Icon Klub — Restaurant in Luang Prabang

I live in London and very rarely visit any bars at all here in the UK though when I'm abroad I DO like to drop into selectively nice places. In all my long life I've never, ever visited such a lovely establishment as this one. Lisa, the owner, is (if I remember correctly) Norwegian or Swedish and speaks several languages and a fascinatingly creative person too; the consummate professional, she manages to strike the perfect balance between over-friendliness and aloofness and treats everyone as though she's very pleased to meet YOU and be in YOUR company. Given the place is a fairly small L-shaped affair - usually packed - and this lady the sole staff member you never wait long to be served, all done with charm by mine hostess. It's an immense pity that smoking is allowed and, yes, the drinks are indeed pricey but the intimate atmosphere generated by proprietor and visitors alike makes for a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an hour or two. It's easy to talk to strangers among the international 'crowd' and they don't remain strangers for long. And what a diverse bunch they interestingly are! What's additionally pleasant is to discover tucked away spots where you'll find maybe a couple of folks playing scrabble, slightly away from the main hubbub. A word must be added that this is all against the backcloth of the lush green, heavenly tranquil town of Luang Prabang, its laid-back inhabitants THE most quietly endearing people I've found in all the eighteen countries I've visited.

Cannot w a i t ...

While traveling for 8 months I've wandered into more than my share of cocktail bars, everywhere from Madrid to Rome to Istanbul to Chiang Mai to Lima to Toronto and NYC. I've now been to six bars on Conde Naste Traveler's list of the best 100 in the world. The Icon Klub is still my favorite.

Yes, it's more expensive than some places in Luang Prabang, but the drinks are better and the atmosphere is priceless. It's the sort of place where conversation flows freely, and strangers quickly become friends.

Lisa (who owns the place and tends bar) is a lovely soul, and she serves up inspired original cocktails along with well-crafted classics, some of those with a...

One of the few places that makes me think of the song Just Dropped In To See What My Condition Was In. Very easy to talk with others here and see where they are from. So maybe it is a club of travelers having a bit of conversation as well as seeing and being, strangers in a strange land. Also the bartender Lisa is very personable and makes some powerful drinks as you can tell from my rambling review that nods to music and litature. So really of all things to do that are not healthy in Luang Prabang this is one of them. It really does make me want to hangout here but two drinks is my limit, so along with that I...