Manchester has no shortage of good bars, but Salut plugs a gap - a proper wine bar, pitched deliberately and effectively at the mid to top end of the market. The wine is top notch, the staff exceptionally knowledgeable, and the design of the place really nice too. The only cost is, well, the cost. There is a good range of prices, and some really great wines for £4-5 per small glass, but given the place is round the corner from a Weatherspoons it isn't the place you go for cheap and cheerful drinks. Salut may not be the cheapest, but it is great value given what you get.
And what you get is the key to Salut's appeal. The wine is fantastic, and the staff really know their stuff. If you want a recommendation they will be happy to help, and even just flying blind (like my wine-ignorant but wine-loving self) you can't go far wrong. The place is also very generous with the sides, from good sized portions of olives and nuts (for really good prices) to free still and sparkling water. Put simply, this is how a wine bar should be run.
As others have said, wine is not served but dispensed at Salut. Automatic dispensing machines have a couple of dozen bottles in at any given time, and you load money up on a debit-like card and fetch it yourself. If you aren't familiar with the machines the staff are more than happy to explain it, and the machines actually have several advantages over the traditional 'bottles behind the bar' system. For starters, it's really easy to see everything available since there isn't a bar or staff blocking your view. Then there is the control you can have over the visit, with not hassle of queuing at the bar or alternately being hurried by waiting staff. The turnover in bottles means there is something new every time you visit. As a general rule there are several whites and reds with a couple of 'others', be it sparkling wine or fortified.
The machines also allow Salut to update the prices whenever they want to, just by typing in new settings. This creates an odd dis-connect between the paper menus and the machine displays, which frequently don't match. Quite why Salut doesn't simply remove prices from the hard copies, leaving a list of available wines, is beyond me. Though it does let you see what they've cut the price of since it went into the machine, flagging up either bargains or wines to avoid - depending on your attitude.
Salut is, unfortunately, a bit small - especially if the outside tables aren't usable (which given our weather, is a fair bit). But grab a table with some friends some time and have taster session - you won't regret it. read more