Where to find the best happy hour in Orlando

Tapa Toro is known for its family-style plates and authentic Spanish cuisine. During happy hour, which runs every day from 3 to 6pm, you can sip on craft cocktails on a two-for-one special, plus house wines, beers and sangria for half price. If you’re going with a group, consider getting a half-price cocktail pitcher to share, as long as everyone can agree on the cocktail. Many of the restaurant's tasty appetizers are also discounted. With options like $2 empanadas, $5 ham croquettes and $6 fried calamari, you can make an entire meal without looking at the entrees on the menu.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Hangry Bison (@thehangrybison)

With two locations in Orlando, Winter Park and Winter Garden, The Hangry Bison has made a name for itself with decadent burgers, craft bourbon cocktails, and a focus on local ingredients. Hangry Hour, as it’s called here, runs Monday through Friday from 3 to 6pm. If you’re looking for a good cocktail, consider the Hangry Hour Old Fashioned, which is a traditional take on the popular cocktail. Small plates and flatbreads are $5, with the fried green tomatoes being a local favorite.

The Winter Park neighborhood has plenty of happy hour options and one of our favorites is VINIA Wine Kitchen & Bar. Happy hour runs Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 7pm. Here, there is a selection of wines by the glass for $7 or beer for $4 a glass. Snacks like marinated olives, cheese and beef empanadas, and Margherita flatbreads run $5 to $8.

Those looking for a happy hour that starts and finishes a little later will want to go to the Baldwin Park neighborhood of Orlando and find The Osprey. The delightful restaurant specializes in fresh-caught seafood and has a variety of raw oysters to try. In fact, every Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 6:30pm raw oysters are $2 each. Classic cocktails like Old Fashioned and Daiquiris are under $10. While sipping drinks, be sure to order a plate of hot crab dip, which combines crab and pimento cheese into one story bite.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cocina 214 (@cocina214)

Winter Park has plenty of places to dine, but a fun one for Happy Hour is Cocina 214. The Mexican restaurant hosts happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 6:30pm. Happy hour drinks range from $4 Corona beers to $6 margaritas. There are only four items on the happy hour food menu, but it’s enough to get you full on the cheap. Our favorite items include the $7 avocado bites and the $10 nachos with spicy chorizo.

Winter Park is a bustling neighborhood where shops and restaurants all beckon people to walk inside, and none does it better than Prato, especially for happy hour. Monday through Thursday, from 4 to 6pm, the restaurant dishes up $16 specialty pizzas, including the popular diavolo with pepperoni, pancetta, Italian long peppers and Auricchio piccante. Along with pizza, there’s a short list of appetizers, like hand-cut chips and Caesar salad. Some cocktails are also discounted to $9 and select wines are $7 a glass.

Terralina Crafted Italian is a waterfront restaurant at Disney Springs. Happy hour here is just drinks, but that’s not an issue since there are so many great places to dine at Disney Springs. Every day from 4 to 6pm at the outdoor bar and from 9 pm to 11pm at the indoor bar, the restaurant boasts $6.50 beer and half off wine by the glass. There’s also a small list of snacks at a discount. Alternatively, pair this with one of the pizzas from the menu and you have a delicious meal at Disney Springs without breaking the bank.

Greek cuisine is what’s on the menu at Taverna Opa. Happy hour here runs daily from 3 to 6pm with half-price cocktails and two-for-one drinks at the bar. Many small plates are also available, including tzatziki and hummus dips, traditional Greek salad and stuffed grape leaves. The meze plates will set you back anywhere from $4 to $7 per plate. If you stick around until 7pm you’ll also see the start of the nightly belly dancing show.

One of our favorite places to eat in Orlando, no matter the time of day, is Reyes Mezcaleria. The Mexican restaurant is known for its selection of over 150 different agave-based spirits. At happy hour, those spirits are a menu highlight, with shots starting at $4, cocktails at $8, and beer ringing up at $4. Of course, there’s a selection of tasty south-of-the-border snacks like empanadas, ancho chili-rubbed chicken wings and roasted pork tamales. Happy hour is on weekdays from 4 to 7pm, so even if you’ve hit up a theme park or museum, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy cheap drinks and good food.

Inside the bustling East End Market, The Neighbors is a cocktail bar and kitchen where happy hour is celebrated throughout the week. Monday, Thursday and Friday, happy hour is from 3 to 6pm, then all day on Tuesday and Wednesday. The menu kicks off with a $5 old fashioned, $6 cocktails and $5 beer and wine. If you’re looking for something to snack on while you drink, there is a cheese and charcuterie box from the East End Market cheesemonger, Le Femme du Fromage too.

AVA MediterrAegean can be found in Winter Park and is known for its fresh take on classic Mediterranean dishes. If you’re looking for a fun happy hour, called golden hour at the restaurant, this is the spot. Every Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 7pm at the bar only, classic cocktails and glasses of wine are $12 and beer is $6. Pair your drink with one of the seven small plates like hummus, spanakopita or marinated olives for a complete experience.