Cafe-hopping may have become a trend around the world but bar-hopping is still in our list of must-do activities wherever we go. While the speakeasy bars keep things interesting in the city, going to the ordinary bars can be a real bore if there isn’t anything else for us to do other than drinking and talking. Themed parties can always hype things up a little but do you know what’s even better than that? A themed bar. One that stands out from the rest and easy to differentiate.
Whether you are going for a drink with friends or going on a romantic date, these themed and unusual bars will bring a one-of-a-kind experience to your life:
1. Zombie Bar in Hongdae, South Korea
Somewhere in South Korea, the “dead” were resurrected and turned into “zombies” to serve food and drinks for the patrons at 노는좀비. That’s right, everyone. You heard that right. Zombies are working as waiters/waitresses at a pub-cum-restaurant in the youthful street of Hongdae, Seoul.
Rest assured though. These zombies are not going to eat you up, they will instead just come and sit by your side or take pictures with you upon your request. The literal meaning for 노는좀비, or better known as “Noneun Zombie” is “Play Zombie”. Tucked away in the city of Seoul, it is Korea’s first zombie-themed bar and patrons may find it a little difficult to locate the bar as it is situated at the third floor of a building. However, the bar has kindly provided a picture of the directions to the bar on their official blog.
2. Absolut Icebar in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
Most alcoholic beverages are best served at a cool cellar temperature as the room temperature might just ruin its taste. This is why winter is always the best season to drink vodka because we’ve got Absolut Icebars to make sure that our vodka cocktails are always served at under 0°C! And the secrets behind their icy cold vodka drinks? The cocktail glass is made entirely out of ice harvested from the frozen Torne River in Jukkasjarvi, Northern Sweden. But that would require you to wear gloves while trying not to get your lips stuck to the glass too.
First set up in 1994, the original Absolut Icebar is located in the small town of Jukkasjärvi, Sweden. The Icebar’s franchise has now expanded to several other locations around the world including Barcelona, Honningsvåg, Monterrey, Mexico City, Panama City, Orlando, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Athens, Saint Tropez, Seoul, Hong Kong, Mumbai, and Dubai. Every year, the bar will take on a different look as it will be designed by artists from all over the world.
3. Sunland Baobab Bar in Limpopo, South Africa
The next time you go to the bars in South Africa, make sure you pay a visit to Sunland Baobab. Why, you ask? Because then, they will know that you are not joking if you say that you got drunk in one of the oldest trees in the world. Located on Sunland Farm in South Africa, Sunland Baobab bar is a bar and a wine cellar that is built inside an old, hollowed out tree that is estimated to be 6,000 years old.
It was transformed into a bar by the owners of Sunland farm in 1993 as the baobabs began to hollow inside to form beautiful caverns and caves. With its 13-foot-high ceilings, the bar is able to accommodate up to 40 people at a time. The best part is, patrons will not get hot and sweaty in the bar as the natural ventilation system helps to keep the heat away.
4. Floyd’s Pelican Bar in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica
First look at Floyd’s Pelican Bar and you might think that it’s just a typical wood house that was built on top of the water. However, don’t be fooled by its appearance as patrons can most definitely enjoy one or two glasses of cocktails while overlooking the breath-taking ocean view.
Made entirely out of old palm leaves and driftwood, Floyd is the brilliant mastermind behind this awesome bar off the coastline of South Jamaica. Patrons are required to ask a local fisherman for a ride and it will take about 15 minutes to reach the bar. Aside from drinking, patrons can snorkel around the bar and come back for a fresh lobster lunch made by Floyd himself. Yum!
5. H.R. Giger Museum Bar in Chur or Château St. Germain, Gruyères, Switzerland
There’s a huge difference between a museum and a bar but at the HR Giger Museum, the line is so fine that you might not be able to differentiate whether you are having a drink in a bar or a museum. Created by the set designer of the “Aliens” movie, Hans Rudi Giger, the entire bar is decorated like it was made entirely out of skeletal bones.
From the walls to the ceilings to the chairs, the Swish Oscar winning designer created the museum-cum-bar in Swiss Town of Gruyères. As compared to the ordinary bar stools, HR Giger put on a fresh twist by creating a backbone-shaped stools for the patrons. Giger even decorated the bar with some alien props from the movie as well for patrons to geek out over the items.
6. Heli Lounge Bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Our list of unique bars in the world wouldn’t be complete without including our very own Heli Lounge Bar. The rooftop bar is the world’s first-of-its-kind to transform a helipad into a lounge bar. Located on top of Menara KH, Heli Lounge Bar is deemed as one of the perfect spots to enjoy a 360-degree view of KL skyline, without anything to block the view. However, patrons are advised to wear something comfortable as they are required to climb a few flights of stairs to reach the helipad.
On top of that, the helipad bar is closed on every Friday or it will be closed for private events too. Rest assured though, there is another bar located at the 34th floor of the building, where the DJ console was built from parts of an actual refurbished Boeing 747 and a reconstructed Boeing 737 cabin seat. Patrons can enjoy a night of drinking with the bar’s vodka-based cocktails and mojitos such as Hopper and Fizzy 747. Yup, the names are totally pun intended.
7. El Bosc de les Fades in Barcelona, Spain
Ever wondered how it would feel like to drink in the woods filled with “fairies”? Wonder no more because you can now get that out-of-the-world experience at El Bosc de les Fades bar in Barcelona, Spain! But of course, no real fairies were harmed in the process as it was merely a concept for the bar. A brilliant and enchanting concept, we must say.
“El Bosc de les Fades”, which literally means “The Forest of Fairies”, is a cafe/bar located off La Rambla, next to the Wax Museum. Stepping into El Bosc de les Fades is like stepping into a fantastical land of fairies as the bar is decorated with surrealistic designs including the artificial oak trees, trickling waterfalls, subdued lights, and fairies-like mannequins. Simulated winds and thunderstorms are “programmed” too, to create a more realistic experience. Thrill seekers and curious tourists can make their way to the haunted room too, a room complete with creepy-looking mannequins hanging in the air and magical mirrors that give off optical illusions.
8. Dernier Bar Avant La Fin Du Monde in Paris, France
Instead of partying like there’s no tomorrow, “The Last Bar Before The End Of The World” is a place for people to geek out with as the bar has gathered everything and anything geeky from video games to movies, to other sci-fi fantasy characters. Tucked away in the city of Paris, Dernier Bar Avant La Fin Du Monde is generally a great place to hang out with your friends, especially at the private rooms that are equipped with their own themes.
Regulars often turn up in their own costumes and the names of the cocktails are all based on some of the biggest names in the geeky sub-genre such as “Toxic Avenger”, “True Blood”,”Lannister”, “The Dude”, and so on. Naturally, board games are provided as well for patrons to enjoy a game or two while they chug down drinks like a Lannister.
However, don’t expect to stay there for long as there are mixed reviews about the bar. Some described it as a geek heaven with great atmosphere but the experience was ruined by its overpriced cocktails and untrained staff.
Tiger Leaping Gorge Bar in China
Not going to any of the places on our list? Fret not! Check out some other unique bars that you can visit at these following locations:
- Bab-al-shams in Dubai
- Tiger Leaping Gorge Bar in China
- Safe House, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (a spy-themed bar)
- Alux Caverna Lounge in Mexico
- Guacara Taina a.k.a. The Cave in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Northern Lights Bar, Iceland
Have more to add into the list? List them out and share your experience(s) with us in the comments box below! 