Bell Book & Candle

I've been coming to BB&C for years. This is a SOLID choice every time. This is not a foodie restaurant with a Michelin star which other reviewers seem to want it to be... I've always found the plates to be solid and consistent. I get their awesome take on the American patty melt almost every time and I love it. The small plates are perfect bites. BB&C cocktails are well done without the mixology fuss. The thing people are forgetting to mention here is that the prices are very approachable considering the prime location in the West Village. The space is ridiculous COZY. Whether at the bar or in a large booth in back near the kitchen the staff is always attentive but not disruptive. They always remember me and my order even though I've been only a handful of times. If you're looking for real West Village—this place is great. It's not a destination spot and that's what makes it my destination often times when I wanna have some reasonably priced dinner and a cocktail after work and be able to hear my companion's conversation while still in a lively and vivid atmosphere.

Food is SO good! We had the lobster taco, the tuna tartar, lamb chops, strawberry salad and the filet. Everything was a home run, only complaint was that the portions are a little small (particularly the lobster tacos) but thats only because we wanted more of it, it was so good!!

Well here we have our perfect posh, “Locals” spot , dark, entertaining, privately owned by a man that immigrated to America decades ago and worked hard to fulfill his own American dream! And THE FOOD IS ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!! without a doubt you’ll find yourself a regular there at BBC because the menu rotates regularly , the cocktails are fab , the prices are reasonable, the happy hour is top, the staff are attractive and cool people. Need I say more ? FIVE STARS ⭐️ FOR BBC . Good job folks , you nailed it.

I tried this place for the first time and totally loved the food! Especially their burrata, patty melt were amazing. Came in around 5:30 on Saturday, right when they open but it was pretty quiet. Maybe because it was right after thanksgiving. Their Christmas ornament was super and loved the atmosphere. I will def come back before the season ends:)

What a fun and cozy Christmas bar and restaurant! All of the drinks here are fantastic. I loved the “Under The Mistletoe” cocktail not pictured here. I am not a blue cheese fan but the fondue was absolutely delicious! I would highly recommend this for a cute date night or friends outing, it really is the perfect winter spot. They’re totally decked out for the holidays so I would recommend trying to get a look at it before the new year!

I was a little hesitant about trying this place because from street level it looks like a tiny walk down hole in the wall...but don’t be fooled this place has plenty of space! From the moment you walk in you’re surrounded by a beautifully designed ambient atmosphere with a grade A bar! The bartender Jenn was very outgoing and gave me the run down on everything available. Had the $1 oysters, $5 draft, and the Brussel sprouts...can’t wait to come back again and try the full menu.

This is a really nice underground Christmas restaurant during the holiday season. They have great Christmas focused cocktails and great tasting food. I personally had the the BB&C Patty Melt which was quite delicious. Also I had the Canela Navidad drink which was made to perfection; very delicious. Would recommend for an off the beaten path Christmas spirited place to dine and drink.

Starting with the positives: The service here was great and our server was lovely and very attentive. The atmosphere is lovely and warm and cosy, and the bar is fab. What lets this place down is the food. We shared several apps and they were all very underwhelming - the dip was a gross texture, the fries were a bit soggy and under seasoned, lamb chops (we asked for medium rare) were almost uncooked, the tuna and steak tartare were flavourless and a weird texture. We stopped at appetisers because it was very average food. Maybe some of the mains would have been better

Such a cute and cozy spot. Looks small from the outside but once you get in, it's very spacious. Everything was decorated so well for the holiday season. Cocktails seem to be their specialty. I had the Get Blitzed & my friend had the Canela Navidad. Both delicious - perfectly balanced ingredients. Then we decided to just get some apps to share. The bean dip was just okay. We got the chorizo but couldn't even taste it in there. The bread that came with it for dipping was yummy. Deviled eggs were good and interesting that they were crispy but I think that part was unecessary. Burrata with pesto- yum. Tuna Tartar- always a good idea. So fresh. But the highlight was the Hawaiian yellowfin tuna nachos. You order them by piece so I'm ready to come back and order like 20 of them! So SO good. Staff was friendly & around when needed but weren't hovering over you. All in all, a good spot for an annual holiday dinner me and my friend have.

This place looks so cute inside and out. The bae is super cozy and the restaurant is lovely. When we walked in on a Friday night it was dead. Which felt like a bad omen and it was. Our drinks were really not good. Dirty martini that tasted liked water. Margarita had zero flavor. We ordered the crispy Jalepeno deviled eggs. They were deep fried. And pretty tasteless. Absolutely no Jalepeno. The burrata was almost bad too. Which is shocking. Cause it's hard to f up a big piece of cheese. We split a Patty Melt for dinner which was actually very good. And two lagers. This was the highlight of the night. I'd go back and get the patty melt and beers. But I'd be wary of anything else.

This is a cute spot for a holiday get together. The service is good and they have a lot of great shareable apps. The oysters are great as well as the brussel sprouts, onion soup, quesadilla and the brussel salad. They have a wide variety of cocktails as well.

Lovely experience. We arrived at an off time yet had service like it was the rush. We got cocktails and an appetizer. Service was friendly. Sign is small off the street, look for the basement location. Holiday decor was hung with care during our visit. Adorable.

Truly a gem. The staff is very strong, the food is always top notch and drinks are delicious! Absolutely love the holiday decor and the cozy but spacious vibe. Will be back again and again!

Okay, we I didn't eat here, but I was looking for a cocktail before a dinner reservation at a fancy place on 8th Street in the Village. It was a Friday night in June, following the opening night of the disappearance of Covid restrictions. Every bar was swamped with groups of kids having a grand time. When did the Village become a college hangout? That used to be restricted to the East Village. At my age, everyone looked like they were 12 years old. It was quite disconcerting. Finally I peered down into a basement boite on 10th and saw empty stools at a bar. With a need for a cocktail growing by the second, I almost fell down those steps. What a find! The bartenderess was lovely, and poured my a double that felt like a triple. The room was small, but Greenwich Village charming. Bell, Books, and Candle, in spite of the name (A movie from the 1950s when the Village was actually bohemian), will be a go to spot for drinks whenever I'm in the city.

I've only been here twice, just for drinks and I can confidently say this place has the best dirty martini in Manhattan.

After having a fun girls dinner half of my 12 friends got very very sick for 3 days from eating their raw oyster selection. They have to be better at checking raw seafood. Definitely not going back

Tonight was my 3rd time here. The first time was fine but the past 2 have been so awful. The staff was so incredibly rude. I've never been so shocked. I made the reservation and had to apologize to all of my friends for how we were treaTed. Avoid this place

Go for their cute Christmas decor and atmosphere! The place is tiny but decorated so well. It was not overly crowded either which was nice (although we did need a reservation). Christmas drinks were great, we liked the Under the Mistletoe the best. I ordered the Steak and Eggs Benedict but would not recommend. Steak was chewy and eggs we way to runny for my liking. My friends got the French Toast and Turkey Club and said it was good, not great. We were all still hungry after.

I've been here a few times, mostly for drinks. Love the low key vibe- it's cozy like a speakeasy but spacious like a pub. Good spot for a first date, several bigger booths in the back for large parties. Wait staff is super friendly. The food was a little underwhelming, especially for a village spot. But ambiance is an A+. Come for a bev! Pretty easy to get rezzies too.

So after walking around Pridefest Sunday I was headed to the West Village. I was thinking of heading to one of the gay bars but I passed by here, noticed they had space at the bar so why not take a rest here, cool off and get refreshed before heading further west. I ordered a margarita. They accepted credit cards so I decided to open a tab because I wanted to hold onto my cash. 6 I ordered a margarita. Being Manhattan Pride day they were using plastic cups. The margarita was good regardless. There were other patrons there who seemed to have been enjoying the festivities based on their conversation and what they were wearing including accessories. The restrooms are in the back where the dining area seems to be. They are all single use gender neutral facilities.

Hate to give this spot away but have to comment on how good it was. Drinks were excellent...thanks to Drew!!! The oysters were fresh and delicious. Great intimate feel in the bar area with a spacious dining area as well. Serving staff were super attentive and very pleasant (thank you ladies) all in all....10 out of 10!!!

After a restaurant's kitchen failed on us and so we had to cancel our reservation, my friend and I scrambled to try to find a restaurant that would take 4 people on a Saturday night on 2 hour notice. I should've listened to the reviews and the fact that there was so much space available but there were really not many options and my friends didn't want certain kinds of foods. The service was not very good. For example, drink orders took forever or were forgotten. The food was overall not bad, but not bad is not a good standard. For appetizers we ordered the lamb chops and the lobster tacos. Both were incredibly small for the price (we added extra orders since there were 4 of us). The lobster taco I could do without, but the lamb was pretty tasty given that I normally dislike lamb. We also ordered the Burrata which was good, but not sure how you can mess up Burrata and thankfully they didn't. For my main dish I ordered the grilled cheese because there was honestly nothing else that I wanted. The grilled cheese was OK at first but, the cheese itself hardened too quickly making it inedible after a few minutes. My fiancé ordered the surf and turf and surprisingly the steak was good and well cooked to a medium rare. I also could've done without the side of fries as they weren't special. Just don't order the brownie. It's dry and tastes like cardboard and the ice cream has been in the freezer so long it has freezer burn. This place is probably more bar than restaurant. Either case won't be back for the food

The food was very average but the service here was horrible. Came here on a Friday night at 8:15PM to a half empty restaurant. We were seated in the corner and after the waiter took our order they never checked in once or even looked our way. After waiting 20 mins we had to chase them down to get our check and after another long wait we had to chase them down to get them to swipe our cards. The waiter Henry returned our cards with a passive aggressive "sorry you FELT ignored" after I expressed discontent at the service. For context I've been a waitress in Manhattan for 3+ years and try to always have empathy towards other waiters but this was just the worst attitude and treatment I've ever received. Do not recommend.

Great appetizers, drinks and vibe. A must go for date nights. All appetizers are a hit for me. Their deviled eggs to die for.

I've been a patron of BB&C for at least a decade now. While I no longer live in the city, this snug little West Village gem has been a go-to for my friends and a top recommendation when outsiders come to town. I keep returning (and recommending) because it truly has that cozy, neighborhood vibe that you just don't find much anymore in this world of mega 'restaurant groups'. The menu is varied enough to please almost anyone without compromising quality. I've always found it incredibly fresh, and some of the produce is grown right on the roof of the building (as shared with us by the owner on one visit). Popping in during the holidays is a true delight as their team has put effort into over-the-top decor that had us all (on last visit) grinning the whole meal. It made a consistently great dining experience even that much more special. If you're scrolling through spots in the village looking for your next great find, stop here-you won't regret it.

****This review is for the bar only**** By now you should know I eat $1 oysters for a living. After searching for a while in NoHo/SoHo area, this gem, which was not too far away, came up for $1 oysters all day everyday! And they do not serve Blue Point oysters. Thank god! We devoured 4 dozens of oysters along with good selection of beers and Tuna Tartare. We also ordered Deviled Eggs, and they were just alright. The ambiance was just perfect. The dining area was empty though.

Very underwhelmed... the restaurant is in a great neighborhood, heart of west village and so nicely decorated for Christmas with all the lights but the food is just not up to par. Tuna tartare was pretty good but toasted bread was so hard it could've been a rock. The fried chicken entree so incredibly salty and chicken was definitely not fresh. The mash potatoes were also very salty. Burrata was ok... the patty melt was also just ok. Also the restaurant is so loud you can hardly hear yourself think. Over hyped, not worth a second visit.

I was paying for my bill when a giant COCKROACH fell from the ceiling onto my arm and then onto the table. I told the waiter and he didn't even apologize, let alone comp any of my meal. This was one of my favorite restaurants but I will not be returning after this traumatic experience. I hate to leave a review and bash an entire restaurant. I understand sometimes roaches are unavoidable in NYC, however I would have expected the staff to at least be apologetic.

This was a stop over during a walking tour of Hells Kitchen and the likes on a warm summer night. If you love literature and the classic authors, the decor will have you reading the walls for hours. Like a cozy old library, this joint will not shoosh you nor hush you by some bespectacled old librarian. Interesting libations and a nice crowd make this a hot spot that I hope to return to soon.

Kelly is the best bartender in WV, awesome food, awesome vibes, and I would recommend this spot to all my friends and fam Order the lamb chops!

This is my favorite bar in the neighborhood, bar none... Its chill. The booze keeps flowing. There are plenty of seats in the front area (no need to go much further). The front area is where its at. There is a back area, with food, but again, there is no need to walk past the front (unless you have use the facilities). Otherwise, stay in the front. Great date spot. Great spot to meet a small crew. Great spot to meet up or end a night. Plenty of bourbon and whiskeys...plenty of tequila (yeah, they have it) and focus on some solid drinks. Trust. This place is amazing. Check it out.

This is a nice hidden gem in Greenwich Village, especially for happy hour. Their dirty martini aka the "soup of the day," is one of the better ones in the city, complete with blue cheese olives. It's perfect for a date too as it's cozy and even has hidden rooms for dining. The food is impeccable too and for foodies in your life, you can also sit at the chef's table in the back. If you're going with a group, get the chicken!

This has got to be the worst food I've had in NYC! Everything was cold, the steak was tougher than leather, but the lack of service was my favorite. Not sure why anyone would recommend such a place, but I can assure you that this is not it. If you're looking for trash, this is the place for you!

My friends and I visited for a birthday brunch. The space itself is super cute! If you're walking down the street, you may miss it because it's pretty low key. The store front is black and you have to walk down some steps but the inside is pretty cool and has a few different rooms, with a bar in the front. The restaurant was pretty empty, as we went for an early brunch, but the service wasn't great. It seemed like there was one server for the entire place, and he wasn't the nicest. There was a bug in my drink and when I let him know, he seemed annoyed at me...sorry but I'm not drinking something with a bug in it. The food was fine, nothing special. We actually didn't get our appetizer until we were almost done with our main dishes, so that was fun! Overall, not too impressed and probably wouldn't go back/recommend to friends. The food was meh and the service was less than stellar.

What an excellent place to visit around the holidays. They deck the place out with Christmas decorations and mixed with the Christmas music it's an excellent place to visit around the holidays. As an added bonus the food is excellent. Our waitress was not the best and service was slow but I still overall enjoyed my experience here.

I made a reservation on resy for 8:15 ( which has a 20 dollar cancellation fee per person) for my family and upon arriving was told that they decided it was a slow night and kitchen may be closed. That was appalling in and of itself. Then they took us and the food took a lot of time to come out and once it did it was cold, Once we finally got it, the steak was hard to eat as it was cold and you could tell the staff wanted us to leave and told us they could not serve us dessert as they closed the kitchen at 9:10. I mean really??? And it cost us over 220 dollars for an awful experience. never again. truly awful

Great setting and creative list of cocktails. We found this place at random but have gone back multiple times since then.

Great ambiance, I almost missed the restaurant it is down a few stairs right off the street. Gives it kind of a hidden dark vibe. The drinks are great and the appetizer the deviled eggs are fried and delicious, I wouldn't have chosen them to order but when we got them as an appetizer I realized how good they are.

Mediocre service, inedible Brussels sprouts. Given basically no warning that the table was needed by another party before being told to leave.

Came here on a Sunday for brunch with a group of 7. They didn't have our reservation from OpenTable, but it didn't matter as the place had just opened and was empty. They then crammed us into a horseshoe booth. Our waitress was super nice, but not all of the food came out correct. Everything was good, but not great. Overall, it's a fine restaurant if you're looking for a casual brunch spot, but I wouldn't recommend it for large groups.

Tonite I ate my Thanksgiving meal here.... It was our first time at this venue.... We loved it.... The wait staff was welcoming.... We felt right at home... The decor lent a warm, inviting atmosphere.... Decorated nicely for the holiday.... The meal was delicious with generous portions. This is what West Village restaurants should be like It is now on our list for a go- to place...Brown Bag Apple Pie... scrumptious

I came in with a reasonably sized group this past week, while it's currently decorated as a holiday bar. Service was incredibly slow both at the bar and at our table. While I understand bar service being slow given how slammed it was, there weren't that many tables, so it was pretty frustrating that our waiter had to be flagged down for every little thing and never checked up on refilling drinks or water. A few of us ordered food. I split the Brussels sprouts with bacon with one other person as a light snack (neither of us was particularly hungry), and we were surprised by how tiny the Brussels were, given that it's an $11 dish. They were good, but we got probably seven Brussels sprouts halves for that price, which is pretty dinky. Drinks are reasonably priced, with cocktails in the ~$15 range and all good. I had one of the Christmas cocktails and then switched to wine, which was $12/glass (very reasonably priced) and $48/bottle (we got a bottle for the table).

I assume the name of this restaurant comes from the old Jimmy Stewart/Kim Novak witchcraft comedy set in the West Village. On a Thursday night, the six-month-old subterranean place did evoke a bit of the jazz club they depicted in the movie down to the cool hipsters that hang around the crowded bar. However, my one complaint about BB&C is that it's loud in there... really, really LOUD! I'm not sure if it was the acoustics of the old brownstone in which it's housed or the louder-than-usual house music blaring through their sound system or the obnoxious party next to the kitchen who kept cheering and banging their fists on the chef's table. The cacophony of noise was often overwhelming. That's too bad since chef John Mooney is serving up some excellent dishes focused on local sustainability including produce fresh from his rooftop aeroponic garden. Based on the recommendation of a colleague who was talking about it that day, Jamie W. and I came here right after Jamie arrived from the airport. We reaped the benefits of the garden immediately with our opening salads. Jamie ordered the $6 Rooftop Mixed Greens which were genuinely fresh and surprisingly complemented by the "old-school Thousand Island" dressing, which needs to make a comeback at restaurants (see photo). I went with the $10 Frisee & Fennel Salad which was mixed with apple slices and flanked by two nice slabs of warmed pork belly (see photo). Both salads were uncomplicated and full of great flavor. We took a bit of a detour here and splurged on the $16 Grilled Diver Scallops, two big, succulent ones on a bed of polenta ladled with roasted tomato sauce and wild mushrooms (see photo). The carnivorous entrees were generous and satisfying. Jamie had the $26 Braised Beef Short Ribs, extremely tender bathing in its own au jus, accompanied by Yukon mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus spears (see photo). Mine was the Thursday evening special, the $19 Suckling Pig since I was in a porky mood I guess. Very tasty with a sauce that complemented the roasted root vegetables and mashed potatoes that came with it (see photo). We barely had enough room for the $6 desserts, but we managed. Jamie ordered the Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp, a healthy serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (see photo). I went with the Root Beer Float which is exactly what it was (see photo). Earthy, unadventurous, solid good cuisine. The service was good if a bit overly attentive perhaps to compensate for the noise level. What did you say? Speak up, will ya? We would definitely come back for the food, but I'll make sure to bring some earplugs, too. FOOD - 4.5 stars..local food big on flavors, really satisfying execution AMBIANCE - 3 stars...great, renovated space but... did I mention it's LOUD in here? SERVICE - 3.5 stars...good waitstaff but slow on the Diet Coke refills due to the busy bar TOTAL - 4 stars...still a great find...if you know sign language

Stumbled upon this cozy spot on a Monday night and was drawn by its super chill vibes. Music, service, and ambiance were great. It was super empty on a Monday night and the atmosphere was very relaxed and intimate. We got two glasses of Riesling and two veggie apps (mushrooms + spicy spinach - not so spicy) and had a great time enjoying the great playlist. The staff even ended up dancing! Super fun place. Would recommend for a date or a chill night out!

I think this place has amazing food and even better cocktails, but unfortunately tonight when I went as I was getting into the booth I stepped in something sticky. I lifted my foot up and something was stuck to my shoe, my friend tried to help pull it off, until she discovered it was a mouse trap with a DEAD MOUSE stuck to it and stuck to my shoe! We flagged someone down who told us we were wrong that there was no dead mouse but we convinced him to look and he admitted we were right and picked it up. We were moved to a different table but my biggest issue is that no one apologized. They ended up comping 1 round of drinks from our overall dinner bill and told us to stop by the bar for a free shot, but no apology and no word from the manager. Truly disgusting and we're so rude about it.

This review is for drinks only. Came here with a group of four on a Saturday night while trying to find a more low key bar in the area that wasn't packed or overly loud. This place was perfect for that - we even got lucky enough to snag a semi sectioned off corner spot near the front door. There were enough seats on the bar side that groups made their own little sections as well. Cocktails were really good here. I had a martini and a two of the tequila drinks. Prices are standard NYC cocktail bar prices but you get what you're paying for. I'd recommend coming here with a group or on a date. The restaurant section also looks spacious and would be good for groups or dates as well.

Went here for dinner with my friend Olivia S. for a girls catch-up date. It was a lovely experience from the moment we walked in. Nice decor, perfect date (romantic or friend) lighting, and a big back room of giant booths that would house larger groups of 6-8 perfectly. We had made a reservation for 6:30 but moved it up an hour when they opened at 5:30 and had the place to ourselves for a while. The hostess and our waitress were very welcoming. Even if we'd had to kill some time at the bar, I would have been happy taking advantage of the $1 oyster happy hour (only at the bar) which I will make a point to do next time. Either way, being there so early worked in our favor a bit as we got to ask a lot of questions and get recommendations about different menu items. Which brings me to the food. I had been dying to try the Irish onion soup since reading Tasting Table's stellar review, and man oh man did it live up to the hype. The mushroom broth was super flavorful and delicious but mushroom haters should not be deterred - caramelized onions and the heavenly generous portion of gooey, baked-to-a-perfect-brown Irish cheddar cheese were the main stars of this soup, and the sourdough bread (my favorite) added a yummy hearty twist. It truly gives the standard French version some competition. Be warned, though (or budget-conscious foodies take note): this soup is extremely filling and could be a meal on its own, and it's delicious enough that you'll want to finish it. If we had known how satisfying the soup would be, we wouldn't have ordered so many other things, but I'm not exactly complaining. Drunken bean dip (pinto beans simmered in Pork Slap Ale), sauteed wild mushrooms with bacon and onions (could have used more bacon), burrata salad with ramps (more of a cheese plate than a salad), and frisee fennel and pork belly salad were all good enough to make us try for that One More Bite. Overall, this was a wonderful meal and I will definitely be back. If I can manage not to eat so much soup next time, I have my eye on the $12 burger and lobster taco.

I would give this place 0 stars if I could! My group was seated IN the kitchen, despite being the only party in the entire place. I felt nauseous watching the kitchen staff chop meat and handle produce with no gloves five feet from us. We couldn't hear eachother over the blender. We asked to be moved and the staff was not only unaccommodating but was extremely rude. We asked for the manager but was told he wasn't there. Go anywhere else.

Despite the barrage of disappointment I witnessed on the internet, their private "Naked Lady Room" was quite charming. While the food was average at best, the service was surprisingly on-point, especially for being tucked away from the Saturday night commotion (which wound up being a good thing!) By large, a must for your first double-date. Let the inside jokes ensue.

We had a great experience tonight. The cocktails are great. We had a variety of mezcal, vodka drinks and were all great! The restaurant filled up after 7pm. Our server was knowledgeable and the entrees came out timely and great. This restaurant does focus on bringing sustainably sourced, quality and local ingredients. I had the smoked salmon salad and it was delicious. The salad comes a a generous amount of smoked salmon. My friend had the Friday special Fish and Chips and it was delicious! It looks like a roll but it cuts into a flaky and crispy filet!

First off Brenda is amazing and hopefully your server. She is so personable, knowledgeable about the menu and focused on helping you pick things you will like. Make sure you check on the specials and all the goodies from the rooftop garden, a lot of organic and homemade going on! The yellowfin tuna appetizer, the burger and the cod special were amazing. Organic spicy catchup, Yum! Can't wait to go back and try more things. Don't let the entrance to the restaurant sway you as you step down, it doesn't look like much but it's amazing. Go in. Just had our second visit to BBC. Nick was at the helm as our server tonight. Just as lovely and good as the first time. Tried the drunken bean dip with heirloom tomatoes from the rooftop garden! And the strawberry salad a must have and presentation is circular shall we say. Yum!

This place has lovely quaint basement decor, the food is pretty good. But our experience was totally ruined by loud pop music blaring - it's not a club. We couldn't hear each other at all, and asked when we walked in to turn the music down, because the atmosphere seemed so off, but they did not do this in any perceptible way.

Four star cocktails. The room is comfortable and the service is good. The cocktails are creative and tasty. The food is alright. The only plate that we had that might make me want to return was the jalapeño deviled eggs.

First time visiting the restaurant and it was fantastic. We got all appetizers and a bottle of wine. Great bang for your buck. Definitely recommend the steak tar tar! Really lovely ambience as well - good for date night especially ;)

Such a great name. Such a great oyster happy hour. Such great potential ruined by such lousy service. The bar is tiny. Don't come with your 12 BFFs unless you want to split up into pairs and sit in random sections of the restaurant. Pick your favoritest BFF and come as a twosome. My friend and I sat at the bar. Maybe things would have been better if we hadn't, because the bartender that night had the biggest chip on her shoulder. I honestly couldn't figure out what her problem was. All night, she had this sour, I-smell-cooked-cabbage expression on her face, and despite numerous attempts to be friendly with her, she was sneering, impatient and condescending to us whenever we spoke to her. Which was too bad because the oysters were pretty decent. Not the largest I've had, but this is the East Coast, not the Gulf Coast. The cocktails were pretty good too, such as the Je Ne Sais Quoi (Seagrams gin, creme de violette, ginger, lemon, egg white) and Sorry Not Sorry (Basil-infused vodka, watermelon, lemon, lemon salt rim). Speaking of sorry not sorry, we had actually planned to make BB&C our dinner spot for the night, but the service was so bad, we decided to go elsewhere to have a full meal. Yeah, sorry not sorry.

I had been interested in trying Bell Book & Candle ever since I had heard about its rooftop garden and trendy vibe, but I only made it there recently. The bar area was completely packed on that Friday night, and the neighboring dining room picked up steam as the night progressed. I checked in and was immediately seated prior to my friend's arrival - a typical requirement at many restaurants! While he ordered a glass of wine, I opted for a custom margarita, infused with fresh ingredients. We were generously presented with a half a dozen Parker House Rolls, which were fluffy, buttery bites of heaven! We snacked and sipped while we perused the enticingly seasonal fall menu, our minds unable to settle on a course of action, since our stomachs were pulling us in multiple directions. To delay our entrée decision, we opted to start with the Hawaiian Yellow Fin Tuna Nachos, which were delicious, but definitely not "nachos" in the traditional sense of the word. Round corn chips were topped with fresh yellow tail, tempura kale, guacamole, spicy mayo, and sesame and were shockingly respectable from an American farm-to-table restaurant. In terms of the entrees, we wound up selecting two very different plates to share. The Duck was tender and perfectly roasted. It was served with a sweet potato polenta cake that was also very well-executed. For the second meal, we went with the Rock Shrimp Fettuccine, which included elegant components such as ramps, chanterelle mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, parmesan, and a slow-poached organic egg. The pasta was a bit over-cooked, but the shrimp had the perfect crunch. The flavors were simple, refined, and farm-fresh. At the end of this delightful meal, my friend declared that this experience had been much better than the mediocre food he had tasted on his last visit. While I had no base for comparison, I thouroughly enjoyed the experience and would return.

I booked a reservation with this location and cancelled well before the cancellation period by phone and was charged $120. I left 5 messages with the receptionist for the owner to call back and he never did. I also sent multiple emails with no response. I would highly recommend against using your card to book a reservation- very sketchy ownership