Salt

Drawn in by the rather intriguing layout, Salt was a really quiet place to enjoy a lunch time catch up with a friend.
The food was tasty, and it was nice to see some slightly unusual things on the menu, such as the Wild Boar and Chorizo burger that I enjoyed.
Service was friendly, and it was reasonably priced. I enjoyed the décor as it gave the place a beautifully tranquil feel.

It was a rainy afternoon and I was looking for somewhere to eat with a friend.
Dropped in, got a great table next to the fireplace to warm up from being drenched in the rain and a treat of a meal. I had the fish, battered, chips, tartar sauce, peas, friend had a Burger, I had a great large espresso.
It was quiet being the afternoon, there were only another couple of parties that I could see, but if you want to meet somebody for a meal or coffee or a quiet drink I would highly recommend it.
Next time I tried Eddies, shouldn’t have bothered, should have gone back to Salt’s.

I’ve got to be honest and say that Salt is by no way the best bar I have been too but it certainly is not the worst. It is a big bar that serves a full range of drinks and some excellent selections of food. I have visited there twice. I went once in the day and once in the evening to see the comparison.
If you want to visit with some friends or when you are on a date then it is great to go at lunch time, it is quiet so you can actually maintain a conversation and have a laugh. If you fancy a night out then by all means come down in the evening because the music will be loud and you can dance the night away. It can get extremely busy in the evenings filled will people completely drunk on both floors of the bar so if your not one for going out in the evenings I would give it a miss.
Overall Salt is good in the day and very busy in the evening. Remember that it is quite expensive too, so prepare to spend a bit if you are having food and drinks.

Ahhhh lovely Salt, if you haven’t already been, you’re in for a treat.
Salt is one of Cardiff Bay’s smart and trendy, ‘there– to– be seen bars’, its light, airy and open-​plan, with beautiful views of the waterside. It’s great for a light– bite and a good glass of vino enjoyed on the up-​stairs balcony, where you can sit back and soak up the views.
Perfect for a date with a partner, or a liquid lunch with a group of good friends. The service is polite, accommodating and friendly and you feel relaxed and welcome in the lovely, modern and peaceful Salt. They’ve obviously been given a big budget for overall décor and it is visually appealing, tasteful, and with an in– theme nautical twist.
Come the evening, the atmosphere comes alive. Salt proves itself to be the best bar in the bay area, and attracts a fun, lively crowd. There’s usually a DJ, pumping out a diverse choice of dance floor fillers, from ultimate cheese to hip– hop!
It’s also great for the singletons out there; Salt has a friendly, romantic vibe, and attracts a handsome crowd, let me tell you!
I am quite an observant person, and I love the little touches and attention to detail, and Salt ticks all these boxes, in terms of food and drink quality and presentation, service and décor– my favourite feature strangely being the bathrooms, they are fit for a queen!
There’s nothing hugely out of the ordinary here, it’s just a really nice place to enjoy a cool glass or two with friends whilst soaking up the atmosphere and vibe. Salt is definitely one of Cardiff Bay’s hotspots.

It’s the bay, you expect some swish and fancy bars around here and this is what Salt gives you. There’s nothing exactly special about this bar but it will always be busy and that is due to its location, what better than a drink by the water of Cardiff bay.
A benefit of this bar is that you can sit outside up on the balcony, truly enjoying the views that the bay can offer you. I came here with friend once and managed to get sunburnt without realizing whilst munching on our grub. I had a sausage and mash meal, but obviously not your standard packet mash or frozen sausages like you get in a traditional pub, it was of a higher quality — well they at least used proper potatoes. The food was lovely, but the price of drinks was a little pricey, but so worth it to sit out on that balcony, remember you pay for your surroundings in bars.
This bar fits in well with the establishments of Cardiff bay and worth a drink in it if you can get on the balcony, but if you can’t, I’d say try somewhere else for a more exciting and cheaper bar experience.

In the day, Salt provides a wonderful setting for a light lunch with a partner or group of friends. With two floors and outdoor seating on a decking area, the views of Cardiff Bay, particular in the sunshine, are a really great feature of eating here. With this section of Cardiff Bay always providing a vibrant and cosmopolitan setting, Salt’s contemporary, sleek and trendy style fits perfectly into the heart of Mermaid Quay. With a well thought out menu, stocked full of light lunches and sharing platters, Salt is a place I really enjoy going to for lunch with my beautiful girlfriend.
When the busy lunch time period blows over, there’s inevitably a bit of a lull between 3−5pm, although Salt still serves as a good place to go and have a coffee. However, come about 6pm, trade typically begins to pick up again for all the establishments in Cardiff Bay, with Salt no exception. Work mates, groups of friends and couples all choose Salt as a great place to have a drink or three at. This cool setting, with it’s spacious layout and large amount of seating, is a great place to come on any evening of the week, particularly a Friday night.

In the war of Cardiff Bay bars, Salt Bar usually finds itself standing victorious at closing time. Always packed on a Friday or Saturday night, Salt is more often than not the liveliest bar down the Bay.
While they offer a wide-​ranging menu of decent food in the day, this bar comes into its own once the sun goes down. With quality music and an even better quality of beer on tap, this bar is always a good place to stop off at some point of the evening if you happen to find yourself this end of Cardiff.
While this bar wouldn’t look out of place in Mill Lane with a host of other trendy wine bars, it provides a great service to the Bay area, which is decidedly lacking in waterholes once the restaurants close.
If you’re after a night out on the sauce, St Mary’s Street or Greyfriars Road is probably a better option. But if you’re out in Cardiff Bay, Salt Bar is definitely a good place to end your night.

Do you go out in the bay? I do but I rarely go to bar Salt as a nightlife venue as the cost for drinks is slightly overpriced and the music is always to loud and I’m not a grumpy old man yet. This place at first impressions has everything going for it. I like the spherical stairs and the dance floor is always well stocked with talent busting a move.
You can easily have a good time there but you’ll never wake up with a wallet that’s not empty. The spiral staircase leads up to the second floor, which is a good place to go take a seat for a short break from the frenzy below. I wouldn’t go here for a meal but as a bar its well stocked and you’ll get exactly what you expect from a heaving night scene.
You’ll also find a variety of people & ages, as its location is prime time its always busy so waiting to be served for a drink is obligatory.

Ah… I smile everytime I think of Salt.
This is by far my favourite bar in the bay. Downstairs is great to dance the night away with the girls whilst upstairs has intimate little tables to enjoy a drinking session with your partner.
The DJ is fab and takes requests all night whether it be for the latest hip hop or something to take you back to the old days. If he has it… He will play it!
Great place to visit if your stuck for a first date idea!

Salt benefits greatly by being one of only two traditional pubs /​bars located over looking the water in the bay. The other is Terra Nova. In fact i would call Salt a bar whilst Terra Nova a pub. Anyway both these pubs /​bars get jammed packed on the weekend but Salt is more liely to be on the Hen party trail than Terra Nova.
Here are the good points:
it plays music — so you can dance.
It get busy — so you meet new people — if that your thing.
It serves food.
It has two floors so plenty of room.
It has a balcony where you can sit and over look the water.
Here are the bad points:
It plays music — often too loud so you will have a hard time hearing each other talking.
It gets busy and they never seem to have enough staff on so getting served can take a long time.
The food is ok and its not bargain bucket.
The toilets are often a mess especially during busy periods.
Its up to you.

Situated right by the waterfront in Mermaid Quay, Salt has a great location and is spread over two floors.
Despite the bar itself being nothing special, it’s often heaving — and I think this is a case of location, location, location. If it was nestled in somewhere less attractive, I don’t think it would pull in half as many punters, because it’s a bit overpriced and often at weekends way too crowded and noisy to hear yourself speak. It does, however, usually have a party-​like atmosphere if that’s what you’re after — and upstairs there’s a terrace outside, so you can escape the rammed bar and head out for some fresh air if the weather’s good.
Note that in the toilets the hand-​washing section meets in the middle between the two so that men and women share the sinks — a bit weird.

Not my favourite Bay bar, as I find the drinks here to be a bit overpriced (nearly £4 for a gin and tonic? No thanks).
The best thing Salt has going for it is its proximity to the water; apart from that, it has nothing spectacular to distinguish it from any other bar in the area.
I haven’t eaten here yet, as I tend to shy away from bar food that, with sides and a drink, can cost as much as a two-​course lunch at a Bay restaurant like Woods.
Communal sink area in the toliets makes for an awkward meeting of the sexes — where are girls supposed to discreetly discuss important matters of the evening?
In the later hours, Salt turns into a disco, blasting tunes that are better left in the later decades of the 20^th century (Don’t get me wrong, I love a cheesy dance-​off, but in Salt’s case, it just seems a bit grim).
Better off hitting up Bar Cwtch or even Terra Nova.

Have to agree with Laura and say Salt is alright by me. We had my friends graduation dinner there with about 15 – 20 people sat upstairs and they got everything spot on. All the food looked freshly made, was hot and my garlic prawns were utterly delicious. I’ve never noticed the toilet wash basins being unisex either, but it is a massive pain them being all the way upstairs when your downstairs.
It is a glorified office party at weekends though and after two shandies they are all up on the floor ‘dancing’ with their ties round there head. Not my scene thanks. Drink are quite expensive too and why oh why can places only have Strongbow on tap? Bah.
This probably wasn’t the best defence case for Salt in Hindsight…

Oh dearie me. I came across poor Salt and felt that I had to add something to this sad collection of reviews. People really don’t like you, do they? You poor thing. I’m afraid I actually really like Salt! I always find that the service is good and friendly. I also think that it’s really good value for money. It is cheaper that, say, Prezzo, where a main costs an average of about £9 but the food feels much nicer, lighter, fresher… just better really. The bar as well is brilliant. In fact, I would agree that going here for a drink is even better than going for a meal. But that isn’t to say that I wouldn’t recommend it for food. It is just lovely. All around just lovely — from the food, to the service, to the location, to the décor.

Oh Salt, how you always manage to disappoint me.
Its a lovely, shiny, open and airy bar and restaurant with the most beautiful and deadly staircase in Cardiff after a few drinks, and yet it always seems to let me down.
I’ve worked in a bar or two and I know its hard to be enthusiastic all the time, but these lot never seem to be enjoying it. The service is always slow and while the food has all the key components to make it great, it always seems to fall short of the mark. A main course will cost you about £8, not good value for money.
At the weekends it generally an older market that seem to have a great time as the bar turns into disco. Its not my cup of tea and neither is the communal sink area of the toilets; I don’t want blokes watching me sort my face out thank you!
On the plus side, when the sun is shinning it’s not a bad place to sit on the sundeck and look out over the bay, and its a quiet place to go for a drink during the week, otherwise I’d opt for one of the other Bay bars.
It does functions upstairs too so if you fancy a party in a sunny spot this might be for you.

Brains pub that’s not as good as the Brains pub within a stone’s throw of this one. I can’t quite get what mood/​feel they’re going for here. Food was lukewarm and music was too loud for a place that contained only people who were sitting and dining. Bar staff seem to hate their jobs.

I prefer Salt best in the mornings when you can pop in for a tea or coffee and watch the people milling around outside through the floor to ceiling glass windows. I usually opt for the hot chocolate which is pretty good.
The prices in general are ok for the bay, but you don’t get anything outstanding. At night the place really livens up and although it’s not my usual scene many a good night out has been had here.
If you can try and get one of the booths by the bar of the sofas by the window as they are really quite cosy.
Given the choice of Salt or Terra Nov (both are managed by Brains Brewery), I’d go with Salt as it has a more contemporary feel.

Salt is situated in Mermaid’s Quay in Cardiff bay. It has several functions at different times of the day. At night it is lively and noisy and full of young people out to have a great evening. During the day it offers a quieter more relaxed atmosphere for dining. Early in the day it has a breakfast menu offering everything from a croissant to a full breakfast. The service is friendly and efficient. There are a variety of seating choices from booths to comfy sofas. The building has 2 floors and in the warmer weather there is an outside balcony which offers superb views of Cardiff Bay.

Can be very expensive for drinks and quite busy, although the food is good, and reasonably priced for the Bay. Get in early over the weekend for a table