Written by Rebecca Felgate, featured image: Luma
Sure, we might be biased, but we think that Toronto’s Entertainment District is the best area in the city for excellent food and drink spots, especially when it comes to Happy Hours! We have a whole host of bars and restaurants with daily special offers right here in our stomping ground. If you have plans to see a game, concert or show and are looking to make your day out that little bit more special, or if you’re simply in the neighbourhood looking to feast, we have made a list of a few of our favourite spots with excellent Happy Hour menus.
Shore Club’s Low Tide Cocktail Hour is the play for all lovers of seafood and Old Fashioneds. Running Monday – Saturday 4 pm – 6 pm, fine and fresh oysters are half price, which you can pair with a glass of sparkling wine for $8, an Old Fashioned for $10, or a sommelier selected sip for $10. Other light fare and refreshing drinks can be enjoyed in style at the sweeping Wellington Street location.
Feeling snacky? Lavelle has you covered with ½ priced bar bites from Monday – Friday from 5-7pm. Tasty morsels aside; if you’re planning to document your jaunt to the Entertainment District on the ‘gram then note that Lavelle has one of the best views of the city! It doesn’t get more “Toronto” than the iconic view of the CN Tower from Lavelle’s amazing rooftop patio. Oh, and rest assured, the menu comes beautifully presented too. Visiting in the summer? How does Happy Hour and a dip in the pool sound? Excellent, right? Right!
Putting the “cocktail” in “Cocktail Hour”, Luma proffers an excellent selection of sips for just $8, including the trending Negroni Sbagliato, and riffs on both the classic Espresso Martini and Manhattan. Bar bites can also be accompanied by $9 glasses of wine and $8 offerings of Kölsch. Sounds like magic? It sure is! The kind of magic that lasts for four hours! Luma’s Magic Hour runs Tuesday to Saturday from 4-8 pm. Sold!
The Parlour offers an extensive Happy Hour menu seven days a week from 3 pm – 6pm. An array of bites, such as the Hippie Flip bruschetta, steak carpaccio, half salmon tartare and a half rack of ribs are priced between $11 – $12. Highballs are heavily in vogue at the moment and will set you back just $7.50. House wine is served up for $1.50 per ounce and Mill Street Lager is available for $7.50.
We’re all for an Aperitivo here in the Entertainment District, and adore Oretta’s. A true gem along the King West strip, Oretta has three Happy Hour price points at $6, $9 and $12 delivered from a wide menu of bites and sips. Prosecco for $6 sounds like an excellent decision to us, with olives and bruschetta available for the same price. The $9 menu includes a selection of pizzettas and a divine fried artichoke dish, which can be washed down with $9 Aperol Spritzes, Peronis and more. $12 will get you a choice of bianca or rossa sangria (hello patio season!), Botanist Negronis and more. Food-wise, there are more elevated pizzetta offerings as well as calamari, a meat board and an authentic house-made Pomodoro. Saluti!
Want more? We got you! You can also find some awesome happy hour deals at the following spots*
- Melrose on Adelaide: Daily 2pm-6pm
- Añejo Restaurant: Daily 3pm-5pm and 10pm-midnight
- Shore Club: Monday-Saturday 4pm-6pm
- Pablo’s Snack House: Tuesday-Saturday 5pm-7pm
- The Parlour: 7 days a week 3pm-6pm
- Luma: Tuesday-Saturday 4pm-8pm
- Ruby Soho Bar: Monday-Friday 3pm-7pm
- The Keg: Daily from 6pm
- Fox on John: All day Thursday
- Lavelle: Monday-Friday 5pm-7pm
- Oretta: Monday-Friday 4pm-6pm
- Lobster Burger Bar: Tuesday-Friday 2pm-5pm
- Elephant and Castle: Monday-Friday 2pm-5pm, 10pm-close
- Piccolo Caffe E Vino: Monday-Friday 11am-4pm
- Dasha Toronto: Dim Sum & Chill, Monday-Friday 5pm-7pm
*Check above hours directly with restaurants to confirm accuracy