Salt Bar

I went there last night with my husband. We’d gone to see Wicked and were hungry afterwards, but couldn’t find an open restaurant until we stumbled upon Salt. Not only was the kitchen still open at 10:30 pm, but we were served the most delicious food and drinks, all with great service. There was a DJ, and we really enjoyed the tunes, and the atmosphere was lively without being rowdy. Toilets were clean and tidy. All in all, a great place I definitely intend to visit again!

I know nothing about whisky, but apparently it’s great here. I shall talk about the food!
My favorite things I ate were actually the appetizers, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The aloo tikka chat is this kind of pancake with different strong sauces on it– it’s amazing and something I’ve never had before. I’m still a newbie to Indian food– but shoot it was good. The other app was the Dahi Puri– kind of like a puff ball filled with also a different tasting strong flavored… thing. Yep, that’s how I’ll describe it. Points for the girl who can’t really describe Indian food. Whatever it was delicious and I loved it.
The curries were also quite good, same with the naan. I’d come back for those appetizers again. :) Service was attentive and friendly.

The whiskey is the star at this bar. Their selection of scotch is just fantastic. They also provide their own description of each whiskey which for the four we tried were spot on. The Indian food is a nice touch, but nothing outstanding. The service was just adequate as we did have to wait longer than would be expected to order. The club music is not usually how I choose to compliment my whiskey.

One of the nicer spots on Edgeware road closer to the Marble Arch side. Loved the strawberry mint shisha and mint tea. The food is really good — the aloo tikki chaat, malabar prawn curry, and tandoori platter are among my fav items. It’s a great weekend meet-​up spot

Good hookah, good tea, mediocre service. I would have given three stars, but I added one back for the fact that they have a bar and live DJ. The coal guy gave us shit because we only ordered one hookah and wanted extra tips for the hose. Furthermore, he visited every table except ours for coal replenishment. Also, this is England and it’s FREEZING outside. Fix the freakin heaters outside. I couldn’t feel my knees when I left this place. We met the owners at the end of the night and they were super nice and even offered us a drink from the bar since we were visiting from LA. We declined, but it was a nice gesture. Hopefully their coal guy can learn something about service from them. Then again, this is England. Does service even exist here?

This is one of the best Shisha places in London in my experience. Always full after 6pm, great music, good food and attentive service (usually). Unfortunately, its popularity means that a wait for a table can stretch up to over an hour as they take no reservations in the outdoor area. If you slyly tip the bouncer a 10 pound note he may move up 5 or 6 spaces up the waiting list.
There is a slight problem with Salt’s location. It is on the infamous Edgeware Road. You will feel like you are in Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. You will experience many street beggars and halal stalls. Nevertheless, I think this is a fair price to pay for good shisha.

Excellent whiskey bar that serves great Indian cuisine. Highly recommend the Chicken Tikka Marsala.

Salt Bar is a bar and Indian restaurant near Marble Arch, featuring a modern and warm interior.
The place offers an impressive whiskey list, but unfortunately not too much besides that. Still, you can probably also find a good wine there, despite the short list.
If you like Indian food, you will also find something on the menu you will like. And if you’re into pop music, you even like the sound that it on there.
Salt Bar is quite a nice place and I guess it is a good bar for some drinks with friends especially if you’re a big fan of whiskey.

Very stylish place, but very expensive. I recommend it for a glass of whiskey or a pint in the early evening. Not the best place to dine in.

Salt Bar is one of those places that, I’m now embarrassed to say, I have walked past dozens of times without entering, always on my way to Somewhere Else. It took the lure of a Qype Burns Night Bash for Talisker Whisky to get me through the door and now that I’ve visited once, I can’t wait to go back to enjoy a leisurely tasting of fine whiskies.
The bar itself is a testament to a passion for fine single malts, boasting row upon row of every big name you’ve ever heard in relation to a good dram: from Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie to Talisker, Knockando, the wondrously peaty Laphroaig and golden Bowmore. At Salt Bar it’s possible to let your mind wander as you take a Whisky Tour including drams of different whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Japan and the States.
Then, as you do when visiting Edgware Road, you can pop outside to puff on one of Salt Bar’s hookah pipes.
I haven’t yet dined at Salt Bar, but the menu looks international, yet again, with samosas, tandoori dishes and moutabal sat next to salade nicoise and mushroom fettuccine or fish and chips.
I’m not quite sure how this would work in a regular location, but here on Edgware Road, such an eclectic mix-​n-​match of cuisines probably works better than it might elsewhere. Call it Edgware Road Fusion. In a nutshell, you’re guaranteed a globetrotting night at Salt Bar with a dram from somewhere north of Hadrian’s Wall, a whisky cocktail with a Southern States tang, a bite or two of India, a taste of the Lebanon, some surf ‘n’ turf steak with prawns, and a puff or two of North Africa and the Middle East at the end of the night.
The conclusion? I love the bar and will definitely return. But the menu is a bit too Boys Night Out for me, i.e. wibbly wobbly with no sense of direction, so on the food I’ll pass.
**Four out of five stars for the bar, loses one for lack of direction on the menu.

I’m slowly learning about whisky and trying to come to love the taste of it too, so attending Burns night at Salt Bar was a great way to continue my education.
It was hard for me to get a sense of what a regular night here would be like. I was thrown off by the hookah pipe smoking couples out front, so much so that I didnt connect the kilt wearing, bagpipe playing man out front was a symbol for the event happening inside.
The bar appears to be stocked with plenty of whiskies for sipping and savoring. I tried to think of other well stocked whisky-​catering bars around London and couldnt think of any I’d heard of or visited. So Salt Bar really fills a niche — and it’s not just for members, though they have a members’ bar upstairs.
I gave Salt 3 stars just because it was an extraordinary event and not an ordinary night. It’s probably a good place to go if you’re over toward Marble Arch, but I cant say for sure.

Wandering up Edgware Rd wondering had I passed the place; the sound of the bagpiper told me different.
The cocktails provided were got us right in the mood and suitable rocket fuel, good to get your nose glowin redder than that Rudolph fella! So suitable we had a heckler before we’d hardly startedsomebody skipped lunch!
Clark McGinn did the ‘Address to a Haggis’, and proved to be a very approachable and knowledgeable source of all things Rabbie.
Nice touch with the personalised books from the calligrapher, and with a goodie bag including a bottle & glass; I reckon I’ll save it for a special occasion
The bar is like an alcoholic sweet shop. Have a wee dram and some shisha, wile away the evening people watching on Edgware
Good man Rabbie!

The Salt Whisky Bar and Dining Room describes itself as aiming to preserve the traditions of a whisky bar in sleek contemporary surroundings, which may explain why it feels somewhat difficult to get exactly where this place is coming from on the first visit. Having said that, they certainly know how to celebrate Burns Night, which falls on Monday 25 January this year, as a number of us discovered at the Qype Burns Night event held here.
Talisker, who provided an excellent selection of their whiskey and explained how it should be best appreciated, also arranged a highly authentic rendition of Robert Burns’ poetry which can be somewhat inaccessible without a good guide. Talisker and the Salt Bar are certainly able to provide as much Scottish expertise as you want if that is what you are looking for.
The Salt Bar is definitely worth a visit if you are a serious whisky drinker and are in the area looking to try something different. For those seeking an introduction, and wishing learn more about whisky, their tasting events would certainly be a good start — or just ask their knowledgeable bar staff when you order from their range of over 100 whiskys.

It’s not often I find myself stepping on to Edgware Road to the sound of bagpipes. But then, that’s because it’s not often Burns Night (or near enough) or more specifically, an incredible evening hosted by Talisker.
I felt very lucky to be there. Talisker chose well, this bar has an impressive selection of whiskey, perfect for a malt lover like me. On the night it was compared to a perfumery, with gorgeous golden bottles on display. I’ll definitely be back to enjoy a tipple and shisha.
Now, let’s move on to Talisker just for a moment. This peaty, warm, spicy liquid can now be properly enjoyed thanks to the people over at Talisker who taught me to sip it gently and hold it in a tingling mouth before swallowing. Deeeelish.

I wandered along for the Talisker tasting like many of the other reviewers, and very nice it was too.
The bar itself has a nice selection of whisky — a combination of all of the nicer whiskies that you sometimes see in pubs and bars as well as a bunch of interesting extras, including a shelf of very expensive whiskies that may require planning before purchase.
The staff seem knowledgeable and they run whisky tasting events (I’m not sure if this a new thing — ask at the bar to get on their mailing list) which makes it a nice place to go if you want to talk whisky as well as drink it. They have a big book describing their range of drinks (with whisky from all over the world joined by a good selection of other non-​whisky booze) and prices seem reasonable.
However, despite all that it does seem a little bit confused, with a shisha patio and a incongruous menu (a mixture of indian and italian food) not necessarily pairing up with the whisky focus of the bar.
I need to go back to see how it all works together when I’m not being fed whisky at an event, and the place is definitely intriguing enough to make me want to.

I also discovered this place through the Qype event. I imagine the bagpiper that formed part of the Burns Night celebration isn’t a permanent fixture… I wanted to go specifically because I wouldn’t consider myself a whiskey fan, but of course the subject comes alive when you’ve got someone talking you through a tasting. You also learn why it’s called firewater.
Despite momentarily losing my sense of taste, I was impressed with the place and the array of oddly-​named drinks — anyone for a dram of Monkey Shoulder? It’s all very slick and the staff do seem well informed, though it’s a bit more difficult to judge a place during a qype event when you know you’re getting everyone’s full attention. If you know anyone who actually knows about whiskey, this could be great for a few quiet afternoon drinks, when you have time to linger. Very much strikes me as a guys’ place, from the other customers who came in and were redirected to the upstairs bar.
Worth a look in if you’re in the area already, or a detour for uisce beatha aficionados.

I know absolutely nothing about whiskey. Nothing at all. Zip.
So this past Wednesday’s Qype event at Whiskey specialists Salt was the perfect blend of intoxicating and informative.
Salt is at the south end of the Edgware Road (which to me is the border to the no-​fly-​zone of west London). So it’s a whiskey bar with a mind boggling array of every kind of whiskey, with and without the ‘e’, from all over the world.
We were there to sample three of Talisker’s range. Their 10 year aged, Distiller’s edition and 57 Degrees North. The latter being a clever play on Skye’s northerly-​ness and the alcohol percentage.
All three were excellent, but my frame of reference is little more than Seagram’s 7, so it was satisfying to learn how to drink whiskey properly. And there’s no better time of year for warming booze than this.
For connoisseurs however, Salt Bar is an excellent venue. Their range is second-​to-​none and the location, although not ideal, is central enough to make it worth the trip.
They have a pretty good line in smoked salmon and haggis too, so it’s well worth a Burn’s night blowout.

This is the place to go if you fancy having a huge selection of whiskey to choose from; small wonder that the Salt Bar invited a busload of Qypers to a… whiskey tasting event.
The Salt Bar is a mix of hookah pipes, lots and lots of whiskey, and a cosy private upstairs bar. And somehow it works. The members of staff are very friendly and, as mentioned in previous reviews, you will encounter some very knowledgeable barkeepers who will probably be able to answer any question you’ve ever had about whisky.
The event itself was great; we tasted three very different whiskeys and, since Burns Night is only a few days away, we were served smoked salmon, haggis neeps and tatties, and chocolate mousse. This was accompanied by a very passionate rendition of ‘To a Haggis’ (careful with that knife!), which was appropriately announced with bagpipes.
The Salt Bar is a place to recommend, I would be happy to go back.

«Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin’-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang’s my arm. «
So went the address to the haggis, delivered impeccably by Burns expert Clark McGinn, as our group of Qypers were being immersed in all things Scottish in the unlikely surroundings of Edgware Road.
The Talisker tasting that took place last night was eye opening for me. While I like whisky I had never swirled it around in my mouth for ten seconds before swallowing, a closely monitored requirement in these parts.
The flavour of the 10 year Talisker hits after 5.9 seconds according to our second expert, Colin Dunn, so anything less really isn’t doing it justice.
Now I’m no expert on whisky but there was a real chilli burn from this first selection, and it left our group slightly reeling but with huge grins and we swiftly devoured the smoked salmon on offer.
Then the piper paraded the haggis and our second dram, the more textured Distillers edition with to my mind a more luxurious fruity flavour was served (to be swirled for no less than 15 seconds!)
I could have eaten double the amount of haggis but then the delicious chocolate mousse and third taster of the 57 degrees north were served. Its alcohol vol matches the latitude of the Isle of Skye where Talisker is produced and this was strong but extremely tasty, particularly when mixed with the mousse.
Add to that a couple of Talisker based cocktails and an extremely generous goodie bag and it was an excellent evening.
As for the Salt Bar itself, it is hard to judge on the basis of this night. It had a comprehensive selection of whiskys to my eye, although I’d associate whiskey sipping to open fires and large leather armchairs which didn’t seem to be available.
It would be interesting to see what the place is like on a «normal» night but I guess the drinks selection and charming staff would remain so its difficult to be too harsh.

This is a good one to keep in your pocket. Comfortable and well situated at the southern end of Edgware Road, it seems at the very least to be the best option in the immediate area.
Yep, I was there for the epic Burns Night festivities (
) mentioned in some of the other reviews of Salt Bar. I was blown away by the selection of whiskies and by the knowledge of the bar staff.
And — oh yeah — they’ve got shisa! And a very Edgware Road worthy looking menu (didn’t try the food, just the booze).
I’d go back. Who’s up for some whisky sipping?