A Surry Hills modern classic, Jane is the perfect pint-sized date spot if you’re on a shoestring. Every day of the week, the team is hosting the ‘Australiano Hour’ where you can get a swag of cocktails and snacks for under $15. Between 5-6pm, Monday to Friday, and 4-6pm on Saturday and Sunday, toss back $2 oysters, cocktails starting at $6 and plenty of pocket-friendly snacks. A plate of fennel saucisson or a serve of spanner crab and chickpea fries are a cool $12 and a comforting plate of delicate beef dumplings is only $15.

It will hardly come as a surprise that the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney has a pretty outstanding restaurant offering. What may surprise you, however, is that the in-house Milanese-style restaurant Mode Kitchen and Bar is offering a lavish aperitivo hour (well, hours) from 4-6pm Monday to Friday. For $30 per person, you can slide into the afternoon with a cocktail and a generous Milanese buffet of hot and cold dishes. Start with wagyu bresaola, buffalo mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes, and DOP cheeses direct from Italy, before moving on to burnished wood-fired pizzas, house-made focaccia and plenty more.

As far as happy hours go, Rockpool’s recently introduced ‘RP Hour’ has to be high on the list. Available in the bar, the laid-back happy hour menu is the fanciest way to leave the work day behind and head boldly into the night. It’s also one of the most varied menus on our list, with hotdogs and chimichurri, fish po’ boys, and the Rockpool BLT for just $15 between 4-6pm, Monday to Friday. Wash down a $4 bowl of fries with a martini, Old Fashioned, margarita or RP spritz for $12 or leave yourself in the very capable hands of the sommelier with a $15 glass of sparkling, red or white wine.

Nothing sings old-world charm quite like a white tuxedo and a plate of oysters so the Maybe Sammy team are letting you live your best Rat Pack life with a rotating selection of oysters every Saturday for just $2 a pop until sold out. If you’re aiming for a mid-week splash, opt for a $7 mini cocktail which includes the eucalyptus gimlet, chamomile martini, Irish coffee, Angelo Azzurro and the jasmine negroni Tuesday to Saturday, 4:30-5:30pm.

Make tracks down to the elegant new Menzies bar on the ground level of Shell House Monday to Saturday between 4-6pm for a classy attitude adjustment. Mini Tanqueray martinis pair famously with the rich butteriness of a lobster brioche roll and at $10 for each, it’s worth ditching work and getting in early for.

The honky-tonk that has stood the test of time, Shady Pines never disappoints at the best of times but its happy hour is a particularly fun draw card. Get cosy with a taxidermied buffalo, a bowl of peanuts and some of the cheapest drinks this side of Oxford Street, every day between 4-6pm. Beer and wine start at just $5.50, house spirits are a mere $6.50, and a negroni or margarita will cost you just $12. There is also plenty of live music on throughout the week so you can throw down those whisky apples then boogie to the blues all night long.

Dust the sand off your feet and shuffle into Merivale’s beachside jewel for $6 schooners, house wines and spirits on the expansive ground level of the Coogee Pavilion, Monday to Friday from 5-7pm. If you’re not in the area for this oceanic hour, Merivale also has this ultra-handy happy hour finder on their website so you can be confident you’ll grab a deal just about anywhere in town.

The new kid on the Bondi block, Topikos is the latest sparkling opening for the Point Group, the brains and talent behind Shell House, the biggest Sydney City hit of 2021. It’s easy to groan at yet another Mediterranean diner by the sea, particularly when it comes to happy hours conjuring visions of wasted backpackers and sunburnt locals, but Topikos breaks the mould in a few ways for the Bondi scene. Seriously well-made cocktails for $10, and $8 beers and wines are served daily between 4-6pm in the polished, minimalist space that is all white stone, pops of aquamarine and brassy finishes.

The formidable Swillhouse Group (Shady Pines Saloon, Baxter’s Inn, Frankie’s Pizza) have created the ultimate debaucherous post-war French bistro and bar and it remains firmly planted as the good times heartbeat of Sydney. Descend the spiral staircase past an astounding miniature booze collection in glass cabinets between 5-6pm daily to get a taste of the high life for a fraction of the cost. Smooth duck liver parfait for for $8, smoked eel and croutons for $9, a killer burger for $18 and drinks from $6 are just the beginning.

Aptly named ‘The Charles Hour’ this multi-venue ode to elegance on King Street will whip you up a miniature prawn cocktail for $10, a refreshingly tart gin Southside for just $12 or a glass of Moët & Chandon for $15 if you head to the Charles Bar between 3-6pm, Monday to Friday. Not content with just one offering, the hospitality powerhouse is also encouraging guests to ease into the night below ground in the moody lounge, Tiva. The ‘Twilight Hours’ are best enjoyed dripping in velvet, which is exactly what you’ll get in the basement bar of the Charles Wednesday to Friday, 5-7pm. A wagyu cheeseburger will set you back $10, a Tommy’s Margarita is just $12, a glass of Moet & Chandon Champagne is $15, or, if you’re feeling extra thirsty, pop a bottle of Moët & Chandon Champagne for $99.