"Ha’s Snack Bar, a Vietnamese wine bar on the Lower East Side, is a great place to bring a date. From the team behind beloved pop-up Ha’s Đặc Biệt, it’s plenty romantic—dimly lit by paper lamps and votive candles, with fogged-up windows and a billowing curtain at the door. A party of two is also ideal to navigate the close quarters of the former Gem Wine space. Ha's open kitchen is tiny too, but that’s no reflection on the magnitude of the flavors they turn out here. The chalkboard menu changes, but on recent visits we loved the snails—which arrive sizzling with a warm, crusty hunk of baguette, their earthiness harmonized with the sweet tang of tamarind butter—and the perfectly cooked branzino, skin crackling with peppercorns and other crushed spices. photo credit: Sonal Shah photo credit: Sonal Shah photo credit: Sonal Shah photo credit: Sonal Shah" - Molly Fitzpatrick
