Do you fit this profile? You get off your job downtown and need to let off some stress with a couple co-workers. You wander the high-rise corridors looking for a decent happy hour, but the concrete jungle quickly turns into a maze. Where do you turn? Lucky for you, we've got your back with our list of happy hours in the Financial District. Consider this your field guide to navigating the rat race with a glass in hand.
When you enter this space, you're greeted by an expansive wall of bottles. Oh, the possibilities. The dim lighting make is a casual, moody place to grab a Happy Hour drink. The basil gimlet is a winner for many, but you're free to enjoy $4 draft beers and well drinks that pour during their HH!
If you're starting your happy Hour early, this is the place. Roomy and casual, their HHs are every weekday starting at 3pm 'til 7pm. Beer and wine are a dollar off, and they host Wayback Wednesdays with even more specials. Music lovers, check out the cassette wall!
Located right under the Hearst Building, this place is any wordsmith's speakeasy dream. Its 20s newpaper theme lends itself to cute decor like typewriters and mood lighting. The logistics of their Happy Hours are, like their location, very concealed, but tons mark it as one of their favorite HH spots. A favorite drink among the creative cocktails is the Yellow Kid which mixes gin, lemon, dill syrup, velvet falernum, vya dry vermouth, and ginger beer.
Novela (662 Mission St)
Whimsical bibliophiles, take note. This cocktail bar features drinks named after famous literary figures, like Hemingway's house punch and the Dread Pirate Roberts, and bookshelves that give it a library feel. They don't have drink specials during their Happy Hour, but oysters are $1 each. For such a sweet spot, that alone is worth taking a trip out to see the place.
If swanky dives didn't sound so contradictory, Tunnel Top would definitely fall in that category. It boasts the dark wood accents and fun chandeliers that you'd see in a bar more upscale, but its neighborhood vibe, occassionally graffitti-ed walls, and mile-long fruity drink list make it a good choice when you want to sit somewhere nice but don't want to shell out the big bucks on cocktails. There's no info online about when their HH is, but we hear it's dirt cheap!
Okay, we partially lied. If you're down to start Happy Hour even earlier than 3, this is your spot. Get to know it. The Royal Exchange hosts a HH from 2-6 on Mondays-Thursdays and on Friday, it's 2-close. They have rotating drinks specials, discounts on beer and wine, and a great beer selection.
Tucked away off Mission (Yes, way down Mission), namesake owners John and Colin provide that great bar ambiance, with brick walls and even an adjoined sushi restaurant Takoba, to make for a great Happy Hour stop. To go with the vacation themes, their menu is arranged like a passport! If you're into the island vibes as you sip some $1 off HH drinks til 7, this may be your place.
Dada (86 2nd St)
This spot is definitely one of those classic downtown dives: a dim, chandelier-lit space with DJ nights, a long beer list, and tons of colorful cocktails. The only things that are not entirely certain from internet research are the ending time of their Happy Hour and their corresponding discounts. It could end any time from 7 to 9, and well drinks might be $4, but that might be outdated. But hey, the surprise of it all will get you in the door, right? It's a charming little spot.
Written by Hailey Simpson
Want to grab something to eat afterwards? Check out our Bay Area Bites Bucket List.
