The Wayland

"When: Weekdays, 4pm-7pm The Deal: $10 Cocktails; $10 Half Dozen Oysters; $18 Dozen Oysters; $12 Beer & Burger; $7 Oyster Shooters; $9 Glasses Of Wine; $4-$5 Beer The Wayland, located on Avenue C in Alphabet City, is your ideal neighborhood bar. It's good for dates, good for casual drinks with a small group, and good for Happy Hour. They make great cocktails, but they aren't uptight like those bars where you enter through a subway station or phone booth." - neha talreja, bryan kim

"When: Monday-Friday, 5-7pm The Deal: $10 half-dozen oysters; $18 dozen oysters; $7 oyster shooters; $12 burger and a beer; $8 fried oysters; $10 select cocktails; $4-$5 select beer; $9 select wine The Wayland is the ultimate all-purpose bar. You can use it for first dates, after-work hangs, and rowdy Saturday night drinking. But you should also be using it for weekday Happy Hour, when they serve a dozen oysters for $18 and have discounts on their excellent cocktails." - willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman

"The Wayland gets plenty of light, so you won’t have to worry about feeling like a vampire here. It’s also nice and charming on the inside, so you won’t have to worry about feeling like a barfly, either. (You will be a barfly, of course, but at least you’ll be one with good taste.)" - bryan kim, matt tervooren

"Sometimes the impulse to drink away a holiday is too strong to ignore, but the thing is, you’ll also need food. That’s where The Wayland, a spot that expertly straddles the line between dive bar and cute place for a light meal, comes in. Cocktails are the main attraction, but the kitchen churns out excellent burgers, pernil sandwiches, and snacky things like anchovies and butter on toast. " - carina finn koeppicus

"Your friend wants to check out St. Mark’s. You’d rather they punch you in the face. That’s when you mention The Wayland. It’s practically on St. Mark’s (Alphabet City, so close enough). Tell your friend to enjoy a kale margarita while you go to town on a pulled chicken sandwich." - bryan kim