Il Brutto

About

Fifty percent off every drink in the house is not a happy hour deal you see often, and that alone makes Il Brutto worth a stop on East 6th. The discount runs Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 6, and Friday and Saturday it shifts earlier, 4 to 5. Half off the whole bar, not a narrow well-drink list.

The Roman-style pizze are the food anchor, available at the bar for $15, with rotating weekend specials that climb as high as a $38 lobster when the kitchen feels like it. Half-price drinks mean you can actually open the wine list or order the cocktail you'd normally talk yourself out of.

The room is high-ceilinged and easygoing, and the East 6th crowd that fills it skews dates, small groups, and neighbors grabbing dinner. Il Brutto happy hour isn't a consolation prize tacked onto a nice restaurant, it's a real reason to show up early. Get there at 5, split a pizza, and let the bar do the rest.