Happy hour: A taste of Jose Andres on the cheap at the Bazaar’s ‘Tapas on the Terrace’

Name: Tapas on the terrace at the Bazaar by Jose Andres

Happy hour: 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday to Thursday on the terrace overlooking the valet area just off the Bazaar dining room. Andres’ “Tapas on the Terrace” is a taste of the chef’s signature, whimsical bites at a discounted price. Tapas are all priced at $8 and include the bagel and lox cones, the croquetas de pollo fritters stuffed with shredded chicken and creamy bechamel, the Ottoman carrot fritters over dollops of pistachio spread, jicama wrapped guacamole cups with micro cilantro and corn chips and the oxtail buns with watermelon radish, cilantro and jalapeno.

The smoking cocktails Bar Centro is known for are absent from the menu, but you can still order from a small selection of vodka- and tequila-based cocktails, as well as bottled beer and house Cava, white and red wine, all priced at $8. Bottomless red sangria is $12 per person, normally priced at $52 for a 52-ounce pitcher. You can also lean back on one of the terrace’s plush couches and order a cigar.

Best bang for your buck: Any of the $8 cocktails, regularly priced at $16 to $20. You can also get discounted valet for $8 (normally $14) before 7 p.m. To eat, try the pa’amb tomaquet with Catalan-style toasted bread topped with a simple tomato puree and a sliver of Manchego or the sweet potato chips served paper thin with a sprinkle of salt and a bowl of lighter-than-air Greek yogurt dip topped with star anise and tamarind.
What are you drinking: The Jose Palmer cocktail with vodka, tart lemonade and cassis or the Jasmine Margarita made with Casamigos tequila and pomegranate with a sal de gusano (Oaxacan dried caterpillar seasoning)-laced rim.

Who’s at the next table: Rail thin girls in five-inch platform espadrilles nursing their sangria, chatting excitedly about their upcoming vacations, and in one corner a woman gripping her phone and downing a tall pink cocktail while she waits for the rest of her party to arrive. Everyone swarms the valet below and strains to look when Seth MacFarlane ducks into his Tesla and zooms away.

Service: Friendly and understanding when you send back the sangria for being too sweet for your taste.

Uh-oh: It’s happy hour, but these are not cheap eats in the conventional sense of the term. Remember, this is the restaurant that sells two ounces of jamon Iberico de Bellota Fermin for $42. But prices are lower, with the bagel and lox cones going for $8 instead of $9 each; if you’re looking to fill up, however, you may end up spending more than expected.

Info: 465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 246-5555, www.sbe.com/restaurants/brands/thebazaar.

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