CHILL WINS
Chill On Ice Lounge & Ski Lodge:
Southgate Complex, 3 Southgate Ave, Southbank 3006 1300 423 227 or www.chillon.com.au
Bobby Stephens, founder and director of Chill On Pty Ltd, came up with the concept of an ice bar for Melbourne after visiting the seminal Minus5° Bar in New Zealand with his daughter. She so loved the experience that Bobby thought, why not create something similar in Melbourne? And so he did.
On Russell Street since 2006, Chill On has now relocated to Southbank and added the Ski Lodge with dining options in the process. Since opening in mid-2011, business at the Southbank location has been growing steadily, drawing on both the Southbank tourist trade and a Melbourne public keen on distinct drinking and dining experiences. And the –10° atmosphere of the Ice Lounge with its 50 tonnes of sculpted ice is without a doubt distinctive.
On entering the Ice Lounge patrons are provided with custom-designed cold weather gear that includes full-length ‘snow’ capes (sourced from Amsterdam’s Ice Bar), sheepskin boots and gloves. Once kitted out in the atrium, patrons enter a winter wonderland, with everything from the glasses to the chairs constructed from ice. And to add even more to the magical experience, Chill On features themed exhibitions of ice sculptures created by local artists Rohan Donohoe of Donohoe Ice and Glen Smith of Down Under Ice Designs.
Rohan came up with the first theme for the new location, ‘Deep Sea Creatures’, which includes King Neptune’s throne and a 3m-high shark that patrons can climb inside for photo opportunities. Each sculpture can take up to 40 hours to construct, indicating the remarkable effort and attention to detail that has gone into creating the Ice Lounge. With the theme changing every few months, Chill On is also a great destination for kids, who are catered for until 7pm every day, including fruity ice drinks, kid-sized gear and the opportunity to host a unique birthday party surrounded by ice. You can imagine that a visit to Chill On might rate a mention in ‘Show & Tell’ on a Monday morning…
Nicole Smith, CEO of Chill On, speaks enthusiastically about the addition of the Ski Lodge restaurant to the new location. Designed by Bobby Stephens, the Ski Lodge has all the welcoming warmth of a real ski lodge, with a decidedly Nordic look and feel in the use of richly textured wood panelling and stone fireplaces. Nicole says the menu is ‘Alpine-inspired with an Australian twist, with all the meals designed to be warming’ and, while popular in summer for obvious reasons, Chill On seems to offer a perfect winter destination. The Ice Lounge gives us a peek at the magic of the frozen winters of the Northern Hemisphere without the inconvenience of actually living surrounded by ice. And, once we’ve had our fill of ice, the Ski Lodge beckons with the lure of Polish dumplings or a steak pie and mash with a hot chocolate or whisky in front of the fire.