While there's been plenty of accolades for the food at the nearly one-year-old Mío restaurant on Vermont Avenue in McPherson Square — Tom Sietsema gave his meal there a generous two and a half stars, and Washingtonian’s food critic called Executive Chef Stefano Frigerio’s swordfish a “knockout” — it’s gone almost completely under the radar for something else it does remarkably well: happy hour. Mío's combination of inventive, well-made cocktails and ever-changing menu of delicious, small plates is complemented by a relaxed modern atmosphere that suits both business folks, wheeling and dealing over martinis, and lowly reporters and admins, desperate for a reason to branch out of their usual $3-beer haunts (no offense, Post Pub).

Now, here's something atypical for a happy hour review — talking about the food first. There is a singular and delectable reason for this: the cone. “The cone” is my affectionate nickname for a buratta-stuffed sweet cone topped with olive tapanade, known to be re-ordered more than once during our own five-o’clock meetings there. The salty mozzarella, aged three-weeks to perfection, is piped into a sweet, wafer-thin cone and topped with savory olives for a contrast of flavors largely unexpected for happy hour fare. “The cone” and a handful of other small plates on the menu of happy hour offerings are just $6 apiece and, so far, nothing has disappointed. Fried, yet grease-less avocado wontons, artichoke and parmesan philo triangles and Mio’s own Mediterranean twist on a chicken satay should also be on your list.

As for libations, the restaurant offers each of the cocktails on its part-original/part-classics drinks menu for just $5 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Most of the drinks will indulge your sweet tooth, but some of them — including the caiprinha and the pisco sour — are well-balanced between sweet and sour, and are made by the book. Amanda’s Margarita, made with blood orange puree, is heaven draped in citrus, although margarita purists may complain of a dearth of tartness, and Annie’s Summertime uses muddled fresh strawberries and oranges for a light and simple take on white sangria. A new addition, the embajador, is only for extreme sweet-seekers due to its abundance of mango puree, which has an annoying habit of getting stuck in the bottom of your glass, while the Mexi-cosmo doesn’t taste much different than a straight-up margarita with a splash of cranberry. For those non-liquor-philes, Mío also offers one red and one white wine selection for $5 and beers for $4-5 during happy hour.

Mio
1110 Vermont Ave. NW
202.955.0075
Happy hour from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m., Monday - Friday