You could say that the main draw of Autour d'un Verre is the automaic wine dispenser but that's not…read moreentirely true. It's certainly a novelty (you swipe a card, press a button to try a whole or half glass of any of the dozen wines in the case, and pay the balance on the card at the end of the night) but I would come here even if I didn't get to dispense my own wine.
We came for my birthday (let's pretend it was my 24th) and the ambiance was classy and cool, but casual, not snobby or uptight. We were welcomed warmly by the gentleman in charge and given a first-timers tour of the above-mentioned wine dispenser. (For me, Madame Indecisive, I love having the option to drink by the half glass, because I can try more wines!)
I wouldn't call the tapas cheap, but I would call them YUM, and that's really what you want, right? (I mean, I always prefer it when things are a bargain, but you wouldn't want it the other way around would you? Cheap but bland and tasteless?)
You could come here with friends, on a date, or whatever. It's a small place, but not too small - we didn't feel crowded in the least. Come here when you want to feel a wee bit fancier than usual. Or when you want to dispense your own wine.
En gros: La classe, ce bar à vins. Super pour boire un verre au calme.