Sep 23rd, 2015, 01:06 AM

Freeze for Leisure at Paris' Ice Kube Bar

By Pixie McLaughlin
Image Credit: Ian Armstrong
Experience one of Europe’s latest bold and bizarre evening craze: ice bars.

It takes a certain kind of person to willingly enter a room made of solid ice at a frigid -1° F, but those said people are exactly what the bold and trendy establishments known as ice bars depend on. Since the first ice establishment, the IceHotel, was founded in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden in 1989 (with an ice bar included, of course), frozen bars and clubs have only grown in popularity. From Prague to Barcelona, ice bars have become a continent-wide craze. The Absolut Icebar in Stockholm, Sweden, for example, opened in 2002 as the first year-round ice bar. The entire venue is made of ice from the Torne River in northern Sweden, even the glass you drink from.

Image Credit: Markus Bernet

Typically, the experience begins before entry at the door where guests are given the necessary equipment to suit up for the unholy temperatures that await them. The entrance to the bar is more of a portal as the room itself seems from a different world. Anna Arnett, an AUP freshman, describes her experience at IceBarcelona. “Once I walked in I immediately felt like the room itself is a grand piece of art and I was just there to witness it.” Majority of ice bars have the walls, tables, and even the seating made of solid ice for guests to fully immerse themselves in the experience.

For now, the KUBE Hotel houses the only ice bar in Paris. It is understandable how the room could feel like a piece of art as the sculptor behind the Ice Kube Bar is the former ice sculpture world champion, Michael Amann. For a €29 admission, guests receive four vodka-based drinks and a 25-minute session in the bar. A reason that the bar at the KUBE Hotel has been particularly popular is that the hotel itself is not made of ice, whereas others in Europe are. Guests can visit the bar for a few frozen drinks and proceed to defrost in their cozy rooms afterwards.

Image Credit: KUBE Hotel Paris

Ice bars are only growing in popularity as young Europeans seek a nighttime endeavor that is anything but typical and sure to impress. A guest perfectly summarized the Ice Kube Bar experience: “The coolest and the coldest place in Paris.” 

Ice Kube Bar

1-5 Passage Ruelle

75018, Paris

+33(0)1 42 05 20 00 or paris@kubehotel.com