Exterior of the Ice Bar

I visited the Ice Bar during a recent stopover in Milan.

Many of you may already know about the Ice Bar. It began last June at the Nordic Sea Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, part of Nordic Hotels, where a bar called the 'Ice Bar' was created entirely from ice. It has since garnered attention with locations in Stockholm, London, Milan, and Tokyo.

Even without preparing down jackets, the bar provides silver thermal wear and gloves, which we put on before entering.
Inside the bar, the temperature is minus 5 degrees Celsius. It's intensely cold. Staying for more than 40 minutes is not recommended for your health. We sat on ice sofas, exhaling white breaths, trying to relax.

Fully protected in thermal gear

The drinks are served in glasses carved from blocks of ice, featuring colorful vodka-based cocktails. I don't drink alcohol, so I ordered orange juice.
A staff member advised, 'Since there's no alcohol, you need to stir it constantly, or it will freeze.'

Inside the bar

Leaving the bar, I felt surprisingly warm and refreshed. My physical condition seemed to improve too.
For those who can't make it to Milan, there's also 'ABSOLUT ICEBAR TOKYO' that has opened in Nishi-Azabu. You might want to check it out.

At Nordic Hotels, the parent company of the Ice Bar, located in Stockholm, Sweden, there are about 80 ice rooms. The most popular are those designed by artists and designers. The designs change annually, with each room featuring unique interiors. If you're lucky, you might even see the aurora borealis.

I would certainly like to visit if I have the chance.

For more details on Nordic Hotels, please visit their website at http://www.nordichotels.se/.