THE wine bar has been making an encouraging comeback with the likes of Salut and Veeno in the city and Wine & Wallop and Cellar Key in the southern suburbs all attracting lovers of the grape – and great reviews.
Now joining them is Bistrovin, an upstairs extension of Spirited Wines on Deansgate. Taste of Manchester, testing the waters (or as that wines?) fell in love with its airy, homespun space. Spirited’s Johnny, who is French and bearded like a bandit, pours us a generous glass of fruity Morgon, a Beaujolais Villages cru, and introduces us to a spectacular cheese board that manages the entente cordiale of French cheeses such as Morbier with our own Stilton and the like, all in belting nick. Expect charcuterie soon.
Unlike, say Salut or Cellar Key, there’s no Enomatic machine dispensing by the glass. They just pour for you; they’ll even decant for you – or you can descend to the shop and pick a bottle off the shelves. Corkage is a remarkable £4 on any bottle until the 60 quid mark, when it’s free.
Above Barton Arcade with big windows it’s great for Deansgate people watching and, if you want to establish a wine crawl, Hanging Ditch wine merchants, which also serves by the glass, is a couple of minutes away, by the Cathedral.
Bistrovin, Above Spirited Wines, 59 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BB. Ring the shop on 0161 834 7328 to check opening hours.