The Ten Bells Awards

The Ten Bells Restaurant Review:

On a quaint, restaurant-loaded Lower East Side block sits The Ten Bells, a casual wine bar with sex appeal and a playful menu of small plates. The dimly lit, almost cramped space boasts a hip factor but manages to remain unpretentious with the helpful, down-to-earth staff. Diners are guided to the chalkboards mounted around the restaurant to make their selections from the Spanish-driven menu. Ten Bells, which is a nautical term, serves up a variety of seafood tapas such as the crab puff pastry, boquerones, and duet of salmon tartare with black caviar. Other menu highlights include a wild mushroom stew, Spanish tortilla, shrimp nachos, prosciutto and goat cheese cigars, and a hearty selection of local cheeses from New York State, Connecticut, Vermont and Virginia. The wine list is heavy on the French side but also offers selections from Spain, Italy and Austria. The eatery hosts an oyster happy hour ($1 each) every day from opening to 7 p.m.