Pictured: The half-off happy hour lineup at Ocean Prime. Photo by Alex Alfaro.

Slide into an oversized booth in Ocean Prime’s upstairs lounge and watch the boats bob at the docks below. Since June 22, the bay view comes with a half-off happy hour menu Monday through Friday, 4 to 6 pm.

For a late-summer afternoon, the Cucumber Gimlet goes down crisp and cold, with juniper-forward Bombay Sapphire, muddled cucumber and lime. “This is our most sold summer item because it’s so refreshing,” says Beverage Manager Jordan Petti. Berries and Bubbles, the signature, delivers fruit and fizz in equal measure. Marinated berries and vodka meet Piper Sonoma Brut, dry ice smoke for dramatic swirl. “A little sweet, a little sour,” Petti says. “Definitely a showstopper.”

Then the bites. Caviar deviled eggs, the yolk filling creamy and silky, burst with salty roe in every bite. “You could have the most expensive caviar in the world… it’s not gonna taste right if the yolk mix isn't right,” says Executive Chef Nicholas Pratt. The ceviche bites back with citrus, shrimp and sea bass firm enough to scoop onto housemade spicy tortilla chips. Lamb lollipops, glazed with teriyaki and dusted with togarashi, eat right off the bone. “The soy sauce tenderizes the protein,” Pratt says. “That’s the biggest secret.” The marinade started at Ocean Prime Orlando, where Pratt spent fourteen years working up from line cook before transferring to Sarasota.

Petti calls this a big refresh, sixteen changes across the list. The discounts make Ocean Prime feel within reach for a weeknight date or drinks with friends. Pratt wants guests to come upstairs and try the food. “People say it’s more vibrant up here,” he says. “We’re highlighting the lounge menu… to entice you to see some other things.” By the second round, you’ve forgotten to check on the boats.

Ocean Prime Sarasota, Sun–Thurs, 4–9 m, Fri–Sat, 4–10pm, Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4- 6pm; 501 Quay Commons, Suite 300, Sarasota, 941-404-1024, ocean-prime.com/locations-menus/sarasota

Pictured: The half-off happy hour lineup at Ocean Prime. Photo by Alex Alfaro.