Unique and Unusual Bars to Visit
If you can name an interest, someone somewhere has combined it with alcohol. Some might say it just makes things more fun. This is quite evident from the sheer variety of bars and clubs which you can find in cities around the world; Irish bars, juice bars, barcades - you name it, someone has built it, and if they haven't, you're looking at a potentially very lucrative niche! Last week, we looked at a variety of rooftop bars in the United Kingdom. In today's article, we are going to look at some of the more unique concepts for bars around the world.
Alux Caverna Lounge, Mexico
Within a 10,000 year old cavern in Playa del Carmen you can find the Alux Caverna Lounge, a beautiful bar and restaurant sitting in the gorgeous heart of the cave. Named for the Aluxes, ancient Mayan fairy-like spirits which enter our world at night, the Lounge contains a number of private vaults for the discerning customer to host their own events and parties inside the cavern. There won't be much need for flat roof demarcation here - the restaurant is entirely underground, besides the kitchen which had to be placed above ground in order to preserve the cavern's beauty. The Alux Caverna Lounge serves both Mexican food and international food, thus catering to a wide range of tastes and providing for more customers. If you are a fan of spelunking - the hobby of delving through deep caverns - you will love the Alux Caverna Lounge.
The Museum H.R. Giger Bar, Switzerland
The H.R. Giger Bar, at the H.R. Giger Museum, was designed by the artist H.R. Giger. We struggle to imagine how proud an artist must feel to design their own bar in a museum dedicated to preserving and displaying their works. If you're not familiar with H.R. Giger, he was a Swiss artist known for his futuristic, almost sci-fi art which was the inspiration for the art design in Ridley Scott's cult classic Alien. Giger actually worked on the special effects team for the film himself. He has since worked on a number of sci-fi and horror films, and even contributed to some sound recording work for black metal bands like Celtic Frost and Triptykon. The bar itself is notable for its architecture and design, which actually looks like something out of Aliens; the walls are entirely covered in vertebrae, and the furniture is sculpted as though it were made from some great alien monster's bones. Giger allegedly wanted to make visitors feel as though they had been transported to some mutated futuristic civilisation, and this esoteric watering hole certainly summons that feeling.
Dive Bar, USA
The title of "Dive Bar" has been labelled to many seedy joints across the world, however the Dive Bar in Sacramento, California takes this title a little more literally. The bar is filled with large tanks of water in which mermaids swim and dance at set times through the night, creating an underwater environment and transporting you to the bottom of the deep blue sea. The oceanic theme of the bar is its main draw, so if you are a lover of all things maritime, make sure to stop by if you ever find yourself in the city.
Icebar, Sweden
Icebar is a part of the famous Icehotel, a Swedish hotel company which is well-known internationally for its use of ice to build the whole thing. Each year, Icebars and Icehotels are built from blocks of ice and snow in Sweden's coldest regions, with a new design each time, before Spring comes and they melt. There is also the Icehotel 365, which uses ice to cool its drinks and build its brand atmosphere, however is built from regular construction materials so visitors can stay all year round. Ice sculptures and art fill the bar's suites, and you can safely bet that cold beers and chilled vodka is always available! You might say that it comes with the territory. There are two permanent Icebars in Sweden, in the cities of Stockholm and Jukkasjarvi, which get their ice from the Torne river and use it to chill drinks and create beautiful art. Cold though it may be, you will never receive a frosty reception there.