: HAPPY HOUR 6-9 PM. $3 WELL DRINKS, BEERS ON TAP, AND WINE.
SOLD.
As soon as I saw that the mounted deer head decorated with the same delightfully tacky Christmas lights, I knew we had found a good spot. While we were the only patrons in the bar, we didn’t feel out of place. The bartender was really friendly and down to earth, and though we were drinking well vodka, it still tasted like a good pour, with limes floating in the glasses among the bubbles of club. We staked out a cozy booth and chatted over tree-trunk tables as the bar filled in. The electric fireplace next to the stools and ledge by the front window would have been a good spot as well. Friendly crowd, clean bar, good music, great deal.
We left at 11 PM and had no idea where the time went.
Go. Now! If you don’t make it to happy hour, they have specialty cocktails that look great for $8 on any night.
67 Clinton St., near Rivington St.
Confessions Of A Splenda Stealer 
Have you checked out this site?
http://nyc.myopenbar.com/
Such a wonderful happy hour. Perhaps your wallet was lost for a reason. It must have been fate. How else can we explain the fact that not only was your wallet at the Life Cafe, which happens to be one of the spots Rent took place in, but NOTHING was taken from the wallet? Our karma is working wonders.
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