Theater District evenings run on a countdown. Tickets are in your pocket, the marquees are starting to glow, and there is a short window to eat, drink and catch up before the lights go down. A good happy hour Times Square plan fits right into that window, and at Boqueria W40th on West 40th Street we build ours the way Barcelona does: a small drink, a couple of small plates, good company, and no rush to sit through a long meal.
Here is the short version of what to expect. Our happy hour menu pairs bar-sized bites, like creamy croquetas, crispy Patatas Bravas and Pan con Tomate, with house-made sangrÃa, Spanish wine by the glass, Mini Martinis and our Shishito Margarita. You can graze through a round in the time it takes to talk about the show you are about to see, then head toward Broadway or stay on for dinner.
This guide covers the Spanish custom behind it, every bite and drink on the happy hour list, a few ready-made orders for different Midtown evenings, and the practical details for planning a visit near the theaters.
Key Takeaways
- Boqueria W40th sits at 260 West 40th Street, a short walk from the Broadway theaters, which makes it an easy first stop before a show.
- The happy hour menu mixes small bites (croquetas, Patatas Bravas, Angus Beef Sliders, churros and more) with sangrÃa, Spanish wine, Mini Martinis, the Shishito Margarita and a zero-proof Forget-Me-Not.
- The idea comes from Spain’s pre-meal aperitif hour: one drink, one or two plates, then on to the next thing.
- Bar seating is kept for walk-ins, and reservations are recommended if you want a table. Happy hour times vary, so check the location page before you go.
- There is also a pre-theatre menu at this location if you would rather sit down for a fuller meal.
1. What Happy Hour Times Square Feels Like at Boqueria W40th
Our location page describes Boqueria W40th as living in the glow of Broadway, and that is a fair description of the mood at the bar. The neighborhood pulls in two very different crowds. There are the Hell’s Kitchen locals who walk over after work and know exactly what they want, and there are visitors with show tickets and a dinner reservation somewhere further along in the evening. Both end up sharing the same counter, a plate of croquetas between them.
That mix is part of what makes a happy hour here different from one in a quieter part of the city. Conversations bounce between office gossip and which musical someone finally got seats for. Phones come out to check the walk to the theater. Plans change: a “quick drink” turns into a second round, or a group decides to skip the pretzel cart and eat properly.
The Theater District energy suits the tapas format well. Small plates land fast, everyone at the table can try a little of everything, and nobody is stuck waiting on a big entrée while the clock ticks. If your evening has a hard stop, a happy hour round is easier to manage than a full dinner, and it still feels like a proper meal out.
It also works for people who are not seeing a show at all. Plenty of guests simply want a lively Spanish bar after a long day in Midtown, somewhere with real food and a good glass of wine to unwind with.
2. The Spanish Habit Behind It: La Hora del Vermut
In Spain, the hour before a meal has its own name. La hora del vermut, “the vermouth hour” (l’hora del vermut in Catalan), is a traditional aperitif moment, especially in Barcelona and Madrid. It usually happens before lunch. Friends meet at a bar, often standing, and order a small glass of vermouth with something salty on the side: olives, potato chips, maybe a few anchovies.
The drink matters less than the pause. You catch up, you snack, you get your appetite going, and then you move on to the main event, whether that is a long lunch or the next bar down the street.
Tapas culture runs on the same instinct. A round means one drink and one or two small plates, shared, eaten at an easy pace while the conversation does the heavy lifting. Then you decide: stay, or go.
That rhythm maps neatly onto a night in the Theater District. Swap the long Spanish lunch for a Broadway show and the logic still holds. You want something to eat and drink beforehand, but not so much that you are sleepy by the second act. A happy hour round of Spanish bites does exactly that job.
At Boqueria, our happy hour list borrows that format. The bites are sized for the bar, the drinks are Spanish in spirit, and everything is easy to share. One note for vermouth fans: vermut is not on the happy hour menu itself, but the full drinks list has Spanish vermut and sherry if you want to drink the way they do in Barcelona. For more on the custom, read our post on La Hora del Vermut.
3. The Happy Hour Menu: Bites and Drinks
The happy hour menu at Boqueria W40th is short, which is part of its charm. Every item earns its place. Here is what is on it, what each dish actually is, and a drink that suits it.
| Bite | What it is | Pair it with |
|---|---|---|
| Pan con Tomate | Toasted bread rubbed with tomato, garlic and olive oil, ordered by the piece | White Verdejo |
| Croquetas de Jamón | Creamy croquettes made with jamón (Spanish cured ham), served with quince purée | Rosé sangrÃa |
| Croquetas de Setas | Creamy mushroom croquettes with truffle allioli (garlic mayonnaise) | Red Tempranillo |
| Patatas Bravas | Crispy potatoes with salsa brava, pimentón (smoked paprika) and garlic allioli | Spanish beer |
| Patatinas | Sweet and spicy house-made potato chips with whipped miti crema | Classic Mini Martini |
| Angus Beef Sliders | Small burgers with sobrasada-bacon jam, crispy Manchego and garlic allioli | Red sangrÃa |
| Serrano Ham Grilled Cheese | Grilled cheese with Serrano ham, burrata and truffle allioli | Dirty Mini Martini |
| Classic Churros | Fried dough with cinnamon sugar and a choice of dulce de leche, hot chocolate or Nutella | Espresso Mini Martini |
The drinks side is just as easy to navigate:
- House sangrÃa, made in house, in classic red, white or rosé.
- Shishito Margarita, made with shishito-pepper-infused tequila and fresh lime. It has a gentle green-pepper edge that loves salty food.
- Spanish wine by the glass: a white Verdejo, a rosé Tempranillo and a red Tempranillo.
- Mini Martinis in Classic, Dirty or Espresso. Small enough that you can try one and still make it to your seat clear-headed.
- Forget-Me-Not, a zero-proof drink with butterfly pea flower, thyme, honey, lime and ginger beer.
- Spanish beer, for anyone who wants something cold and simple.
Beyond happy hour, the full drinks list at this location also includes Hugo sangrÃa (cava, vodka, elderflower, lemon and mint), along with Spanish vermut and sherry.
A couple of dietary notes: several gluten-free options are marked on the menu, including Patatas Bravas and Patatinas. Tell your bartender or server about any allergies before ordering.
4. Build Your Round: What to Order Before the Curtain
The happiest happy hours start with a plan. Since you will probably be sharing, think about balance: something crispy, something creamy, something with bread, and a drink that ties it together. Here are some combinations built around the kinds of evenings people have on West 40th Street.
| Your evening | Bites to share | Drinks |
|---|---|---|
| Two people, show tickets in hand | Croquetas de Jamón, Patatas Bravas | Two glasses of red sangrÃa |
| Hell’s Kitchen locals after work | Patatinas, Serrano Ham Grilled Cheese | Spanish beer and a Shishito Margarita |
| Family visiting from out of town | Pan con Tomate, Angus Beef Sliders, Classic Churros | Rosé sangrÃa for the adults, Forget-Me-Not for anyone skipping alcohol |
| Office team after a long day | Both croquetas, Patatas Bravas, Angus Beef Sliders | A round of Mini Martinis in all three styles |
| Date before a musical | Croquetas de Setas, Pan con Tomate | Red Tempranillo and a Classic Mini Martini |
| Post-show nightcap at the bar | Classic Churros | Espresso Mini Martini |
A few tips from behind the bar’s point of view:
Order the croquetas first. They are the signature bar snack and they set the tone. If there are more than two of you, get both the jamón and the mushroom versions and argue about which is better.
Use Pan con Tomate as your anchor. Because it is ordered by the piece, it scales easily for any group size. It is also a good way to soak up the first drink if lunch was a while ago.
Watch the clock, not your plate. If you have a show to catch, put in your whole order at once rather than in waves. The kitchen can then send dishes as they are ready, and you are not waiting on a last plate while the theater doors open.
Keep it light if the show is long. Two or three bites between two people is usually enough to carry you through an evening at the theater without feeling heavy. You can always come back afterward for churros.
Split the sweet. Churros with hot chocolate are made for sharing, and they make a fun close to a pre-show round or a reason to return once the curtain falls.
Go zero-proof without missing out. The Forget-Me-Not looks just as festive as anything else on the bar, with its butterfly pea flower color, so nobody has to sit out the toast.
5. Visit Us in Times Square
Boqueria W40th is at 260 West 40th Street, on the western edge of the Theater District and an easy walk from both the Broadway houses and Hell’s Kitchen. It is a natural meeting point if your group is coming from different parts of Midtown, and it keeps your pre-show stop close to where you need to be next.
Before you go, the Times Square Alliance website is a handy resource for what is happening around the square, from Broadway news to neighborhood events. Pair a look at that with a round of tapas here and your evening plan mostly writes itself: drinks and bites on 40th Street, a short stroll under the marquees, then your seats.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Address | 260 West 40th Street, New York, NY |
| Neighborhood | Theater District, near Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen |
| Happy hour | Bar bites, sangrÃa, Spanish wine, Mini Martinis and more; check the location page for current happy hour times |
| Walk-ins | Bar seating is kept for walk-in guests |
| Reservations | Recommended for tables |
| Before a show | A pre-theatre menu is also available |
| Private events | Plan through our NYC events page |
Coming straight from the office? Head for the bar. Bar seating is kept for walk-ins, which is ideal for a spontaneous round with a coworker or two.
Bringing a crowd? If you want a table for a larger group, booking ahead is the smart move, since the area gets busy before showtime. For team outings, birthdays or a celebration around a big night at the theater, the events page is the place to start a conversation about private and semi-private options.
Want a fuller meal before the show? Ask about the pre-theatre menu, which is a separate option from happy hour.
If sangrÃa is your drink of choice, our earlier post on sangrÃa near Times Square goes deeper into the different styles and how to order them for the table.
Conclusion
A happy hour Times Square evening should leave you fed, happy and on time. That is the whole idea behind the Spanish aperitif hour, and it is what our bar on West 40th Street is set up to do. Order a plate or two of croquetas, a round of Patatas Bravas or sliders, a glass of sangrÃa or a Shishito Margarita, and you have a proper Barcelona-style start to a Broadway night.
Whether you are a Hell’s Kitchen regular or in town for a single show, there is a seat at the bar with your name on it. See the menus and current happy hour times on the Boqueria Times Square location page, and if you want a table, reserve ahead. We will have the croquetas ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is happy hour at Boqueria Times Square?
Times vary by location and day, so check the Times Square page for current happy hour times before you head over.
Is Boqueria W40th a good spot before a Broadway show?
Yes. It sits at 260 West 40th Street, a short walk from the theaters, and small plates arrive quickly, which makes a pre-show round easy to fit in. There is also a pre-theatre menu if you would like a fuller meal.
Do I need a reservation for happy hour?
Bar seating is kept for walk-ins, so you can usually just come in for a drink and a few bites. Reservations are recommended if you want a table, especially before showtime.
What should I order on my first visit?
Start with the Croquetas de Jamón and Patatas Bravas, add a piece or two of Pan con Tomate, and pair them with house sangrÃa or a Shishito Margarita. Finish with churros if you have time.
Are there non-alcoholic and gluten-free choices?
The Forget-Me-Not is a zero-proof drink made with butterfly pea flower, thyme, honey, lime and ginger beer. Several gluten-free options are marked on the menu, including Patatas Bravas and Patatinas.
Can I bring a large group for after-work drinks?
Yes. For bigger groups, book a table ahead or reach out through the NYC events page for private and semi-private options. A 20% service charge applies to parties of 6 or more.