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When Nordic cuisine receives attention these days, it’s usually mentioned in the same breath as fine dining restaurants and chefs cooking “tweezer food,” where each ingredient on a plate is placed just so.
Live Axe, which opened today in Soho, is definitely not that type of establishment. It’s Manhattan’s first axe-throwing bar with a modern Viking theme where you can sip innovative cocktails before taking your turn attempting to hit the bull’s eye.
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Until now, New Yorkers had to go to Brooklyn to find an axe-throwing bar (Hatchets & Hops just opened in Williamsburg). Entrepreneurs Amit Fridman and Aviel “Zac” Segal wanted to create a more upscale experience with Live Axe, which has an industrial chic aesthetic spanning 10,000 square feet. The first floor has seven enclosed cages with axe-throwing lanes and three more cages are located in a more private space downstairs, where there's also a private bar. You’ll be surrounded by graffiti murals, a DJ booth on the mezzanine and black leather sofas.
It’s $45 per person to book a private lane for 45 minutes for 2-4 people and you can book up to 90 minutes for a party of 9-12. There’s a “cage captain” assigned to each lane to ensure guests are following social distancing rules and handling the axes safely. In the club-like vibe here, there’s a fogger being used for deep cleaning along with temperature checks.
Since ordering food is required these days when placing a drink order, there’s a menu here that skews toward pub classics. Besides a slow-cooked lamb sandwich and pizzas, you can get—in true Viking fashion—a giant turkey leg. You can wash that all down with cocktails poured into skull mugs, such as the Ice Queen (a white rum-based drink) and a Cosmo riff with cotton candy-flavored vodka, orange vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice and cranberry juice. Good luck with your aim.
Live Axe is located at 96 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10013
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