Ice Bar London

London is a series of oxymoron’s. People charge the streets at the speed of light with no real place to go, we experience the lifestyle of a large metropolis when in actual fact one side to the other is a mere 80 minutes,  Uber cars tried and tested, and for some reason in the height of October, when I without doubt recall hearing from the weather lady that we were going to experience the coldest of cold winters, we’re seeing a sunshine soiree.

Now I’m a big fan of the sunshine, but there comes a point in the year where a girl wants to hang up her denim cut offs and snuggle up in a throw. Given the recent weather, the thought of a big snugly coat was a distant memory UNTIL I swanned through the [double] doors of London’s very own- Ice Bar.

Having just launched a new “Frozen Architecture” experience, the Ice Bar is definitely a quintessentially London experience. As you descend the stairs of the Heddon Street Hideaway, you’re draped in an, awfully fashionable, blue cape and guided into the magnificent ice bar.

The name Ice bar are not an exaggeration. Every element of this finely crafted venue are made of ice, from the drink glasses to the bar on which they’re nicely perched while eager guests zip around taking pictures of everything [yes, I was admittedly one of them.]

Having vigorously glugged down a cocktail

for the sake of warmth ofcourse, we decided to hang our capes up and proceed into the restaurant- Below Zero, located in the basement of the building. As its small in size, Below Zero has a very homely feel about it so it’s perfect for every occasion whether its an intimate date or catching up with old friends. We happened to pick the acoustic live mic evening that happens every Tuesday, definitely recommended!

One artist and 2 sumptuous glasses of Rioja later, we finally delivered our order to our keen waiter. Roast diver Scallops and Jerusalem artichoke puree  with sea vegetables was up first, and it definitely scored big with me!

The scallops were fresh and juicy and complemented well by the smooth Jerusalem artichoke puree.

Next up, along with a phenomenal glass of wine and an equally amazing performance came the roast tomato, polenta, pine nuts, pecorino and lime. 

Admittedly, I was slightly disappointed with this dish as I was expected a lot more, quite literally, from it. The portion was slightly small for the simpler array of flavors; nonetheless it was a dish that fell far short of rocking my world.  

Next came the belowzero ‘salt’ n’pepper’ prawns basted in chilli, garlic and coriander. These were phenomenal. Crispy fried prawns in a light flavoursome batter, a must for the seafood lovers! Unfortunately this seafood lover over zealously devoured the whole thing before the thought of a picture crossed my mind, yes they were that good!

For dessert, we ordered the espresso macaroons and parsnip ice cream 

and the roast chestnut and chocolate parfait.

Both were absolutely delicious and rounded off an incredible evening.

For visitors intending to go, definitely book in advance and head down on a Tuesday evening! The live music, delicious food, fabulous drinks and buzzing atmosphere are a combination not to be missed!