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The Best Happy Hours in Canberra for a Well-Priced Tipple
Looking for the best happy hour in Canberra? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Canberra’s best happy hours move from bargain lakeside schooners at Kingston’s Walt & Burley to cheap-as-chips house wines, sipped while gazing out across the city at Howling Moon in Braddon. For those keen to sink into opulence, it’s straight to Devil You Don’t for $20 martinis, whilst those craving something low-key have Canberra Inn’s $7 craft beers at their disposal. Find more of our favourite happy hour deals in Canberra below.
Editor’s Pick
Corella
Spring is almost here and Corella is celebrating in the best possible way. All through September (Tuesday-Sunday) from 5pm until late, the venue is slinging $12 Aperols and $3 oysters. It feels like an early taste of summer and is definitely something we can get behind!
Suburb: Braddon
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Date night, Locals, Weekend plans
Best Happy Hours For Cocktail Lovers in Canberra
Devil You Don’t
This moody cocktail bar is the perfect place to wind down after a long day. Devil You Don’t makes it an affordable affair, too, with $10 Guinness, $10 wines and $20 martinis between 5pm and 6pm, Thursday to Saturday.
Suburb: New Acton
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Group dining, Late night, Date night
Loquita
Fiesta Hour at Loquita is the antidote to a slow Tuesday. From 5pm to 7pm, Tuesday through Sunday, $15.50 gets you frozen margaritas, Tommy’s Margaritas or an Espresso Yourself, alongside $7.50 house spirits, Balter cerveza and house wine. Come the weekend, DJs take over from 9:30pm, so there’s no real reason to leave once you’re there.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Mexican
Best For: Group dining, Budget-friendly, Weekend plans
Highball
Highball is offering up variety when it comes to Happy Hour, and you all know we love options! Soak up golden hour on the terrace with 2-for-1 daiquiris daily between 5pm and 6pm, or head in on a Tuesday for $15 mojitos, 5pm to late. Love a frozen cocktail? Grab a selection of your favourites every Thursday — think Blue Hawaiians and Peach Daiquiris — for $15, 5pm ’till close.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Cocktail lovers, Locals, Group dining
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The Howling Moon
Perched atop Hotel Rex in Braddon, The Howling Moon is a lovely spot to look out over the city and surrounding mountains. This rooftop bar also does a very tasty Italian menu and excellent drinks (think inventive cocktails, beers and an extensive wine list) — many of which are available at a great price during happy hour. You can enjoy $8 house wine and tap beers Monday to Friday between 4pm and 6pm.
Suburb: Braddon
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Group dining, Cocktail lovers, Date night
Leyla Bar
For a luxe happy hour, head straight to Leyla Bar where you’ll be greeted with natural light and textured surfaces with a rooftop on which to soak up golden hour. Every Tuesday to Wednesday, between 4:30pm and 6:30pm, you can score mini cocktails for $10, house wine and sparkling for $10 per glass and select tap beer at $10.
Suburb: Barton
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Date night, Cocktail lovers, Group dining
The Best Cheap Happy Hours in Canberra
Midnight Bar
Serving up creative and delicious share plates alongside an incredible drinks list, Midnight Bar is a great spot for date night, an evening with friends and happy hour. Between 4pm and 6pm, Monday to Sunday, Midnight Bar does ‘Golden Hour’. Over two hours, you can get excellent local wines for $10, a schooner of beer for $8 and the bartender’s special cocktail for $12.
Suburb: Braddon
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Group dining, Cocktail lovers, Date night
Walt & Burley
For sunset drinks overlooking Lake Burley Griffin, you can’t go past Walt & Burley — which is not only one of our favourite Canberra pubs with fireplaces, but also does a really good happy hour.
Between 3pm and 6pm, Monday to Friday, you can enjoy house wines for just $6 and tap schooners for $8, along with yummy bar snacks and a lovely view over Canberra’s stunning central lake.
Suburb: Kingston
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pub fare
Best For: Group dining, Quick bite, Waterfront
The Best Happy Hours in Canberra for Groups
Luna
Nothing hits quite like a 50% discount for Happy Hour and the ever-sophisticated Luna delivers in spades. Every Thursday and Friday from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, you can indulge in beautifully made cocktails, refreshing tap beers, select wines by the glass and premium house spirits all at Happy Hour prices. This is incredibly generous, and paired with Luna’s art-deco style interiors and arch windows, feels like a very sophisticated spot to toast the end of the week.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Date night, Group dining, Cocktail lovers
The Old Canberra Inn
Full of history and a live music haven, The Old Canberra Inn has everything you want from a happy hour — $7 craft beers, house pour wines and house spirits, as well as $10 buffalo wings and crumbed halloumi, alongside a cosy beer garden in which to enjoy them. A match made in heaven.
Monday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm
Suburb: Lyneham
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Pub fare
Best For: Group dining, Budget-friendly, Outdoor dining
FAQs About the Best Happy Hours in Canberra
For the lowest prices, head to The Old Canberra Inn in Lyneham, where $7 gets you craft beers, house wines or house spirits Monday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm. Walt & Burley in Kingston is another budget pick, with $6 house wines and $8 tap schooners. If you’re after cheap eats too, Corella slings $3 oysters through September, while Highball runs 2-for-1 daiquiris daily between 5pm and 6pm. For premium drinks at a discount, Luna offers 50% off cocktails, beers and wines on Thursdays and Fridays.
For happy hour with a view, The Howling Moon atop Hotel Rex in Braddon serves $8 house wine and tap beers Monday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm, overlooking the city and mountains. Leyla Bar in Barton also has a rooftop, offering $10 mini cocktails, house wine and select tap beer Tuesday to Wednesday, 4:30pm to 6:30pm. If you’d prefer a lakeside outlook, Walt & Burley in Kingston pours $6 house wines and $8 schooners with views over Lake Burley Griffin, Monday to Friday from 3pm.
Cocktail fans have plenty of options. Highball in the CBD offers the most variety, with 2-for-1 daiquiris daily, $15 mojitos on Tuesdays and $15 frozen cocktails on Thursdays. Devil You Don’t in New Acton pours $20 martinis from 5pm to 6pm, Thursday to Saturday, while Loquita’s Fiesta Hour serves $15.50 frozen margaritas Tuesday to Sunday. For a special touch, Midnight Bar’s ‘Golden Hour’ includes the bartender’s special cocktail for $12, and Luna discounts its cocktails by 50% on Thursdays and Fridays.
Yes, several Canberra bars run happy hour deals across the weekend. Corella offers $12 Aperols and $3 oysters Tuesday to Sunday throughout September, from 5pm until late. Loquita’s Fiesta Hour also runs Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm to 7pm, with DJs taking over from 9:30pm on weekends. Devil You Don’t extends its deals through to Saturday, and Highball’s daily 2-for-1 daiquiris are available every day. Many other venues, however, keep their happy hours to weekdays, so it’s worth confirming before you head out.
For date night, Luna in the CBD sets the mood with art-deco interiors and 50% off drinks on Thursdays and Fridays, while Leyla Bar in Barton offers a light-filled rooftop with $10 mini cocktails. Groups are well catered for at Loquita, whose Mexican share plates and frozen margaritas suit a crowd, and Midnight Bar, where creative share plates pair with $8 schooners and $12 cocktails during ‘Golden Hour’. The Howling Moon’s rooftop Italian menu and city views also make it a strong pick for both occasions.
Loved this edit of the best happy hours in Canberra and looking for more places to drink and dine? Don’t miss our guides to the best bars in Canberra and the best restaurants in Canberra.
