This summer my best friend and I took our first trip to Europe. We spent five days visiting both London and Paris. Our plans for each city were quite different. While in Paris our focus was on hitting all the known tourist spots (The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, etc.) in London we hoped to live amongst the locals. After visiting the @londonhotspots_ page on instagram, I came across a magical reel that featured an immersive cocktail experience on a new planet, AVORA. After nearly two hours on the planet and several drinks later, spoiler alert, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would recommend it for tourists and locals alike. If you’re interested in learning a bit more before making the ￡40 investment, keep reading!
WHERE IS IT?
The short answer is… I don’t know. As someone who still uses a GPS to get around my own city. I couldn’t honestly tell you. But, it was an easy train ride and a short walk from our hotel. However, it was away from the tourist-heavy areas that we’d been in before.
The building’s windows were covered with Avora themed images so it was pretty easy to find. Important to mention is that they keep the doors locked until just before your reservation time. We arrived maybe 10 minutes early and were unable to get in. One of the things we did not like is that the doorman was pretty rude to us when we were trying to enter. We waited maybe 5 or so minutes in a line outside the door and as soon as we entered we were given a jumpsuit to put on so that we were ready for our adventure.
HOW LONG DOES IT LAST
The total experience lasts just under two hours. Throughout your time on Avora you will interact with a cast that is acting out a storyline. I won’t spoil the story for you, but although a bit predictable I found it entertaining enough to hold my interest. I even got a chance to participate 😉.
HOW WERE THE DRINKS?
You are served 3 drinks while you visit Avora. The first cocktail mixture was served in test tubes and are required so that you can “breathe” the planet’s air. There are two more drinks that are presented as creatively as the first. The five of us in my group all agreed that we enjoyed ⅔ of the drinks & the other… not so much. Nevertheless, we toasted and drank each of them. By the end of the experience we certainly felt the buzz.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
The experience was perfect for a girl’s night out, date night, or vacation activity. The combination of the set design, cast commitment to the plot, drinks, and good company made this a unique experience. I hope they will create more of these so that I can try them all!