At DiscoverSD.com we believe you shouldn’t have to sacrifice atmosphere just to find an affordable happy hour. In the name of discount cocktails and chic surroundings, we partied from Del Mar to Pacific Beach and down to East Village to find the best happy hours in San Diego.

Because being an Insider means never lowering standards to score a good buzz on the cheap...

Discover the top ten upscale happy hours in San Diego.

Firehouse American Eatery + Lounge – Pacific Beach
Rise to the rooftop lounge and soak in the sunset with $3 drafts and wines, $4 wells, and half-off apps from 4-7pm Monday – Friday. Firehouse also features daily specials on top of happy hour, such as Bravo TV Wednesdays with “Top Chef” or “Project Runway” in high def with half-off bottles of wine. (pictured main)

Suite & Tender - Downtown

This first class hotel restaurant and lounge features Rush Hour Retreat Monday-Friday from 5-8pm with specialty handcrafted half priced cocktails and a bottomless glass of wine for only $20. Suite & Tender is one new restaurant you have to check out in 2009.

Quarter Kitchen – Downtown
Get harmonious happy hour bliss with Ivy’s “Happier Hour” in Quarter Kitchen’s lavish lounge which offers $5 specialty cocktails including grey goose and half-off Quarter Kitchen’s scrumptious appetizers. Also check out the new Fashionably Early dinner special - 3-course meal for $30 from 5:30-7pm daily. (pictured left)

The Fleetwood – East Village
It’s not just “happy” hour, it’s Power Hour at Fleetwood, and noticeably so with daily $4 you-call-it cocktails from 5-6pm. This swanky sports bar also keeps it real with $2 PBRs on game days.

Turquoise Café Bar Europa – Pacific Beach
Relax to live music accompanied by the everyday Happy Hour menu from 5pm-7pm featuring tapas, wine, sangria and draft beer all at $3 each. Don’t let Mondays get you down because Turquoise gives away their Specialty Martinis for $3 all night.

RA Sushi Bar – Downtown
The hip sushi bar RA does happy hour right, with half-off sushi rolls and appetizers, $1 hot sake, $2 beers and $3 well drinks Monday – Saturday from 3-7pm and again from 10pm-Midnight.

Brigantine – Del Mar
San Diego’s night owls flock to the Brigantine from 10-11pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9-10pm Sundays through Thursdays for the signature late night happy hour menu that presents an array of cheap cocktails, beers, wines by the glass and must-try appetizers, like the Brig’s juicy fish tacos with hand-made potato chips. Happy hour goes all night on Mondays – from 4-10pm. (pictured below)

La Puerta – Downtown
Enter downtown’s hottest “hole-in-the-wall” to discover one of the best happy hours San Diego has to offer. Daily, from 3-7pm La Puerta’s throws a fiesta with a Half Off Everything Happy Hour, and on Monday night happy hour goes all night long.

Bite – Hillcrest
Nibbling is not the only thing Bite boasts because sipping is becoming pretty popular with Bite’s Monday happy hour from 5-9pm that provides hard working patrons with half-off all bottles of champagne or wine. And Bite lovers can now get a daily dose of Bite’s Champagne happy hour from 5-7pm.

Epazote Z Ocean Bar – Del Mar
Enjoy the sunset from atop Epazote’s ocean bar with Lemondrops, Cosmos, traditional gin and vodka martinis, Epazote’s tasty martini shakers, selected wines by the glass and an array of appetizers like the BBQ Pork Lollipops or Crispy Calamari all priced at a whopping 5 dollars any day of the week from 3-7pm. (Epazote is now closed)

Insider Tip: Also notable are Sunday Funday specials at Soleil @k starring $5 Corralejo margaritas, half-off wine Wednesdays at Jack’s La Jolla, late-night half-priced appetizers and cheap drinks at Yard House, daily 25% off cocktails from 3-6pm (and weekends from 10pm-Midnight) at Whisknladle in downtown La Jolla, half-off the entire menu at Confidential from 5-7pm.

Did you discover better happy hours in San Diego? Let us know!