Hexagone
495 Laurel St. (Bankers Hill)
619-236-0467
Happy Hour: 3:30 to 7 p.m., daily

Come On Get Happy! | Dr. Ink

Tailored after the six-sided polygon that defines the outline of France, happy hour at Hexagone affords customers a repertoire of cocktails and French-inspired dishes priced mostly at – you guessed it – $6 per item. The daily deals are offered in the small bar area, which means you could end up competing over only 10 bar stools and two high tops before raising a martini to your lips.

Our trio got lucky as a table cleared about five minutes after checking in at the host station, which kept us in eyeshot of the white-linen dining room that we wished was partly designated for the budget-conscious.

Once seated, the aroma of clams and mussels filled the air, consumed by respectably dressed patrons that would suddenly vanish at 7 p.m., when happy hour ended. The waiter who initially took our drink orders disappeared much sooner, passing the buck onto the bartender, who cheerfully ran drinks and food for the remainder of our visit.

A round of drinks featured a kicky bourbon-drenched Manhattan served in a large martini glass instead of an old-fashioned rocks glass. My companion who ordered it wasn’t complaining because the break from tradition likely resulted in an extra ounce of alcohol. We also ordered a mojito that wasn’t as sweet as some, but minty and refreshing in the classic sense.

Veering off the $6 cocktail menu, I chose a Stone Cellars Cabernet for a buck less. The wine could have used a chill-down and I suspected it was oxidized, given that the fruit element was muted. Other options include well drinks for $4 and commercial brands of beer for $3.50. In addition, premium liquors such as Grey Goose, Belvedere and Patron Tequila cost $9, should you decide to upgrade your cocktails.

A lengthy list of $6 appetizers proved to be the best deals. A deep urn of French onion soup au gratin sent us into happy land. Sealed with a thick layer of toasted cheese, the broth is made from a base of veal stock and Port.

“This is why I came here,” said a member in our group as we moved onto creamy Caesar salad and “jumbo” shrimp cocktail that contained only three crustaceans, albeit large ones. Skipping over frog legs Provencal and the shellfish, we rounded out our quasi dinner with a crab cake draped in silky French sauce and a purely Italian-style caprese salad. For an upscale French restaurant appointed in fancy draperies, we embraced the rarity of saving nearly 40 percent on a marble-top table crammed with food and drinks.

RATINGS:

Drinks: 4

The bourbon-based Manhattan was fairly brawny; a mojito was minty and perfectly sweetened, but the Stone Cellars Cabernet tasted flat.

Food: 4

The French onion soup is among the best in town, offering a sweet, rich aftertaste. The shrimp cocktail, served three to an order, calls for a few extra pieces. But the Caesar and caprese salads are tastefully substantial.

Value: 4

Drinks and appetizers priced at $6 amount to a few dollars less compared to their regular menu prices.

Service: 3

It took several minutes before the hostess greeted us, although once seated, the bartender doubling as a waiter fulfilled our orders at a decent clip.

Duration: 5

Boozers and connoisseurs of classic French food can suck up the price breaks for more than three hours, seven days a week.