15 Food-Focused Happy Hour and Early Bird Specials

Want to save on dining and drinking out without stooping to Groupon and its offspring? Leave the apartment or the office a little early to take advantage of a plethora of restaurant deals offered before prime dining time. Ahead, check out a lengthy list of food focused happy hours, pre-theater specials sans the geriatrics (to be honest, there may be some seasoned diners at the next table), and solid early bird specials.

1) Asellina: Situated in the Gansevoort Park Hotel, Italian restaurant Asellina recently launched a "3 Hours menu" available from 4 PM to 7 PM featuring $9 appetizers, $4 beers, $5 wines, and select bottles for half price. 420 Park Avenue South

2) Maialino: In addition to street food prices on gourmet appetizers—$2 pizza rustica and meatballs —Maialino recently started serving $5 Italian beer specials and beer cocktails as part of its Cicchetti bar menu, available every weekday from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. 2 Lexington Ave.

3) Benoit: Dine before a debut at one of the many midtown restaurants offering pre-theater specials. At Benoit, costly French fare is radically reduced in price before 6:30 where the restaurant offers two courses for $28 -- which is less than that of many of their entrees. 60 West 55th St. [Photo]

4) Fig & Olive: At the Meatpacking branch of Fig & Olive, the Aperitivo menu gives food lovers a chance to start the night a little early. From 5 to 7 PM, discounted $10 cocktails, $10 wines, and $7 beers are accompanied by a complementary plate of appetizers. 416 W 13th St. [Photo]

5) Flex Mussels: Every Monday through Friday, patrons of Flex Mussels can also flex their dollar with the Unlimited Mussels Special: $20 for a draft beer, fries, and all the mussels they can eat. 154 West 13th St. [Photo]

6) Betel: Early bird diners don't have to commit to a dish at the South East Asian Betel, where Chef Adam Woodfield curates an eight-dish tasting menu available before 7:30 for $35 every night. 51 Grove St. [Photo]

7) Tocqueville: Whether or not you plan to hit up the shows afterward, the Union Square Greenmarket-direct three-course pre-theater menu from Tocqueville is only $44 before 6:30. Add another $15 for a discounted dinner wine pairing. 1 East 15th St.

8) Vamos: True to its urgent name, Vamos! offers a reasonable deal to patrons who get a move on: From 4 - 6:30 PM, diners can opt for a three course $21 meal, with discounted $4 frozen margaritas. 348 1st Ave.

9) db Bistro Moderne: Theater-goers with the munchies should expect a current take on traditional French flavors at Daniel Boulud's db Bistro Moderne. From 5 to 6:30 PM, DB offers a three-course pre-theater prix fixe for $45, offering limited yet well-crafted items like duck ravioli and chicken pearl fricassée. 55 West 44th St.

10) Perry Street: The early bird, the spring chicken: the two are synonymous at Perry Street where a current seasonal Spring Dinner promotion offers a three-course dinner Sunday through Friday for only $38 between 5:30 and 6 PM. 176 Perry St.

11) Parlor: As if a prime 7 oz filet mignon or bone-in 18 oz prime strip loin wasn't enough, Parlor Steakhouse adds a refreshing salad and simple dessert for only $35 at their early evening prix fixe served til 7 PM. 1600 3rd Ave.

12) Three of Cups: Forget choosing from limited options, Three of Cups subtracts twenty percent from the check from 5 to 6:30 PM Monday through Thursday. 83 1st Ave.

13) Four Seasons Restaurant: The Four Seasons Restaurant only gives patrons an hour and fifteen minutes to cash in on a $65 three-course prix fixe, so plan ahead or miss out on the crisp farmhouse duck and elderberry shoofly pie. 99 East 52nd St.

14) Milos Estatorio: Patrons of Milos know chic Greek comes at a price; however, diners in the know can show up early and try their generous pre-theater special from 5 to 6:30 PM for a $49 three-course prix fixe. 125 West 55th St.

15) Salon Millesime: Salon Millesime, the downstairs lounge of French seafood brasserie Millesime, is offering daily happy hour specials from 5 - 8PM, including a burger and beer on Mondays for $20 and $1 oysters on Wednesdays. 92 Madison Ave..

—Devin Briski