Having seen the Icebar London talked about a lot, I knew it had to be on the list (an ever growing list) of places to visit this year, so a visit was planned very quick! Especially for a dear friends birthday. Icebar London is really easy to get to, as it's located just off Regents Street between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus tube stations. We happened to get off at bond street and walk through to the disney store, then followed the street round as we were running early. It was still easy to find and I always think the buildings round there are just beautiful. Upon arrival we checked in with the front desk, then as we were still early we had a 10 minute chill in the bar.
So what is Icebar London? Well it is the UK’s only permanent icebar, and is kept at -5°C all year round. They import crystal clear ice from Northern Sweden and sculpt and transform the ice into a an amazing design - which is then changed ever year. Their current theme is 'Wild in the City' which is perfect for my friend and I as we are massive zoo fans - inside there was a giant octopus and an ape, as well as crates and the walls covered in amazing pictures. Literally everything is ice, even the tables and ice is so clear it really shows off the sharp quality of the designs. There is lights that show off the ice, and every so often they change it up to give it a really nice party feel, with music playing too. Although it is not massive, you don't feel crowded at all.
Obviously you can't just walk in the bar as you are, at -5 you are going to freeze. So you are given a famous thermal cape each to keep warm, which included a pair of attached gloves. Each session inside the Icebar is for a maximum of 40 minutes, which seems to fly by, and I can't say I felt cold at all. After a while there was a chill to my face but nothing horrible.
The entry price (between £13.50-£16.50 depending on when you visit - or during the summer there is a £10 family session on Saturday morning) includes a personal ice glass with your choice of spirit based cocktail, mocktail or you can even upgrade to champagne for a little bit more! There is an amazing choice of fruity vodka drinks and they all have themed names - we went Squid Vicious and Blue Baboon. Even the glass you drink from is even made of ice! It's very easy to book online and access the different packages.
After coming out the cold we headed back into the bar, although you could head down to the restaurant if you wished - and there are packages available for that. We didn't have the time due to getting back for the train so we just enjoyed a drink in the little bar which had such a cosy feel about it and the staff were lovely and brought it over to us so I didn't have to stand around waiting. Was slightly disappointed that the bar food was not available though even though it was only about half 6.
General Information
Opening Times - Monday to Sunday across the year.
Minors are welcome to join us during our daytime sessions when accompanied by an adult: Sunday entry is available all day, Monday – Saturday last Icebar entry is 18:30, after that the age limit is strictly 18 and older.
Prices - (these are on the day prices, book online to save 20%)
Standard - £13.50 to £16.50
Upgrade - £18 to £21
Champagne - £26
- see website for details.
To find out more visit - http://www.icebarlondon.com
Why not give them a follow on twitter or facebook
To find out more visit - http://www.icebarlondon.com
Why not give them a follow on twitter or facebook
