Exceptional Food and Chill Out at Icebar London

Exceptional Food and Chill Out at Icebar London

• November 25, 2015

Sorry guys, I couldn't resist throwing that one in, I had a great time chilling out at the Icebar*! Where else do you get served drinks inside an ice cube and hang out in a room made entirely of ice blocks and sculptures?!

Of course the ice 'cave' is why people come to the Icebar, but did you know they also have a really nice upstairs bar in a normal/non icy environment as well as an exceptional restaurant serving outstanding food? Nope, I didn't know either until my visit

I'd been to the Icebar once before, almost a decade ago and it was such a novelty back then. What I hadn't realised was that it was still going strong and with new ice sculptures every year, there's always a reason to come back.

At -5C, the room is literally freezing and even with thermals on, it's hard to stay past 20 minutes inside. Everything in the room is made with ice from the Torne River in Sweden, and the intricate details in the ice carvings are quite astounding.

Ready to feel the chill? Let's go in!

My friend and I had a great time taking photos and bopping away to the clubby tunes that blared through the icy walls. The colour of the ice changes with the different light themes, the purple made everything look super pretty!

Finally done with taking photos, we grab our drinks from the bar, and it's just how I remembered it. The drinks are served in a hollowed out ice cube. The sensation of the ice melting on my lips whilst I take a swig at my cocktail is quite exhilarating, an experience I recommend for all! 10 years on and it still doesn't get old...

After our 20 mins, we head back into the 'warm bar' and continue with more cocktails. It's nice to be back in the warmth again, as we were slowly about to turn into ice blocks ourselves.

The restaurant is downstairs, serving seasonal modern British food. Usually, restaurant food in themed or novelty venue like this is below average but you eat there coz it's easy. I am SO happy to be able to say that the food at the Icebar restaurant was simply outstanding and went far beyond my expectations.

Between my friend and I, we shared all the food so that we could sample everything and this ham hock ballotine was ridiculously good. I would come back just for this alone.

Salty and moist ham hock balls with apple puree, celeriac and green salsa that tasted almost like a really refreshing  and crunchy slaw. It balanced off the meatiness from the ham hock perfectly. The micro herbs gave it that fine dining edge but without breaking the bank at £7.50.

Scottish scallops with chorizo, pumpkin puree and marinaded fennel. I loved the salty and meaty chorizo nubbins paired with the scallop, and the gentle sweetness from the pumpkin. The fennel added a lovely crunch textures against the other softer elements of this dish, and of course the micro herbs made it fine dining fancy again. Wonderful.

The braised pork cheek with carrot puree, celery and crackling was a revelation! The braised pork cheek was fall-apart soft, braised in a sweet and savory sauce. The celery tasted like it had been grilled on the outside and it was light and crunchy in texture which I absolutely loved. The crackling added another crunch factor to the dish and whilst the carrot puree felt too sweet for the dish, it didn't ruin the other elements of this fabulous dish.

Dry aged steak with mushroom. You can never go wrong with steak. The slab of meat was full of beefiness and tender in all the right places, but we did find the pairing with mushroom a little odd.

Side of roast onion slaw and triple cooked chips. Delicious!

The food presentation here really is quite inspiring for somewhere that only charges mid-range prices. Honey parfait with preserved apricot and honeycomb was a pretty dessert to look at but flavour wise, it wasn't quite as good as it looked.

The restaurant at the Icebar really was a surprise discovery, and I will definitely be back for dinner again. The Icebar restaurant menu is set to change seasonally, so there's no chance of getting bored.

Thank you Icebar London for inviting me, my friend and I had a fantastic evening!



*I was a guest of Icebar london, all opinions are my own and unbiased