Gourmet happy hours

Aroma Kitchen & Winebar
On weekdays from 5 to 7pm, Aroma's $15 aperitivo special buys you a taste of three sommelier-selected wines and a selection of excellent antipasti (anything from cheeses and cured meats to crostini with roasted beets) to pair them with. 36 E 4th St between Bowery and Lafayette St (212-375-0100, aromanyc.com)

Cornelius
This corner hangout offers not one but two $1-oyster happy hours Tuesday through Thursday: from 5 to 7pm and again from 10pm until closing. Bonus: They're $1 all day on Mondays, too. 565 Vanderbilt Ave at Pacific St, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-398-6662, corneliusbrooklyn.com)

Cucina di Pesce
Around 5pm each night, this neighborhood Italian joint sets out a big bowl of garlicky, rustic mussels marinara on a hot plate for bar patrons to help themselves to—and it's replenished all night long. The wine list is a deal too: Glasses start at $6, and not a one costs more than $10. 87 E 4th St between Second and Third Aves (212-260-6800, cucinadipesce.com)

Fatty Crab
From 4 to 7pm on weekdays, get a taste of the modern Malaysian restaurant's menu at the bar, where for $5 you can get an order of addictive steamed pork buns (normally $11) or Southeast Asian spiced--pork-and-beef sliders (normally $9). Save room for the chili-dusted Jalan Alor chicken wings, a plate of which costs $4 (usually $7). 2170 Broadway between 76th and 77th Sts (212-496-2722, fattycrab.com)

The Habitat
Beyond cool ski-lodge stylings, the Habitat offers $5 bowls of top-notch mac and cheese (elbow noodles baked with white cheddar, Asiago and a sprinkle of bread crumbs; normally $8) from 4 to 7pm daily and all day Mondays. The $10 nightly special, meanwhile, is two house-made empanadas, served with a salad and a glass of citrusy sangria. 988 Manhattan Ave between Huron and India Sts, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (718-383-5615, thehabitatbrooklyn.com)

Keens Steakhouse
The bar here is worth the trip for the nude portrait of Miss Keen alone, but it also has amazing freebies: From 5:30 to 7pm on weekdays, there's a different snack free for the taking—past offerings have included meatballs, barbecued spareribs and drunken shrimp—in addition to the hard-boiled eggs and pretzels available all the time. 72 W 36th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-947-3636, keens.com)

Melt
Top Chef season-four alum Mark Simmons serves up one juicy bar special every day: $10 for a beer and a grass-fed beef burger topped with aged cheddar, roasted tomatoes and house-made pickles that would normally cost $15. 440 Bergen St between Flatbush and Fifth Aves, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-230-5925, meltnyc.com)

The Mermaid Inn
and Mermaid Oyster Bar Not only does this seafood minichain have $1 oysters at the bar every night from 5:30 to 7pm, but on Mondays there's also the $20 blue-plate special: a lobster roll, Old Bay fries and a draft beer of your choosing. 96 Second Ave between 5th and 6th Sts (212-674-5870, themermaidnyc.com) * 568 Amsterdam Ave between 87th and 88th Sts (212-799-7400) * 79 MacDougal St between Bleecker and W Houston Sts (212-260-0100)

Sora Lella
Order a $13 Negroni or Aperol Spritz at the bar from 5 to 8pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, and you can nosh on a free sampling of snacks, like bruschette brushed with tomato sauce, fat potato-and-pancetta croquettes, and omelettes. 300 Spring St between Hudson and Renwick Sts (212-366-4749, soralellanyc.com)

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