Verlaine

Verlaine is a rare gem in a city of overpriced cocktails and watered down drinks. The drawing point for most people is the $5 lychee martinis (with actual lychees in them!), but there are other redeeming qualities on the menu as well. The happy hour deal also includes sangria and bloody marys. Don't be fooled by these girly-sounding cocktails - they pack quite a punch. Expect a standing room only kind of scene unless you get there early enough in the night.

I'm just going to come out and say it, Verlaine is one of my favorite bars in the city! Their Lychee martini is one of the best I've ever had, anywhere. It is mixed just right and is the star of their incredible Happy Hour, which lasts until 10pm! These drinks are a steal for just $5 each-and everyone who goes there knows it! As a matter of fact, the inventive minds that manage the place use it as leverage. As one bathroom sign points out, if you break their toilet; they'll raise the martini price. And wouldn't you know? it's effective. Verlaine also offers a few other drink specials during Happy Hour, including a delicious Sangria. I've only sampled a few of their appetizers but the only one that was really noteworthy were the dumplings. Everything else was pretty average. The venue has great ambience but it can definitely get crowded very easily so make sure to get there as early as possible. Also, if you know you're going to drink 4 Martinis, I'd suggest ordering them all at once if you have a table because the servers tend to get very busy and sometimes it takes a while to get your drinks.