The Ice Bar was a lot of fun, selection of 10/12 drinks from the menu and the staff very pleasant.
After our chilled fun in the Ice Bar we were ready for Belowzero. Started off with the waiters taking too long with our drinks, in fact we made a dent with the bottle of water before our cocktails and wine arrived.
The Cocktail: Ordered two Hibiscus Royale and we got two glasses of Champagne with raspberry juice, which isn’t a cocktail on the menu. Later, I quizzed the barman over this cocktail and the replay was the Hibiscus is too expensive for them to use. THEN WHY SAY ‘Hibiscuc Royale’ on the menu? Change it!!
The Wine: Ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio, which arrived warm...... they did have it in an ice bucket 1/3 filled with water and a few ice cubes in it. I had to ask for more ice in the ice bucket and the wine as chilled right when we finished our main course. Suggestion for those of you going to the Ice Bar first, order and take your white wine with you to chill for ½ hour.
The Food: Arrived cold, not warm but cold – cold duck isn’t my favorite dish but the side vegs were warm.
Overall, it’s a tourist trap style restaurant, not good service, poor quality of food for that price and very poor quality on drinks service.
Is there anybody left in London who hasn’t heard of the Absolut icebar in the heart of the West End – even if they haven’t been there? Everything – the walls, the bar, even the glasses are formed from ice from the Torne River in Sweden. Shifts at the bar are divided into 40 minute sessions so that you don’t get bottom freeze or look as though you are doing Fox’s Glacier Mint promos. Still SOOOO cool – quite literally in this case. Below Zero the associated lounge restaurant serves up warming dishes designed for sharing.
NB: Bookings through allinlondon/ toptable may only be made for either the belowzero restaurant & lounge on it's own, or a combination of the restaurant and ABSOLUT ICEBAR LONDON. allinlondon/ toptable cannot accept bookings for the ICEBAR alone (call the venue directly for this). Additionally, combination bookings for the ICEBAR and restaurant will still need to pay the £12/£15 entry fee to the ICEBAR.