Melancholy, new Salt Lake City wine bar, serves vintage charm
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Melancholy's downstairs bar. Photo: Jillian Herman/Melancholy
At Melancholy, one of Salt Lake City's newest wine bars, patrons can enjoy their sips surrounded by antiques and junkyard discoveries that tell their own stories.
State of play: Fallan Keyser, who owned the now-closed bar Good Grammar, and Shaleen Bishop, a former set designer for films, music videos and commercials, teamed up last year to open the dark and brooding bar.
- The original plan was to open a coffee shop, but they switched gears after stumbling upon the two-story building at 556 Gale St.
- "This has to be a wine bar," Keyser thought at the time.
The intrigue: While the 1,000-square-foot bar situated in the trendy Post District may seem new like much of its surroundings, the building has been standing for at least a century, Keyser noted.
- Most materials used to decorate the bar are refurbished, or "up-cycled" as she calls it.
- Notable pieces include post office boxes in front of the bar that were intended for the TV show "Yellowstone" and a retro radio that was featured in a Backseat Lovers music video.
The vibe: Keyser described the bar as "granny chic," while Bishop said she wanted the bar to feel as cozy as putting on sweatpants after a long work day.
- The establishment currently hosts a book club and has partnered with the neighboring Dangerous Pretzel shop. There are also plans to hold wine-tasting classes.
The menu: The bar serves wine varieties from all over the world that you may not find at your local liquor store, along with cocktails, beer and zero-proof beverages.
The latest: Melancholy released its new spring menu last week.
What's next: As warmer weather arrives, Keyser and Bishop plan to add outdoor patio seating with firepits that will significantly expand the bar's 50-person capacity.