Where are the best happy hours in Greater Cleveland? It depends on your mood
La Playa has plenty of seating throughout the restaurant.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Happy hours across Greater Cleveland beckon with all sorts of deals, noshes and well-crafted drinks. Some offer an ambiance perfect for dates - casual or romantic. Others are great for post-shopping. And others are perfect for relaxing and chatting the late afternoon away.
In March, Cleveland.com dining reporters Paris Wolfe and Alex Darus launched “The Happy Hour Project.” Twice each month Paris and Alex visit an independent restaurant in Northeast Ohio for happy hour and report back on the vibe, food and cocktails and how they’ll impact your budget. Every spot is different, and each is special in its own way.
Below our extroverted reporters do a little matchmaking from their first dozen experiences. If you have a happy hour to suggest, share it and your reasons by emailing [email protected] or [email protected].
Most craveable appetizer
Paris: Edwins – Duck confit poutine. We almost didn’t order it, but I’m glad we did. It’s rich, flavorful and comforting. I needed it after a hard day of creating. And why not grab a few oysters to start the night at this French-forward Cleveland Heights location? Especially with happy hour prices.
Alex: It’s hard to pick just one dish that was the most craveable from LockKeepers' happy hour menu. However, I believe it’s always worth trying the daily rotating fresh crudo because it’s bound to be flavorful. We tried a version of Hamachi with blood oranges and fennel that I still find myself daydreaming about, especially alongside that rotating daily spritz special.
Crostini trio and flatbreads from LockKeepers.
Most interesting cocktail
Paris: Acqua de Dea – While the exterior says fine dining, that doesn’t mean intimidating. The Warehouse District bar is a sophisticated, yet friendly spot for a pre-dinner cocktail. The White Lady, a classic cocktail from the 1910s, was well-interpreted and refreshing with its combination of gin, lemon, Cointreau and egg white. With its frothy top and a good gin, it’s becoming a favorite of mine.
Alex: Given its reputation as one of Cleveland’s best cocktail bars, it’s no surprise that one of my favorite sips so far was at Velvet Tango Room. The Rangpur Gimlet on the happy hour menu features Tanqueray Rangpur gin, lime, sugar, egg white and a Green Chartreuse rinse for a deceivingly delicious cocktail. Plus, due to the amount of shaking required, if you order this drink while sitting at the bar, you get to watch Velvet Tango Room’s cocktail-shaking robots in action.
Cucumber jalapeno margarita and lemon lavender martini at Western Reserve Distillers.
Best blind date
Paris: La Ville Lumiere – You can test your date’s foodie credibility with a menu that includes sharables like steak tartare, mussels and poutine. If you feel particularly romantic, go for the oysters and bubbly. Just one year old, La Ville Lumiere on Cleveland’s near westside is low stress for a fine-dining spot. The vibe is so French. If the date passes your test, stay for dinner.
Alex: I’d go with Acqua de Dea on this one. The trendy restaurant is centrally located downtown in the Warehouse District. It’s a great spot to linger at the bar while getting to know someone or keep the night going if the date includes an event or a show. Plus, the exposed brick walls and modern décor make it feel romantic without being cliché. Handmade Italian and seafood dishes are key here.
Happy Hour is only available at the bartop at Ken Stewart's Lodge.
Most romantic date
Paris: Acqua de Dea - If you want to impress your date this setting is downtown chic with a sophisticated vibe, creative cocktails and delicious appetizers. It’s the kind of place to sit close and whisper secrets.
Alex: Truly, there might not be a more romantic place in Cleveland than Poppy’s outdoor patio. Whether you’re on a flirty date with a new fling or catching up with old friends, a visit to Poppy feels like stepping into a rom-com movie. The outdoor shed bar even turns into a themed holiday bar in the winter, adding to the vibe. Sharable plates and a secret garden atmosphere make it hard to not soak up the intimate energy.
Most private date
The long bar at Acqua di Dea is a pleasant space for Happy Hour.
Paris: The Aviator – The Aviator is out of the way, quiet and uncrowded. You won’t have anyone listening in or identifying you. It’s close to the airport, thus the name.
The bar at La Ville Lumiere
Alex: Unless you’re part of the close-knit community in Bath surrounding Ken Stewart’s Lodge, it’s the kind of place you’re unlikely to run into someone you know. Alongside the atmosphere, its rotating happy hour dishes, which can include chopped BLT salads and lobster rolls, make it feel like a well-kept secret. The cozy cabin vibes at the bar give off the feeling that you’re secluded in the woods, even though you’re just 26 miles from downtown Cleveland.
Potato skins from Heritage Steak and Whiskey in Woodmere.
Coziest happy hour
Paris: Ken Stewart’s Lodge– What’s cozier than a log cabin with a dimly lit room and a friendly bartender?! The social hour menu offers a classic comfort food like mac and cheese bites or my kind of comfort food, the mini lobster roll. It’s worth a stroll to Akron.
An automated shaker makes egg white drinks frothy and saves bartender arms.
Alex: Western Reserve Distillers. It has the industrial feel of a working distillery (because it is!) while maintaining its rustic, cozy vibes, even on the patio. It’s the kind of place that’s easy to get comfortable at, especially after one of their expertly crafted happy hour cocktails.
Duck poutine from Edwins in Cleveland Heights.
Special occasion location
Paris: Lockkeepers – The décor, service and happy hour menu all make the late afternoon special at this Valley View establishment. The crostini, crudo and flatbread take things to the next level. The creamy Bolognese rigatoni can challenge my Italian mother. And there’s a daily spritz option for toasting.
Alex: Fahrenheit is a special-occasion destination for many Greater Clevelanders looking for a spot to celebrate downtown. We’d suggest kicking things off at happy hour with small plates and sips and stay for sushi, steaks and more.
Best gab spot
Paris: La Playa – The décor and drinks are playful. You can’t help but be happy in this vibrant atmosphere of this near westside dining spot. Bring a BFF to the bar and pretend you’re at a beach restaurant while enjoying ceviche and a margarita.
Alex: For me, it’s La Ville Lumiere. The classic French brasserie offers killer happy hour specials at its intimate bar, so it’s hard not to gab with your neighbor about what to order or inquire the bartender about daily drink specials. Socializing is a major part of the happy hour experience here, whether you bring a friend or make one along the way.
Best post-shopping
Paris: 17 River Grille – Stroll the shops — Blush, Nola True, Toni’s — of Chagrin Falls looking for a new fall sweater, then park your shopping bags beside a barstool. Create a cocktail for $8 and share short rib potstickers, deviled eggs or firecracker shrimp.
Alex: I enjoyed a shopping and happy hour experience at Heritage Steak and Whiskey. Eton-Chagrin Boulevard offers a wide variety of shops from athletics to books to home goods. They also have spas and nail salons if you really want to treat yourself. Heritage offers unexpectedly delicious dishes alongside great cocktail specials in its sophisticated space. Plus, the dark vibe offers cool reprieve from the heat in the summer, or a place to warm up in the winter during a shopping break.
Downtown Cleveland, Eastside, Westside, Akron ... reporters Paris Wolfe and Alex Darus have a happy hour to match your mood.
Most unexpected
Paris: Heritage Steak & Whiskey – Dishes are more sophisticated than your expected happy hour food. Potato skins come with smoked salmon, crème fraiche, capers and red onion. Meatballs are made with steak trim. And how creative is a dirty martini dip with vinegar chips. A steakhouse, it just calls for a solid old-fashioned. Bonus: Shop Eton Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere before chilling.
Alex: La Playa Mexican Restaurant and Mariscos. Not only does it feel like summer all of the time here, but the happy hour specials bring a taste of Mexican beach towns to Northeast Ohio. Giant margaritas made with real fruit, ceviche trios and shrimp empanadas make this gem worth coming back to.
Best outdoor seating
Paris: Poppy – Get to Cleveland’s Larchmere neighborhood early on a nice day. That way you’ll get parking and a seat in the charming shed bar. As a gardener I could look at the fruit trees and raised garden beds all afternoon. The calamari shouldn’t be missed.
Alex: Edwins is just the best for everything, from oysters to wine to doing non-profit charity work. When the weather permits, its French-inspired happy hour menu is perfect to enjoy on its patio space. The floral-clad outdoor area features its own bar and plenty of shade, alongside the brasserie, fine dining room and cigar lounge at Edwins.
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