Happy Hour at the Half King
The Half King is my usual meet-up of choice with visiting out-of-towners, since it’s classy (impress them with your New York-ness!), right in front of steps leading up to the Highline (take a walk afterwards!), and they have a banging happy hour (don’t spend too much money entertaining them!). The wood-covered interior makes you feel like you’re in a London pub, but it can get a little noisy at peak times. If you need a more conversation-friendly sound-level, try the cafe seating out front, or the beautiful back garden.
If the convo isn’t flowing naturally, the happy hour specials will certainly help. $4 drafts include lighter brews such as Bud Light and PBR, and heavier alcohol percentage beers like Dogfish Head and Lagunitas Pale Ale. If beer really isn’t your thing, they also offer $7 cocktail specials, the Wednesday Dark & Stormy (rum and ginger beer) being particularly tasty.
If you’d rather do more listening than talking, head over to The Half King’s Monday night readings. Literature and liquor go together like cakes and pies – you can enjoy them separately, but it’s truly indulgent when they come together. Readings usually start around 7 or 7:30PM, so you can still catch the Happy Hour specials and then settle in while guests like Sebastian Junger and Bret Easton Ellis drop some knowledge – listen to podcasts of past readings here. Next week, Joshua Mohr reads from his third novel Damascus, a story set in Mission District bar of the same name. It’ll be like having our fellow West Coast broke-asses there in spirit.
The Half King
505 W. 23rd St. (between 10th Ave. & 11
th Ave.)
[Chelsea]
Photo Credit: thehalfking.com
