A Slice of the Alps: Apres-Ski UK-Style
Pop-up apres-ski bars are hardly a new phenomenon in the UK but, if you're yearning to hit the slopes and still have a few months to wait, there's nowhere better to hunker yourself down with a glass of steamy mulled wine and make like you're in the mountains.
One of our favourites, the Abbey Hotel (above and right), has become an integral part of the Christmas experience in Bath. Open from 23 November - 21 December 2017 this twinkly slice of the Alps celebrates its fifth season this year and is perfect for fragrant mulled wine and hearty cuisine from the slopes in the snow-capped chalet or snuggled under blankets on the terrace. And with Bath Christmas Market also taking place 23 November - 10 December 2017, it's a fabulous place to rest your weary feet!
Yet Bath is not alone in offering a great apres-ski experience. Located in the courtyard, the pop-up bar at The Angel Hotel (middle right) in Abergavenny has also become an essential part of the Christmas experience, bringing alpine ski lodge ambience to the heart of this Welsh market town. Kick start your ski season at their opening party on Saturday 25 November (ski gear or traditional Alpine attire essential).
If you are looking for an alpine buzz in London head for the Ski Lodge (bottom right) at the Montague in Bloomsbury (open until 14 January 2018), complete with pine trees, falling snow, reindeer, snowmen, ski racks, piste maps and strings of fairy lights. Add to the experience with mulled wine, spiced cider, Christmas flavoured vodkas, choctails and alpine food galore, close your eyes, and you could be in the Alps...
Alternatively, don a thermal cape and gloves and venture inside Icebar London hidden beneath Regent Street in London's Mayfair. With temperatures inside at a steady -5, everything inside this unique bar, open all year round, is sculpted from crystal clear ice harvested from the frozen Torne River in Sweden. Bookings are by 40-minute sessions.
Have we left out your favourite? Send us an email or get in touch with us on twitter and let us know.
