Bistrovin - Manchester

The restaurant is beautiful with spacious, bright rooms and a nice view overlooking Deansgate. The menu has a great selection and the staff is friendly and helpful. The only downside was that the table was not very clean. Overall, a lovely place to unwind with friends.

We went for a glass or two of wein and could not resist the fantastic choice of the cheese offered. I was very surprised how quiet it was on a bank holiday weekend in the afternoon. the staff was very helpful and pleasant. we sat on cozy sofas and saw how the world went on deansgate.

I've walked past Bistrovin many times, but always assumed it was nothing more than a high end wine spirits shop. Only this time I stopped and had a browse at the shop window and noticed that upstairs was a wine bar. I went in...and up stairs. Upstairs is quite large. Its two rooms, with a dividing wall and 2 arch ways linking the two parts. The bar is only small and is in the far room. The décor is very rustic, with mismatched wooden chairs and wooden wobbly tables on a bare floorboarded floor with very high ceilings, as is often the case with these old buildings. The windows are enormous and let is vast amounts of natural light. I should add straight away its not cheap. But the quality of the wines and spirits is far superior than anywhere else you'll go. Throughout the afternoon it started to become darker outside until the street lights and Christmas decorations came on. which gave the place a real homely feeling (a nice open hearth fire would have been perfect A bottle of Peroni was £3.75 and I had a large Caol Ila, from the very respected bottler Gordon and MacPhail which came to £9.50. However, the nice touch was that I asked for a single ice cube in my whisky, at which point I was offered whisky stones as an alternative, which I gladly accepted. Lastly I had a Burgundy, Pinot Noir from the well known Louis La Tour, which cost £5.70 for a small glass. I managed to even get a couple of chapters of my book read, as the background music was perfect at being there without being noticeable if you didn't want to hear it. They had a variety of cheeses that you could purchase although I have to say the cheeses on display did not whet my appetite. A nice touch would have been complimentary post cards. I can certainly recommend this place if you find yourself wanting high end wine or spirits and a bit of peace and quiet.

This wine bar/bistro, above the associated Spirited Wines shop, is the perfect place to escape from the crowds of the Deansgate and find a calm space. They have an excellent collection of wines and charcuterie, and their location provides an great view of the bustling...street below, while offering quiet and calm. Definitely worth a visit if you are finding the hustle and bustle a little tiring, or even if you just appreciate a decent glass of wine!

I have visited this restaurant with my wife two or three times and we both really enjoyed it. The wine selection is excellent and you can choose a bottle and just pay a corkage fee of around £4 to drink it there. The staff is wonderful. However, the upper floor may feel a bit empty and lacking in character. The cheese and wine pairing was good, but I expected a bit more in terms of quantity. Overall, it's a nice and relaxed place to begin your evening with a quality bottle of wine at a reasonable price.