Eating out in Downtown West Palm Beach is NOT CHEAP. But I’ve since discovered the area’s very generous happy hour policy and OMG but I don’t think I’ll ever eat downtown after 7 pm again. I’ve had a chance to try out quite a few different places since moving here a few weeks ago. Here are my thoughts so far roughly in order of how much I enjoyed a place.
Tapeo, 118 S. Clematis
So I tried to go here last weekend and they told me they only had happy hours on Thursdays so I made a note to come back on Thursday. Only to find out they have happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 pm and it’s more that on Thursdays, their happy hour is longer — it goes til 10 pm! This is a GREAT happy hour. $8.50 might sound price for a tapas dish BUT…these are very generous portions. I had the shrimp in white wine and garlic and they were large AND there were 12 of them??? For $8.50?! Sign me up. $5 glasses of Spanish wine too. Friendly bartenders. DONE.
Peppermint Cafe, 340 Clematis Street
I enjoyed sitting at the bar and talking to my server about Thailand. $4 glasses of wine, $6 small plates, $7 special rolls, and $10 noodle bowls. This place is a great value. I found a copy of the happy hour menu on Yelp. Happy hour starts at 3 pm and ends at 7 pm. I visited on a Saturday so this seems to be an every day of the week thing.
Kabuki, 308 Clematis Street
I really enjoyed my visit to Kabuki. $4 wines and small plates from $4 to $6. I had some tuna sashimi and a glass of Chardonnay. This is a very generous happy hour that starts at 3 pm and goes to 7 pm every day of the week except during big Palm Beach events like the boat show. They’ve posted their happy hour menu here.
Pistache, 100 N. Clematis Street
This is probably one of the classier happy hours in town. And for the quality, it’s an amazingly good value. Two plates for $20 and they are not small! (BUT you must order them both at the same time.) 2 for 1 drinks. I had the escargot and broccolini and cauliflower, plus some rose. (Their wine choices are ace.) Service was a bit stiff and unfriendly and I was eaten alive by mosquitoes at the bar, but I’d still go back. It’s a short window of time — just 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm — so get in there early to maximize your value!
Il Bellagio, 600 S Rosemary Avenue
So the Il Bellagio happy hour is only at the bar, which probably only seats 12. So that’s a bit of a bummer. The food menu is also quite compact (happy hour menu here) but I LOVED my $4.95 beef carpaccio. I mean, that’s a tremendous value for beef carpaccio. Tremendous. Service was a bit preoccupied but I will try this one again.
City Cellar, 700 S Rosemary Avenue (Upstairs)
This place is HUGE!! I mean, really huge. (Hence why the slightly lower ranking.) Happy hour is also only at the bar (another reason for a slightly lower ranking) but good news is that the bar is also huge. (Maybe sits around 30?) Happy hour goes from 4 to 7 and there are 1/2 price drinks — the wine list is amazing — as well as a small menu of well-priced appetizers and pizzas. This place was probably the most happening and busy place I’ve visited during happy hour so far. On a Sunday night too!
123 Datura, 123 Datura
The unimaginatively named 123 Datura was one of my least favorite happy hour experiences, although my server was friendly. This place is just a loud bar. There was a group of inebriated loud talkers during my visit which negatively impacted my experience so maybe I should give this place another chance BUT…it’s really just a bar, not a restaurant. $6 house wines so a bit pricier than some of the other places when it comes to drinks. 50% off all food until 7 pm. You can see their happy hour menu here — make sure you navigate to the happy hour section.
Summary of Downtown West Palm Beach Happy Hours
I’m on a mission to hit them all over the next few months. Tell me your favorites!!
