Bars & Pubs

IceBar, a collaboration between Absolut and the designers at Ice Hotel, is probably not a place at which to settle in for a long night's drinking: that's because the temperature inside is a constant five degrees below zero, and everything (tables, chairs, glasses) is hewn from ice. Twice a year, the design is changed: when we visited, there was a 'disco' theme and people were shuffling uncertainly across a frozen 'dancefloor'. You pay a £12 fee (£15 at weekends), don a poncho and mittens (which are surprisingly warm and effective against the ambient chill) and claim your drink (refills after the first 'free' drink cost £6). The drinks list is vodka-based, unsurprisingly, with cocktails and 20 different flavours to add to your slug of Absolut. BelowZero next door is a more temperate environment, with an excellent range of 'grazing' snacks, as well as a formal Modern European menu, served in the 'Moose' dining room.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9