Bars near Madison Square Garden for before and after the show

Our picks

1. 

   1. Tara Mor | NYC Chelsea

   Aperol Spritz $10 · Midtown Mule $12
   Mon–Fri 4pm–6:30pm · 150 W 30th St · 28th Street (1)

   An Irish pub on West 30th Street, about four minutes on foot from the Garden and two minutes from the 28th Street station on the 1. The Monday to Friday happy hour runs from late afternoon into the early evening, so it suits a straight-from-work arrival. Aperol spritzes, a Midtown Mule, margaritas, house wine and every draft beer are on it, plus a food special where you choose any two bites or fries.

   Deal checked Oct 22, 2026 on the bar's own site.

2. 

   2. Burgerology Midtown Midtown

   $5 wine, draft
   Mon–Fri 4pm–7pm · 320 W 36th St · 34th Street–Penn Station (A, C, E)

   A burger bar on West 36th Street, about five minutes north of the Garden and two minutes from 34th Street-Penn Station on the A, C and E. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday, at the bar only, into the early evening. Well cocktails, wine and select drafts are on the list, along with sliders: the house Burgerology slider, short rib and buffalo chicken, plus a turkey burger. Other cocktails and beers get a smaller discount.

   Deal checked Oct 19, 2026 on the bar's own site.

3. 

   3. Legasea Bar & Grill Koreatown

   Beer $6 · Wine $8
   Mon–Fri 3pm–6:30pm · 485 7th Ave · 34th Street–Penn Station (1, 2, 3)

   A bar and grill on Seventh Avenue, about five minutes away and two minutes from the 1, 2 and 3 at Penn Station. The weekday happy hour starts mid-afternoon and runs into the early evening, with oysters, fries, beer, wine and martinis. It is served at the bar only and walk-ins are welcome, so aim for stools rather than a table. A dozen oysters and a martini make a quick pre-game.

   Deal checked Oct 22, 2026 on the bar's own site.

4. 

   4. District Tap House Midtown

   Cucumber Infused Vodka $12.00 · Drafts $8.00
   Mon–Fri 4pm–7pm · 246 West 38th Street · Times Square–42nd Street (1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, Q, R, S, W)

   A bar on West 38th Street, about six minutes north of the Garden and three minutes from Times Square-42nd Street. Its Monday to Friday window runs from late afternoon into the early evening. The list is short and drink-focused: a cucumber gimlet, house red, white or prosecco, well drinks and a Five Boroughs session IPA on draft. It suits a group that wants one round and an easy walk south to the arena.

   Deal checked Oct 22, 2026 on the bar's own site.

5. 

   5. The Fleur Room Chelsea

   $9 mini martinis, beers
   Tue–Fri 5pm–8pm · 105 West 28th Street · 28th Street (R, W)

   A cocktail bar on West 28th Street, about six minutes from the Garden and three minutes from the 28th Street R and W. Its Tuesday to Friday happy hour starts and ends later than most nearby, running from early evening into the evening, which helps on a night with a later start. The draw is mini martinis, with a flight of three for sampling, plus beer, wine and bites. Tables book through OpenTable.

   Deal checked Oct 21, 2026 on the bar's own site.

6. 

   6. Altair Restaurant NYC Hell's Kitchen

   Rotating Selection Wine $9 · Prosecco $10
   Daily 4pm–7pm · 351 W 38th St · 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal (1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, Q, R, S, W)

   A modern American bar and restaurant on West 38th Street, about seven minutes away and five minutes from 42nd Street-Port Authority. Happy hour runs every day from late afternoon into the early evening, so it also works for a weekend matinee or a Sunday game. Expect a short cocktail list with a Boulevardier and the house margarita, beer, rotating wines and prosecco, plus pizza and the Altair burger on the food side.

   Deal checked Oct 20, 2026 on the bar's own site.

7. 

   7. Glass Ceiling Rooftop Koreatown

   Martinis (espresso, dirty, cosmo) $15 · Classic cocktails (margarita, old fashioned, seasonal spritz, paloma, mule) $10
   Tue–Sat 4:30pm–6pm · Tue–Sat 10pm–12am · 1204 Broadway · 28th Street (R, W)

   A rooftop bar on Broadway in NoMad, about eight minutes east of the Garden and a minute from the 28th Street R and W. It runs two windows Tuesday through Saturday: a short one in the early evening and a second late in the evening, the only weekday happy hour within a 10-minute walk that starts that late. Espresso, dirty and cosmo martinis, classic cocktails, flatbreads, a Caesar and a chip-and-charcuterie plate are on the deal.

   Deal checked Oct 19, 2026 on the bar's own site.

8. 

   8. Croton Reservoir Tavern Midtown

   Mango Habanero Margarita $12 · Classic Margarita $10
   Tue–Fri 4pm–8pm · 108 W 40th St · 42nd Street–Bryant Park (7, B, D, F, M)

   A tavern on West 40th Street, about nine minutes from the Garden and a minute from 42nd Street-Bryant Park. Happy hour runs Tuesday through Friday and stays on into the evening, one of the latest nearby, served in The Speakeasy on the lower level. The list is long: two margaritas, an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan, sangria, a cosmo, an Aperol spritz, select wines, draft beer and well drinks. Reservations go through OpenTable.

   Deal checked Oct 17, 2026 on the bar's own site.

Before the game: matching the window to your night

Most happy hours near the Garden run on weekdays and wrap up in the early evening, so the pre-show round works best if you leave work a little early. Tara Mor, Burgerology, Legasea and District Tap House all run Monday through Friday, and all four are within about six minutes of the arena. If your night starts later, The Fleur Room and Croton Reservoir Tavern keep their windows going longest, but both skip Mondays.

On a Monday, stick to the Monday-to-Friday group, or Altair, which runs every day. On weekends the options thin out: Altair covers Saturday and Sunday, and The Dawson 39 on West 39th Street runs its happy hour all day on both weekend days. Juniper and Muses 35 Bar & Karaoke on West 35th Street, each about three minutes away, also list a happy hour every day, though neither posts its deal items, so ask at the bar.

A tip for the bar-only deals at Burgerology and Legasea: one person holds stools while the others arrive. They are among the closest bars to the arena, and they fill early on event nights.

After the game or concert

Late deals are rare in this part of Midtown. Within about a 10-minute walk, Glass Ceiling Rooftop is the only bar on our list with a weekday window that starts late in the evening, Tuesday through Saturday. On Saturdays, The Dawson 39's all-day window runs past midnight, and on Sundays it goes well into the evening, with spritzes, house wine, draft beer and bar bites such as nachos, wings and pretzel bites.

Maru Karaoke Lounge on West 32nd Street runs an evening happy hour Sunday through Wednesday on beer, shots, well drinks and cocktails, with a karaoke discount during the same window. It is about a nine-minute walk east of the Garden. If none of those fit, the table below lists every happy hour around Penn Station and the Garden, and our late-night happy hours page covers the rest of the city.

Which way to walk

Pick a direction before you leave the arena, because the crowd moves with you. Heading north puts you on West 36th to West 40th Streets, where Burgerology, District Tap House, Altair and Croton Reservoir Tavern sit between about five and nine minutes away. Heading south and east takes you to Tara Mor on West 30th Street, The Fleur Room on West 28th Street and Glass Ceiling Rooftop on Broadway. Legasea is the closest on Seventh Avenue itself.

Our walking times are straight-line distances at about 80 meters a minute, measured from the Garden, so add a minute or two for crossings. Most picks are within three minutes of a subway stop, which makes it easy to head home without walking back past the arena.

Doors, bags and booking

Door times and bag rules are set event by event, so check your event's page on msg.com before you settle in at a bar, and leave enough time to get through the entrance. We do not list event start times here because they change from show to show.

If you want a guaranteed table for a group, Tara Mor, The Fleur Room, Glass Ceiling Rooftop and Croton Reservoir Tavern all have a booking link on their cards. For splitting the tab and tipping, our tipping guide has the numbers.

Happy hours near Penn Station and the Garden

Walking time is estimated from straight-line distance (about 80 m a minute). Up to 40 bars, closest first.

How we put this together

We measured straight-line walking distance from Madison Square Garden (40.7505, -73.9934) to every bar on our list with a happy hour, at about 80 meters per minute, and kept those within roughly 800 meters: 36 bars, 22 of them with a weekday window running into the early evening or later. Deals and windows come from each bar's own website, checked between October 17 and October 22, 2026. Subway stations and walk times come from each bar's listing. We do not state event times or arena policies; those are on msg.com for each event.

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will check it.

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