Denmark - Copenhagen IceBar

Sunday, August 16 2009

My husband and I watch The Travel Channel all the time. We love checking out new travel locations. One of the episodes featured an icebar and we were fascinated. For those of you who have not seen it, the icebar is exactly what the name suggests, a bar made of ice. They usually contain ice sculptures and other formations and are kept at low temperatures to prevent melting. It's a novelty.

Anyway we promised ourselves that we will visit an icebar on our next trip to Europe. So, there we were, just outside the Icebar in Copenhagen during our 2009 cruise to the Baltic capitals. We were all decked out in a thermal, fur-lined cape and mittens. Eskimos in the middle of Summer. At least 25 of us. It seemed funny.

But when we entered and the cold front hit us, we were glad to have our extra padding. It was like walking into a refrigerator. Did I mention that the drinking establishment was made of ice? Literally. The bar counter, the seats, the tables, the pillars, the ceiling, even the drinking glasses. It was enchanting.

Our guide told us that the icebar is redesigned every six months and the current design is by Swedish designer Jens Thoms Ivarsson and stone sculptor Mats Nilsson. The concept was originated from the flow of ice from the Torne River. The design communicates the sensation of Jukkasjärvi in its arctic surroundings. Like the river, the layout of the bar winds around fixtures providing visitors with surprises at every twist and turn. You can even see the fishes in the river (ice sculptures cleverly embedded in the ice walls). The theme is aptly named "Purity with a Twist".

The menu consisted of tasty and refreshing ice drinks as well as Moose juice and appetizers with arctic flavors. We sipped our vodka in its frozen container, being careful not to get our tongue stuck to the glass. It was fun walking with our drink, admiring the room, the ice sculptures and enjoying the atmosphere.

My one grievance, our group was too large. We had to queue up to get in and then take turns to see the sculptures. As such, I felt that we did not have enough time to savor our experience. Still it was a good one. Certainly a once-in-your-lifetime thrill. We would recommend it to any one who is seeking an unusual experience.

Icebar CPH Address:
Løngangstræde 27
1468 København K, Denmark
+45 7027 5627