Grab your eskimo coat, boots and gloves, and step into this icy wonderland, where absolutely everything is frozen solid, except the drinks!
If the name doesn't spell it out for you, the below-freezing-point temperature at Minus5 certainly will.
Swathed in frosty mist and blue lighting, this surreal icescape beckons, with an ice-slab bar, frosty walls and elaborate frozen sculptures at every turn. Even the drinking glasses are made of pure ice.
Yes, it's an eskimo's dream drinking spot brought to life. Everything is hand-sculpted, and the only liquid that's not frozen solid is poured straight into the vodka cocktails.
Fashionistas: beware. Designer attire and chic stilettos are wasted here. You'll need to swap anything with open toes or heels for expedition-like boots. Guests must also don an official furry hooded jacket and thick gloves before the exploration begins.
The journey into this chilled-out bar costs $30 and includes a complimentary cocktail, but because of the freezing temperature, guests can only stay a maximum of half an hour.
The bar is just one of three Minus5 venues, the previous two hailing from Auckland and Queenstown. Shrewdly promoted as a tourist attraction, Sydney's incarnation is set near the Opera House, with Circular Quay as its front doormat.
Drinkers can peer through frozen window panes, soak up harbour views... and ponder why a visit to an ice bar is freezing, but still so hot.
Andrea Tomaz
