Chilling out in Dubai

All right, in the category of "what will they think of next" - How about an ice lounge in Dubai?

Apparently things are pretty cool at Chillout in otherwise scorching Dubai. The new Canadian designed ice lounge, the first in the Middle East, offers a bar-restaurant where despite a sweltering outside temperature of 44 degrees, guests are eagerly crowding in to hang out in what amounts to a freezer.

A $17 cover charge gets you one cocktail and the rental of a hooded parka, woollen gloves and insulated shoes. Customers suit up outside, then spend a few minutes in the Buffer Zone, a room set at 5 degrees to acclimatize before entering the restaurant.

The walls, tables, chairs, cups, glasses, plates, the art on the wall, the sculptures portraying Dubai's skyline, the beaded curtains, the bar and an amazing two-metre-chandelier are all ice.

It took about 40,000 tonnes of ice to build the decor of the 220-square-metre restaurant. Every item was designed, carved and cut at a studio freezer at Iceculture Inc. in Canada and then shipped to Dubai.

Diffused lighting, from low-heat LED bulbs, constantly changes colours as it filters through the ice blocks. Sheepskin rugs cover the seats and non-alcoholic cocktails are served in ice glasses that are later tossed.

Hot drinks and food, from an Asian fusion menu, are served in stainless steel thermos containers but diners are warned that the food will get cold within 15 minutes,

The US $3 million spot, which opened in a Dubai mall in June, is expected to become a must-see tourist destination. However, it does raise questions about energy consumption in a country where, according to the World Wildlife Fund, the average person puts more demand on the global ecosystem than in any other country in the world.