✓ Verified June 2026
The Ten Bells runs a happy hour in the Lower East Side — headlined by $1.50 oysters. $1.50 oysters, $20 carafe of wine (50cl).
The Ten Bells: A Natural-Wine Pioneer With the LES’s Famous Oyster Happy Hour
The Ten Bells was doing natural wine on the Lower East Side before most New Yorkers knew the term. Since 2008 it’s been a dim, crowded little den of low-intervention bottles and shared plates — and its daily happy hour, $1.50 oysters and a $20 wine carafe, is one of the best cheap hangs downtown.
About The Ten Bells
Open since 2008, The Ten Bells is one of the city’s original natural-wine bars — organic and biodynamic bottles from small producers, an unusual list that swings from obscure to approachable, poured by bartenders just as happy to nerd out about soil types as to pour you the cheapest thing on the menu. It was long the last spot in town still selling dollar oysters; the price has since ticked up to $1.50, but the spirit hasn’t moved.
The food is largely tapas and plays a deliberate supporting role to the wine — with one big exception: the oysters.
The Happy Hour in Detail
The Ten Bells happy hour runs every day, from open until 7pm (Monday–Friday from 5pm, Saturday–Sunday from 3pm). The deal: $1.50 oysters — usually three kinds — and a $20 carafe (50cl) of wine.
Pair a carafe of muscadet with a dozen oysters and you’ve got a downtown afternoon for not much money. It’s the kind of low-stakes, high-reward happy hour the LES is built on.
What to Order
Oysters and a carafe, full stop — but the tapas reward you too. The papas bravas with its creamy sauce is a standout, the mortadella and chorizo picante are regulars’ picks, and the spicy baby eels in garlicky oil are a sleeper favorite (sop up the oil with bread). The charcuterie — wild boar cacciatorini, aged Comté — is built for the wine.
The Space & Vibe
Dark, dimly lit and pleasantly crowded, with a wraparound bar and a few high-tops up front and a communal table plus group seating in back. There’s a disco ball and good music, zero pretension, and it works equally for a date, a solo oyster break on the way home, or a group. Reservations are suggested; walk-ins are welcome.
The Lower East Side Angle
The Ten Bells sits at 247 Broome Street, deep in the bar-dense core near Ludlow and Orchard. Delancey–Essex (F/J/M/Z) is a short walk, which makes it an easy first or last stop on an LES crawl.
Who It’s For
| Occasion | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Cheap oysters | Discounted oysters during the happy-hour window |
| After-work drinks | Happy hour runs Daily, open–7pm |
| Wine by the glass | Glasses and bottles marked down at happy hour |
More NYC Happy Hours
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Arlene’s Grocery · Lower East Side
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The Flower Shop · Lower East Side
A ’70s LES Bar-Restaurant with $1.50 Oysters
The Ten Bells FAQ
Does The Ten Bells have a happy hour?
Yes — daily, from open until 7pm (Mon–Fri from 5pm, Sat–Sun from 3pm), with $1.50 oysters and a $20 carafe (50cl) of wine. It’s one of the longest-running oyster deals on the LES.
Where is The Ten Bells?
247 Broome Street, on the Lower East Side near Ludlow and Orchard. Delancey–Essex (F/J/M/Z) is the closest station.
What should I order at The Ten Bells?
Oysters and a $20 wine carafe, plus the papas bravas and the spicy baby eels. The natural-wine list is the whole point — ask what’s open by the glass.
Do you need a reservation at The Ten Bells?
Reservations are suggested, especially for groups or during happy hour, but walk-ins are welcome.
The Ten Bells’s happy-hour deals rotate and were compiled June 2026 from public listings. Confirm current deals and hours with the venue before visiting.