Go to Fish Bar and be Happy

My friend said he was “free like a bird.” I pointed out that we were at Fish Bar, and he shouldn’t be talking about birds. He then claimed to be “free like a fish?” We decided it was best to stop changing cliches to be about fish. Then he said, “What you need to know about Fish Bar is two-for-one happy hour. That’s it.”

If for some reason you need more incentive to go to Fish Bar than two-for-one well drinks, shelf booze, and beers, then hit their Friday happy hour for the FREE cheese plate. (It’s a giant plate of cheese for the whole bar. Don’t think you’re special and get your own). If you’re not there for happy hour, Pabst is always $3 and High Life is $3.50. While I’m always excited about cheap drinks, my favorite part of Fish Bar is staring at the fish paraphernalia on the walls. The decor at Fish Bar looks like some tourist trap gift shops in a small beach town vomited into one tiny East Village bar, and I mean this in the most positive way possible. The back wall is covered in a mural of an ocean scene with rays, fish, coral, etc. The shelf above the bar is loaded with figurines of fish and other sea creatures, and there’s a merman cutout on the bathroom door. There’s always something new to stare at when you have the attention span of gnat.

Fish Bar
237 E 5th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues [East Village, Manhattan]
Open daily, 5pm to 4am
Mondays 11pm to 2am is Service Industry Night, get $2 off your drinks
Tuesdays, free chips and salsa with a $6 Margarita.