Happy hour: Smashed tots, $4 wine, Goldfish-topped mac and cheese at The Must

Name of restaurant: The Must

Happy hour: The wine bar, opened by Rachel Thomas and Coly Den Haan in 2010, then reopened in late 2013, hosts a happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The happy hour wines include a rotating list of varietals featured on the regular wine menu as well as a white and black sangria (made with a mixture of wine and port). There are also beers and $5 well drinks. The food offerings include roasted tomato and pepper soup, sharp cheddar mac and cheese with Goldfish cracker crumbles, smashed tater tots with roasted garlic ranch, jalapeño hush puppies and more. Prices are $2 (can of light beer) to $9 (glass of 2008 Mas Coscience Carignan from Languedoc) for drink specials and $3 to $5 for snacks.

Best bang for your buck: A glass of the $4 house sparkling Canella Spumate and a bowl of the sharp cheddar mac and cheese with Goldfish crumble. The pair make a satisfying meal for less than $10.

What are you drinking: A $5 tall glass of white sangria made with fresh peaches, a crisp white wine and apricot liqueur or a glass of 2011 Quatro Mani Movia Toh-Kai from Slovenia.

Who’s at the next table: Couples sharing an early post-work beverage playing Uno at the outdoor bar. As people file in a little after 5 p.m., everyone gravitates toward the open patio overlooking Winston Street. A young man reads a plastic-covered library book while waiting for his date to arrive and a group of three friends scoops the fruit out of the bottom of their empty black sangria glasses before ordering another round.

Uh-oh: It’s not a menu of light fare, so dieters beware.

Service: Friendly and willing to chat about recommendations while you wait for the rest of your party to arrive.

Info: The Must, 117 Winston St, Los Angeles, (213) 628-2000, www.themust.com/.