Manhattan-born natural wine bar The Ten Bells has expanded locations, bringing its sultry atmosphere and vast wine selection to Bushwick. Having opened at the end of June 2021, just across the street from Maria Hernandez Park, it serves as the Brooklyn counterpart to its original location on Broome Street in the Lower East Side.
The Ten Bells’ Bushwick location fills the space that was once occupied by now-defunct Breaking Bad-themed coffee shop, Walter’s Coffee Roastery. It provides a lively date night option within the heart of the neighborhood.
Neatly minimalistic on the outside (save for the telltale wine bottle door handles emblazoned with the The Ten Bells’ logo), the indoor ambience is sensual, with warm lighting and dark wooden accents contrasting cornflower blue details. With ample patio space in the back, cozy booths, a full bar and tables along Irving Avenue, The Ten Bells can accommodate both intimate and boisterous gatherings alike, depending on the vibe you’re looking for.
“Think of this place as a baby brother to the original location,” said manager Matt Leleux, a Paris native who got his start bartending at the first Ten Bells locale. “Fans of the original Ten Bells will find what they love here in Bushwick, just with higher ceilings and a large back patio. The energy is the same.”
While natural wine is now considered a relatively mainstream concept to those at the helm of the food scene in 2021, it wasn’t always. According to Leleux, The Ten Bells spearheaded putting natural wine on the map in 2008 at its LES location. Natural wine is renowned for its lack of additives and “purity, being produced as it was thousands of years ago,” Leleux explains.
A core distinction from its original location is that Bushwick’s The Ten Bells boasts a full bar with hand-selected spirits.
“We didn’t want to simply stock whatever basic liquor was available while putting so much emphasis on high-quality wine at the same time,” says Leleux. “So we work with local distilleries to ensure that all of our liquor is clean and thoughtfully crafted like our wine.”
Happy hour is every day from opening to 7 p.m., complete with dollar oysters, $6 glasses of wine and $18 wine carafes. The Ten Bells’ tastefully curated selection of Spanish-inspired tapas are ideal for enjoying on a lush back patio at dusk. The result is a breezy, easygoing experience that makes it effortless to linger at The Ten Bells well into a nice evening.
You can visit The Ten Bells at 65 Irving Ave., off of the Jefferson L.
Hours are as follows:
5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday
5 p.m. to 4 a.m. Friday
3 p.m. to 4 a.m. Saturday
3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday
All images: Lee Barnes
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