Happy hours around Australia to combat the cost-of-living crisis

The hottest happy hours around Australia make catch-ups with friends more cost-effective.

Read up on the history of happy hour and you will find the phrase may have come from American Naval slang from the 1920s. The Merriam-Webster dictionary also reports the term derives from the Middle English word ‘hap’ which means ‘good luck’.

Regardless of when happy hour entered the lexicon, this period of discounted drinks is a tradition Aussies would like to see continue. Especially given the current #cossylivs (cost-of-living) crisis. Organise your entourage: here is our guide to Australia’s best happy hours which will help make your night out more affordable.

NSW | Vic | SA | WA | Qld | Tas | NT | ACT

NSW

Armorica Grand Brasserie

Sydney’s most sophisticated happy hour is here. It’s dubbed Six Til 6 and it’s an ode to pleasure at Armorica Grand Brasserie, one of the best French restaurants in Sydney. The 150-seat restaurant by Andrew Becher is the sister venue to Franca and Parlar in Potts Point, two of Sydney’s finest destination diners led by superstar executive chef Jose Saulog.

While the restaurant named after an ancient Celtic region in France is best known for its spectacular seafood tower and dishes kissed with fire over the custom-built Josper grill, it also appeals to the spontaneous who want to sit at the bar and enjoy the steal of the season. The happy hour here is from 4pm to 6pm daily and features $6 glasses of rosé by the glass and charcuterie items starting at $6. It’s the perfect spot for a #girldinner or TGIF with your workies. With its leather banquettes and booths and acres of marble it feels like a portal to a grand brasserie in Paris. Chin-chin.

Address: Shop 1 & 2/490 Crown St, Surry Hills

Queen Margherita of Savoy

The term #cossylivs was named Word of the Year by Macquarie Dictionary in 2023 thanks to the cost-of-living crisis being front of mind for most Australians.

Make it to the family-run pizza joint Queen Margherita of Savoy in Cronulla between 5pm and 6pm Tuesday to Sunday and the happy hour will send some sunlight your way thanks to the $15 Limoncello spritzers and $22 Margherita pizzas.

Address: Shop 9, 2 Surf Road, Cronulla

Pier Bar at Pier One Sydney Harbour

What could be better than a happy hour with budget-friendly bevvies and oysters overlooking Sydney Harbour?

Every weekday, between 5pm and 6pm, the crowd at Pier Bar swells with punters inhaling $2 oysters and a range of drinks. For $12 you can enjoy a negroni, margarita and old-fashioned or an $8 draught beer. Don’t forget to share the experience on Instagram. It’s an afternoon of guaranteed perfection.

Address: 11 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Bar Besuto

The first half of 2024 is forecast to hurt the hip pocket. So big ups to Bar Besuto for its Highball Happy Hour(s) where there’s plenty of value to be had for $12. Add some nori-salted fries into the mix for $18 and you’ve basically got yourself a #girldinner.

After indulging in the two-hour happy hour, on offer from 4pm until 6pm Tuesday to Saturday, stay for the very considered Besuto Omakase experience next door.

Address: 3 Underwood St, Sydney

Easy Tiger

It’s worth flagging that dinner with the family at Easy Tiger in Bondi Beach should be punctuated by a swim in one of the most popular sea pools in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Easy Hour extends from 5pm to 6pm from Wednesday to Sunday when diners wanting an early dinner are offered 25 per cent off the bill.

The banquet at Easy Tiger is also a sweet deal with five dishes (including rice) on offer for just $49 per person. Suck back a schooey while dining at the South-East Asian eating house, which is home to Beach Beer Bondi.

Address: 182 Campbell Parade, Sydney

Jane

There’s a real sense of community at Jane during Australiano hour where locals gather for $8 spritzes, $10 martinis and VB stubbies for $6 and $8 glasses of wine.

Hoist yourself onto one of the stools at the Surry Hills bar to knock back a few oysters drizzled in a desert lime mignonette ($2 each) or duck croquette with mustard and tarragon ($6). Chef Beth Patterson makes judicious use of native ingredients in dishes such as the signature ‘roo tartare with bush chutney for $15. Get amongst it.

Address: 478 Bourke St, Surry Hills

Parlour

Office occupancy is back. And Parlour is offering suits and ties a pause between the end of their shift and the commute home with Afternoon Aperitivo sessions.

The bar on the ground floor of QT Sydney is also filled with theatregoers who pop in pre-show for the $2 freshly shucked oysters and $14 classic martinis. Afternoon Aperitivo is held at the French bistro within the funky Gowings building from 4pm to 6pm daily.

Address: 49 Market St, Sydney

Jackalberry

Jackalberry is a bit of a chi-chi oasis within the Hyatt Regency Sydney. The bar housed within an elegant sandstone heritage building takes its cues from botanicals around the world. And there’s a lot to unpack, with various artefacts and curios dotted about the space.

Happy hour extends from 4pm to 5.30pm Monday to Friday with $9 house wines, beer and mini cocktails the order of the day. Keep the good times rolling at the hotel’s Sailmaker Restaurant where the Seafarer Dinner (Thursday to Sunday) is a value-add at $89 per person. Or climb to Level 12’s Zephyr, one of the best rooftop bars in Sydney.

Address: 161 Sussex St, Sydney

The Rockley Pub

Matt Moran’s The Rockley Pub has a monopoly on good times in the country town of Rockley, just a half-hour drive from Bathurst.

The country pub, one of the best in NSW’s Central West, has taken the TGIF concept and used it as a formula to rock the Rockley every Friday between 4pm and 6pm. That’s when you can pick up a $6 buck schooner or house wine. Rock up in your best flanno to blend in on Local Wednesdays when you can procure a burger, schooner or house wine for $25.

Address: 2 Budden St, Rockley

Bar Patrón

Expect brilliant bar food and killer cocktails during Patrón Hour at Bar Patrón by Rockpool. Sure, you’re likely to share the venue with Trust Fund Babies indulging in the millionaire’s cocktail for one at a pricey $100 a glass. But those without a rich benefactor will still feel exceptionally privileged with a $12 signature or spicy margarita in hand.

As well as being loud and lively, there’s a lot to love about the LGBTQIA+-friendly Mexican restaurant down by Circular Quay.

Address: 2 Phillip St, Sydney

Vic

Amphlett House

If you’re strategic, you’ll have arrived early and settled into one of the velvet couches in Amphlett House at the Laneways by Ovolo Hotel. The bar and bistro on Little Bourke St instantly induces a convivial party vibe due to its proximity to Melbourne’s buzzy theatre district.

Kick-off Friday drinks early by shouting a round of drinks for your colleagues. At $5 for a schooner of Better Beer and $5 for wines on tap, you’ll have a bit of extra cash to splash out on flank steak and frites for dinner.

Address: 19 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

Neighbourhood Wine

Out on the patio, we sit. With an affordable aperitivo in hand thanks to the new Patio Aperitivo offering at Neighbourhood Wine in Melbourne’s Fitzroy. Patio diners receive a complimentary snack with each drink purchased every day between 4pm and 6pm.

Wallet-friendly snacks on the seasonal menu include Robbins Island wagyu, bone marrow and sourdough crackers, Pacific oysters and honeydew melon and capocollo. Drinks in the Patio Aperitivo offer include all wines by the glass, beers and cocktails such as the Venetian Spritz.

Address: 1 Reid St, Fitzroy North

Saké Hamer Hall

Given Saké is named in honour of the Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice, it makes sense that the restaurant hosts Saké Hour. Enjoy saké served warm in small porcelain cups at Saké Hamer Hall from Tuesday to Sunday, 4pm to 5pm.

The value-packed hour of power combines contemporary Japanese bite-sized bar snacks such as edamame ($5) and chicken karaage ($10) with a saké of the week for $20. There are also happy hours in Sydney Saké venues in The Rocks, Double Bay and Manly Wharf.

Address: 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne

Brick Lane Market at QVM

Is it ever too early for oysters? Tease your taste receptors in this exciting new upstairs space at the Queen Victoria Market (QVM) in Melbourne, which has a great special from noon every Sunday.

You won’t need to deploy the debit card when you hoist yourself onto a seat on the raw bar at Brick Lane for $2.50 oysters and $9 pints of One Love Pale Ale and Hi-Fi Lager. The two-storey venue has a 150-seat sunny terrace overlooking QVM. Plump for a beer-tasting paddle for $18.

Address: 456 Queen St, Melbourne

Chin Chin

Cocktails have well and truly made a comeback. And you’d expect nothing less than killer cocktails with a cheeky twist at Chin Chin, the buzz-worthy hawker-style diner serving crowd-pleasing pan-Asian fare in Melbourne’s oh-so-funky Flinders Lane.

It’s GoGo that has the goods: head downstairs to enjoy late-arvo tunes with ooh-la-la libations such as the $9.50 Lady Bunny and Ivanna Drink cocktails alongside the signature kingfish sashimi. There are limited spots available for cocktail hour.

Address: 125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Vapiano

The folk at Vapiano nail the vibe thanks to the daily happy hour delivering on a deal that includes $20 jugs and pizzas between 4pm and 6pm. Pair a plate of briny bivalve molluscs with a signature cocktail or two at the easy-going bar and eatery which also has best-in-class bread bowls loaded with pasta.

Vapiano VIPS will know that all wines are half price and tap beers are only $6 at the pasta and pizza bar, which has 10 venues dotted across the city.

Address: 334 Flinders Lane

SA

arkhé

Enjoy a bit of after-work revelry in Adelaide with a round of tiny ‘tinis. Aperitivo Hour at arkhé runs from 5pm to 7pm Friday to Sunday.

In addition to the $10 tiny ‘tinis, there are three rotating aperitivo-style bar bites such as gildas, pickled mussels, nduja crisps and smoked kangaroo jerky. It’s worth noting that the tiny ‘tinis feature Never Never Triple Juniper Gin or Grey Goose Vodka – clean, dirty or pickled.

Address: 127 The Parade, Norwood

Harry’s Bar on Grenfell

The party’s always peaking at Harry’s Bar on Grenfell where you can enjoy $7 wines, base spirits and tap pints daily between 4pm and 6pm for Everyday Happy Hour. Bags a bar stool at the heritage-listed venue that caters to time-poor corporates who want to have a quick knock-off drink and dinner.

While the lower-cost libations are for cert a lure, there are specials on most nights such as the $14 schnitzels on Monday and Tuesday nights and the $18 rump steak.

Address: 12 Grenfell St, Adelaide

SkyCity

Knock off early to get a spot in prime position at one of four SkyCity Adelaide bars for $4 drinks from 4pm on weekdays. The District, Chandelier Bar, Westward and The Guardsman all participate in happy hour. This includes $5 drinks from 5pm and $6 drinks from 6pm to 7pm Monday to Friday.

SkyCity Adelaide is housed in the SA capital’s historic Railway Station building. The wining, dining and entertainment precinct is on the north edge of the Adelaide city centre.

Address: North Terrace, Adelaide

The Colonist

Enjoy your daily coffee in the form of $7 espresso martinis at The Colonist in the neighbourhood of Norwood on Sundays between 3pm and 5pm. The historic pub has been sitting on The Parade in Norwood since 1951.

And while espresso martinis might initially lure folks to The Colonist, it’s the menu strong on classics such as the chicken burger and 450g rump steak that adds to the pub’s attributes. We’re chalking this happy hour up as a success.

Address: The Parade, Norwood

WA

The Generous Squire

The Generous Squire is a generous benefactor to the thirsty people of Perth. The microbrewery, bar, dining hall and gastropub is all smooshed together into one big, tasty smoothie.

The multi-faceted space has a happy hour from Monday to Friday between 5pm and 6pm with access to as-you-wish $9 pints from the full in-house James Squire range. Break out your worst tee on Thursdays so you can get down and dirty with sticky pork ribs with chips and slaw for $15 for BBQ Ribs Thursdays.

Address: 397 Murray St, Perth

Wolf Lane

Happy hour at Wolf Lane is always a howling success. Swing by this dinky little CBD bolthole between 4.30pm and 5.30pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday for $8 Swan Draft beer and $8 house wines.

While happy hour makes a great first impression at Wolf Lane, the vibe at the den hidden down a laneway in the hip heart of the city will lure you to linger longer. And if happy hour alone doesn’t win you friends and influence, the old-school hip hop served up every second Friday almost certainly will.

Address: 321 Murray St, Perth

Naut

Apologies to the rest of Australia but WA’s happy hours positions Perth in the top tier. Enjoy all the $1.50 buffalo wings you can handle at Wednesday Wings night. It’s just one of many rotating specials on offer at Naut, all of which are designed to address the #cossylivs crisis.

Add to this the lunch special of a cheeseburger, chips and pint for $25. And the Sunday session where you can enjoy Aperol spritzers for $12 a pop. Check their Instagram to see the latest wallet-friendly specials.

Address: 1/134 Parkway Rd, Bibra Lake

Rodney’s Bait ’N’ Tackle

Grab your fisho friends and head to Rodney’s for something a little more casual and low-key located between the coast and the Swan River. The bar offers punters $2.50 off all drinks plus specials such as $25 fish ‘n’ chips on Wednesdays and a $22 steak sanga on Thursdays.

The bar is housed in a locally built 1950s timber cruiser, The Maevon, which was rescued and fitted out with fishing industry flotsam by two long-time hospos Nathan Nisbet and Scott Kociuruba. Yes, bait and tackle are also on offer.

Address: 598 Stirling Highway, Mosman Park

Qld

Fiume

Fiume is one of the best rooftop bars in Australia. And a thrifty start to your night out should begin here at the bar on the rooftop of Crystalbrook Vincent overlooking the Brisbane River and Story Bridge.

Order an Aperol Spritz here every Friday, from 4pm to 6pm, and receive a plate of olives, brioche or polenta wedges at $10 per plate. Forget stuffy hotel bars of old. Fiume has finessed the concept and made it cost-effective to boot.

Address: 5 Boundary St, Brisbane

Mr Percival’s

Those in pursuit of one of Brisbane’s best happy hours should head to Mr Percival’s, one of the gems at Howard Smith Wharves. The venue continues to shine some six years after it opened especially when the sun is setting during Aperitivo Hour in the late afternoon.

Snag a spot at Mr Percival’s between 3pm and 5pm Monday to Friday to catch the sun painting the sky dusky pink and casting long silhouettes over the serpentine river. Stick around for wood-fired pizza, burgers and snacks.

Address: 5 Boundary St, Brisbane

Buffalo Bar

Skip breakfast and head straight to the Buffalo Bar between 11am and 3pm Monday to Friday for a burger with either a pint or a schooner of its selected tap beer.

The Buffalo Bar offers a slice of Americana in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD. And what better place to start to understand the food that hails from the US than with a burger and beer. The Buffalo Bar also excels at wings, smoked meats and classic parmis.

Address: 169 Mary St, Brisbane

Hey Chica

The Valley is a vibe. Especially when you stumble across a bar like Hey Chica which is a crowd-pleasing proposition during happy hour. Get your fix of tacos every Tuesday for $6 a pop. Or end the working week with discounted drinks between 4pm and 6pm on Fridays.

Our round-up of best bars for happy hour in Brisbane is always going to include a place to raise a glass or two to a soundtrack of Latin music. Expect DJs. Pink flamingo motifs. And a playful, passionate sensory overload.

Address: 315 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

Tas

Society Salamanca

This subterranean space has a carefully curated collection of gin and whisk(e)y on display in the backlit bar. Society Salamanca was Hobart’s first underground cocktail bar when it opened in 2015. And while the bar boom in the Tasmanian capital continues, it’s worth hurtling down the stairs into this hidden space for happy hour.

It’s held on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 5pm and 6pm and Fridays and Saturdays between 4pm and 6pm. The happy hour menu includes a weekly special for $10, or cocktails such as a gin and tonic and dark and stormy for $7.50.

Address: 22 Montpelier Retreat, Battery Point

The Deck

One of Hobart’s best rooftop bars, The Deck is dedicated to delivering discounted drinks during its abundant happy hour between 4pm and 6pm Monday to Friday.

Thrifty travellers looking for a great night out in Hobart will also appreciate the affordable nibbles on offer with a drink purchase. It’s a next-level good spot for lingering over libations.

There are $8 house wines on offer during happy hour as well as small bites such as caprese salad and grilled calamari, pizza and pasta.

Address: Level 4/110 Liverpool St, Hobart

Bar Wa Izakaya

The good folk at Bar Wa Izakaya help combat the #cossylivs blues with a half-price oyster menu every day between 4pm and 6pm. The atmospheric izakaya is like a portal to a grungy Tokyo drinking den: all hushed tones, neon signage and dim lighting.

Bar Wa Izakaya exemplifies what happy hour is all about. Forget binge drinking. It’s about punters coming together to support our hard-working hospos when we’re all feeling the pinch. Enjoy a few oysters followed by a bowl of warming ramen and finish with an indulgent glass of single malt whisky.

Address: 216-218 Elizabeth St, Tokyo

Birdcage Bar

Fifty years on, the Birdcage Bar remains a colourful, quirky venue that celebrates the heartbeat of Hobart. The soundtrack here looks to the greats such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald and Dusty Springfield for inspiration. And the velvet blue curtains and assortment of birdcages are indicative of the vibe.

Birdcage Bar is within Wrest Point, home to a rotating roster of entertainment. It has two daily happy hours: 6pm to 7pm and 9pm to 10pm.

Address: 410 Sandy Bay Road, Hobart

NT

Charlie’s of Darwin

Be ready for some colour at Charlie’s of Darwin. Charlie’s has one of Darwin’s best rooftop bars overlooking leafy Raintree Park. It is also home to one of the city’s most gleeful happy hours thanks to its broad spectrum of locals and visitors.

The breezy, rustic venue is laid-back Darwin in all its tropical glory. Join in-the-know backpackers who arrive at approximately 4.21pm to take advantage of the specials on cocktails and food. Charlie’s is home to a restaurant, gin bar and distillery so you can blend your own 500ml bottle to take home.

Address: 56 Smith St, Darwin

The Deck Bar

Couples, families and sunburnt backpackers descend on this open-air terrace that gives this Darwin bar its name. Ask the mixologists to swizzle you up a mojito or margarita during happy hour in this expansive space overlooking the city’s Parliament House.

The Deck Bar is like a Russian doll, disassembling to reveal a buzzing bar, cosy corners and Darwin’s largest deck. It’s prudent to check the #deckbardarwin hashtag for inspiration. Expect $7 schooners, $6 house wines, $6 spirits and pints from Friday to Sunday from 5pm.

Address: 22 Mitchell St, Darwin

Hotel Darwin

Welcome to the Northern Territory where happy hour is on from 4pm every day at The Hotel Darwin. Feed your thirst with schooners, house wines and house spirits discounted on the daily.

We’d loved to have been a fly on the wall at The Hotel Darwin mixologist meetings to figure out how the Naked Barman and Strawberry Lipstick came to be. The ideas lab also made sure the bar followed the formula for a successful laid-back, low-key hideaway from the heat. Success.

Address: 39 Mitchell St, Darwin

Monsoons

Welcome to Monsoons where you will find a motley crew of creatives, musos, backpackers and locals who congregate here in one big mosh pit for Nightstarters until 9pm every day. Want to ditch the dating apps and meet someone in real life? Monsoons is where it’s at.

Bring your dancing shoes: in between $6 schooners and $8 house spirits, and $10 cocktail Monsoons doubles as a spot for a boogie. Head to La Cantina on Tuesdays for wallet-friendly $2.50 tacos between 5pm and 10pm.

Address: 46 Mitchell St, Darwin

ACT

Leyla Bar

This rooftop bar atop the Burbury Hotel in Barton is considered to be in Canberra’s dress circle. Designed by award-winning Luchetti Krelle, Leyla Bar is giving ‘summer in the Mediterranean’ vibes. The elegant lounge caters to a sophisticated crowd of politicians and visiting rock royalty. A seat on the leather lounge is highly coveted and ideal for sunset when the weekly drink specials kick in.

Sunset Hour is held every Tuesday to Sunday between 4.30pm and 6.30pm when select cocktails are $15 and house wine and sparkling and select tap beer $10. Stay at the nearby Hotel Realm.

Address: 1 Burbury Close, Barton

Wakefield’s Bar and Wine

This neighbourhood bar and bistro is filled with laughter and chat thanks to the Ainslie locals who congregate here on the daily. It’s that kind of place.

Wakefield’s, considered to be one of the best bars in Canberra, doles out the deals every Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm to 6.30pm. Sample the best oysters from the NSW South Coast, best appreciated with a $5 house drink and $10 cocktail of the month.

Address: Shop 2/1 Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie

Midnight Bar

In winter, the Midnight Bar invites patrons to snuggle into a cosy chair by a gas fireplace. In summer, you can take a seat near the soaring windows in the bar and watch the passing parade on Northbourne Avenue. The Midnight Bar is on the ground floor of the Midnight Hotel, part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection.

Golden Hour specials run between 4pm and 6pm every day with $10 bubbles, red or white wine, $8 Bentspoke Brewing Co schooners and $12 cocktails. The $15 savoury plates of salumi and pickles are also a class act.

Address: Ground Floor/1 Elouera St, Braddon

The Pearl

Canberra punches well above its weight when it comes to swanky bars. Spend the day checking out Canberra’s world-class wineries or cultural icons and then converge here for cocktails during happy hour.

The Pearl is a popular meeting point for casual catch-ups with friends. It’s also affordable with $15 cocktails and $6 house spirits, wine and beer. It’s the perfect prelude to dinner at Wilma next door. The name Wilma is a nod to the fact almost everything on the menu has been kissed by fire. It’s one of the best restaurants in the ACT.

Address: 1 Genge St, Canberra

Always drink responsibly.