Canonita Happy Hour. The Strip

Canonita sits right on the indoor canal at the Grand Canal Shoppes, so your happy hour comes with gondolas drifting past and the painted-sky ceiling overhead. The setting is half the reason to come.

The window runs Monday through Thursday, 2 to 5pm, which is an early one by Strip standards and a good way to dodge the dinner rush. Drafts go for $3, margaritas and cocktails for $5, and wines for $5. That pricing is genuinely low for this address, which is what makes the spot worth a stop instead of a tourist-tax meal.

The food side is built on small plates: tacos, ceviche, mussels, flautas, crab and shrimp cakes, and queso fundido. Order a few to share with the table and you've got a light meal that pairs well with the $5 margaritas without committing to a full Venetian dinner check.

This fits a couple or a small group who want the canal-side view and some people-watching before moving on to a show or dinner. The Venetian's garage handles parking, and the restaurant sits inside the mall level, so you can fold it into a walk through the Shoppes. Come early in the week and aim for the front of the window to grab a table closer to the water.