But there's one thing that seperates this particular bar and keeps it very much in line with the times: The wines are all natural, organic and are produced using biodynamic and sustainable methods. Gimmick or great idea? Will Ten Bells be the model for the future of wine bars? We ducked in to get some answers.
Drinks: Ten Bells offers an ample, well-curated selection of international wines, with about 15 by the glass and 50 by the bottle. We enjoyed the Corbieres 1e Pas 2005 ($7 glass/$40 bottle), a medium-bodied red from the Languedoc region that was nicely spiced with strong berry notes. The Muscadet 2006 ($6 glass/$34 bottle) was a fresh white with lots of fruit flavors—perfect for pairing with food—and the Gruner ($5 glass/$30 bottle) proved to be a real thirst-quencher on a warm night.
Food: The bar offers a large, mostly European-inspired food menu of cheese (including a cow’s milk cheese called Barick Obama—cheeky!), charcuterie (like the questionably sustainable lamb prosciutto and wild-boar sausage), and assorted salads and appetizers. The crabmeat, avocado and tomato tartar ($8 small/$12 large) proved to be a heaping portion of cool crab salad flecked with cilantro (though slightly lacking on the avocado), and our duck rillettes ($8) were peppery and creamy, the perfect counterpart to a glass of red. Be sure to check out the oyster happy-hour special from 5 to 7 p.m.—you can eat your fill for only $1.25 a pop.
Digs: The dimly lit nook bears some resemblance to Le Pere Pinard, with its charming pressed-tin ceiling, exposed brick walls and frosted glass mirrors. Although there are some rustic touches (menus written on chalkboards along the wall) à la Le Pere Pinard, Ten Bells opts more for a grown-up, romantic vibe: A huge arrangement of cherry blossoms fans over the back of the restaurant, while votive candles cast a soft glow over the wraparound bar. Overhead, the music was low enough for conversation—mostly jazz classics with some ambient-electro thrown in.
Crowd: Given the owner’s associations with such Francophilic establishments, it wasn’t at all surprising that we heard more French than English, although there were some local neighborhood types hanging around as well. We also spied several couples on what appeared to be first dates, and given the ambience, we’d want to be taken here on a date, too.
Net results: what people are saying online...
[Rare Daily]: "Expect a global wine list and hearty small plates (venison carpaccio, wild-boar sausage)."
[Time Out NY]: "The 30-seat bar, named for the London pub where Jack the Ripper is said to have selected his victims, will also offer bites like meats, cheeses and olives."
[Grub Street]: "It’s a morbid moniker for an all-natural, organic wine bar."
Ten Bells
247 Broome St. between Ludlow and Orchard Sts.
212-228-4450
thetentbells.com
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