TEN BELLS NYC

Wine professionals, wine geeks and hipsters pour into this Lower East Side hot spot all week long.  The allure isn’t the amount of space or the decor, as it’s dark, small and quaint with its low indie music playing in the background, but nothing special to look at.  The charm of The Ten Bells is the food and wine list, and that’s high praise given it’s located in what’s probably the city’s most robust foodie scene.  To make a selection, you won’t be given a menu, instead you’ll have to refer to the chalkboard or illicit recommendations from one of the owners or bartenders.  The recommendations come in particularly handy when choosing wine, especially if you’re not savvy in the ways of and producers of natural and biodynamic wines, which is their entire list. Either way, you can’t go wrong cause the happy hour oysters are slamming, the food is layered with flavors, and the wine is interesting, unique.

A big chunk of the wine list comes from the most touted natural and biodynamic producers from every world region, including selections from Jenny and Francois or Luis Dresner. This is where the wine geek and wine professional customer base comes into the picture as reps from these portfolios, as well as wine producers and winemakers often hang out to sample The Ten Bells wares. Expect to pay the usual, or more than usual NYC high price for wine by the glass. 

Photo Credit: Ten Bells