Bars with the happiest happy hours in Halifax

Haligonians will often boast that their city has more pubs per capita than anywhere else in Canada – a claim-to-fame so commonplace it’s proclaimed on Nova Scotia’s tourism website. Their proliferation keeps the happy-hour drinks well priced. These pubs are among the best places to enjoy drinks on the cheap.

Bars with the happiest happy hours in Halifax
Michael Fraiman By

Split Crow

1
1855 Granville St, Halifax, NS B3J 1Y1

Forget happy hours; at this long-established Halifax institution, two words rule the dance floor: Power Hour. You can order select beers for $2.50 every Wednesday and Thursday from 9 pm to 10 pm, but the real business goes down on Saturdays from 4:30 pm until 5:30 pm. The tiny stage in the corner of the room is often packed with dancers, as is each floor of the pub, which is located next to the beautiful Granville Street outdoor mall.

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Bearly's House Of Blues & Ribs

2
1269 Barrington St, Halifax, NS B3J 1Y2

Bearly’s is Halifax’s premiere blues venue, and it features a unique special nightly. The special’s list is so complex, in fact, you’ll need to visit the bar’s website to accurately keep track. From 5 pm or 6 pm until closing time, the gruff men and women behind the bar at this grimy, loud, blue-tinted bar will serve you some sort of special shot for around $4, so grab a drink and enjoy the music.

Argyle Bar & Grill

3
1575 Argyle St, Halifax, NS B3J 2B2

If you’re craving a more sophisticated environment, Argyle Bar & Grill is the place to go. Service is dependably great and the prices are affordable for students. Happy hour kicks in from 4 pm until 7 pm, Monday through Friday, when shots cost just $3.25 a piece and certain domestic beers go for $4.35. The bar even adds on a two-for-one pizza deal on Thursdays. If you’re there in the summer, good luck finding a seat on the rooftop patio – it’s always packed.

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Halifax Alehouse Ltd

4
1717 Brunswick St, Halifax, NS B3J 2G4

One of the city’s busiest pubs also claims one of the city’s busiest happy hours. The hours and prices are scattershot, but it’s fair to say that if you visit any day of the week around 5 pm, you’ll find drinks specially priced. Weekend evenings are a particular treat; Saturdays see pitchers of Budweiser and a basket of wings for just $13.50, while Sundays offer the same deal, but with delicious (and bite-sized) barbecue pork ribs.

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The Fireside

5
1500 Brunswick St, Halifax, NS B3J 3X9

This dark and cozy lounge is one romantic room; the music is calm and the atmosphere is tasteful. Monday nights are the busiest, as the bar’s city-renowned martinis go for just $5 all day. Every other weeknight, from 4:30 pm until 6:30 pm, a vast $4 menu is available, which includes shots, domestic beer and glasses of Nova Scotia’s own Jost wine.

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Durty Nelly's Irish Pub

6
Argyle, Halifax, NS B3J 3P8

If raucous and Irish is more to your liking, you can’t get much dirtier than Durty Nelly’s. During popular happy hours, the dark-wood interior and authentic Irish setting is bombastically filled, while the waitresses are sliding through to deliver $6 pints of anything Irish and $4 bottles of domestic beer. If you’re feeling peckish, it also offers 25 per cent off appetizers every weeknight between 4 pm and 6 pm, so you can sample some true Irish grub along with your ales.

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Bitter End Martini Bar & Restaurant

7
1572 Argyle St, Halifax, NS B3J 2B3

This popular martini bar is on the swankier end of Halifax’s alcoholic offerings. Quietly decorated with local art hung against an interior brick wall (though most opt for the ground-floor patio with its Street view), the venue offers deals nightly between 4 pm and 8 pm, when martinis cost $5.65 and local pints of draft beer are $4.50. If you’re on a budget, the $3.25 cocktails are your best bet.

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More from Michael Fraiman Michael Fraiman
Michael Fraiman is a Canadian freelance journalist and travel writer. He's worked for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, Maclean's, The Walrus and the CBC, and pens a monthly column on Jewish comedy for the Canadian Jewish News. He calls Toronto home, but has often resided in other cities around the world for short stints as well.
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