Can’t beat em – join em I’ve said. Well – we did. As its the first day of Spring and somehow SNOWING in Manhattan – we figured we may as well visit the Ice Bar.
It was most definitely one of the most overpriced tourist traps I’ve ever been to. With a cover charge and different pricing levels for a choice of coats, the total added up quickly for about a total of 15 minutes of time in the igloo.
That being said, it was cool. Literally and figuratively. At an always -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Farenheit) it felt cold. But we were a bit numb from this relentless NYC winter so at first the cold felt about equal to that of the outside temperature.
Beyond temperature it was quite cool to look at. Adorned with hand carved, ever changing ice structures – the bar itself is beyond amazing. There were 2 alcove seating areas in addition the main entrance and bar area, complete with fur throws and a club-vibe color changing light show illuminating the ice. Throw in the kitschy NYC paraphernalia, such as John Lennon in his New York City Shirt poster and the infamous I love New York sign, you’ve got quite a sight.
But what is really cool – EVERYTHING is made of ice. The walls, seating, bar, chandelier are made of…you guessed it, ice. Even the drinks are “in the rocks” and served in an ice glass.
They have a strict no camera/electronics policy – the above and below photos were taken illegally until they confiscated my phone. They do this purposely of course so they an charge a you to buy photos from their in house photographer. A little pricey – but what good is going to an Ice Bar without the photographic proof?
It does start to feel cold though, ice cold, which surprised me – I thought we would have lasted longer now having a tolerance from living through this awful winter. Not the case. My hands and nose were cold after a bit and Lil Kid starting complaining that he was cold too – even with 2 jackets on (the light blue jacket is from Minus 5, he has a second winter puffer coat under that one). We had one drink and were done – in total we were there for about 15 minutes.
That being said – I Would definitely recommend as a ‘gotta do it once’ experience. Its a great place to chill and hang for as long as bearable. And is most definitely “cool.”
Minus 5 Ice Bar is located at the Hilton Midtown. Admission starts at $20 for adults not including drink or coat upgrade. Note children are allowed (or cool as the sign says) before 8pm.
