H.R. Giger Museum Bar Photos
H.R. GIGER MUSEUM BAR ATMOSPHERE
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Reviews With Photos - H.R. Giger Museum Bar
They don't have a ton of food on the menu but it's a cool place to grab a quick hot dog, grilled cheese and ham or pizza. All are good enough. What knocks this into unique territory is the cool decor done by H R Geiger himself. If you don't know who he is he's the artist that designed the alien monster amongst other things and museum devised to his work is cross the street. I won't even try to describe I posted a bunch of pictures but trust me come in here it's very very cool
First timer. The concept is very nice and the decor is very Alien and very awesome. I had the Alien coffee with alcohol. The coffee has a strong flavor that over masked the alcohol :( It was good but I wanted to feel the taste of alcohol. The coffee came with double cream and merengue dessert (classic dessert of Switzerland) was very-very good. The whole experience, for me, deserves more than 5 stars.
Very impressive! Make sure you try out all of the different seats, if possible. Especially the window seats, but also the seats at the back at the babyface-wall or at the beautiful table with chairs. The music was a bit jazzy, loungy, the atmosphere is great and on the other side of the small street you find the museum. Extremely impressive experience and don't forget your camera!
HR Giger is probably one of the coolest, if not the coolest bar I've ever been to. It's a themed bar, based on the Alien films. I've never seen any of the films, nor am I a fan of sci-fi, but I was still able to appreciate the bar. All of the tables/chairs looked like some kind of alien spine, and it was really unique. You can tell that the bar is geared towards tourists, but it didn't feel touristy. It wasn't crowded when we went, which was on a Wednesday at around noon. The drinks are pretty reasonably priced too for a bar like this. My only gripe would be that there were too many flies around. Despite of that, it's still definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in Gruyéres.
Certainly the attraction here is the amazing decor! It is a must-see for any Giger fan. Even though this is technically a bar, they do serve food. I do not drink alcohol, so I had the local dessert called Double Cream and Meringue. Oh my goodness, it is so delicious! Very rich and near perfection. The bar closes at around 8 or 8:30, so just be aware this is more of a daytime attraction. Definitely support this establishment. They provide an amazing atmosphere and it's truly a cool place. They do ask that you buy something if you come in, and sadly people would come in, snap pictures and walk out. Seriously, this place is so cool, how could you not want to take a load off and soak up the otherworldly ambiance?
After visiting the museum it was great to catch a buzz in here with my wife. We had beers, absinthe & Facehugger shots. The price was really reasonable consider where you actually are. If this was anything/anywhere else they would charge you to even enter a place like this and for those who make the Pilgrimage to Gruyères specifically for the HR Giger Museum & Cafe we would all gladly pay to enter but this is free. It was just so incredible to be in the place. So sit back in a Harkonnen Chair, down some drinks and enjoy the darkness. Giger fans: don't forget to visit the castle at the top for a great addition and there is a seldom seen HR Giger oil painting in there. If you want to pay your respects to the master himself his grave is in the local cemetery.
Giger Glory . When Alien first made it to the screen when I was a child, I was mesmerized by the biomechanical beauty of the creature and set design. There was something so lyrical and sensual about it's lines and textures with it's organic and technological fusion. I immediately became fascinated with the art of the man behind the creation. When coming to Switzerland, I made it a priority to visit Giger's Bar and bask in it's immersive tactile glory firsthand. (Side Note: Giger's designs were originally for the uncompleted film adaptation of one of my favorite book series, Dune. The chairs in the bar are the original designs for one of it's central characters, Baron Harkonnen).
Absolutely love the decor at the bar! We came here for a break after visiting the museum, the drinks are not too overpriced and actually reasonable for being in the middle of nowhere. The drinks menu features a lot of HR Giger's work inspired drinks. We tried a few and had a beer, they were not bad! There are so much detail inside the place it's an one of a kind novelty bar you must visit at least once.
I'd seen pictures of the Giger Bar beforehand, and I wish I hadn't. The biggest impact of this cafe/bar is its first impression when you walk in, so a lot of the effect was probably lost on me. The bar was designed by H.R. Giger, the artist that designed the Alien in the movie. This guy has a morbid, but what I found to be single-tracked, sense of design and imagination. The walls and ceilings are wrapped with rows of spinal chords, the seats place you in the embrace of an alien, one of the ceiling lamps looks like a multi-valve heart, and there is a wall that looks like it's stacked with dead babies. Once you've seen these things, though, the designs basically repeat themselves. So if you're not up for eating/drinking something, a quick look around should suffice. That being said, YOU SHOULD GET THE MERINGUES. Now, this was my first meringue and double-cream experience so I don't know how it stacks up to others, but OMG was it good. CHF9.50 will get you four light and crispy meringues that melt in your mouth, two little cups of thick cream, and a coffee/hot chocolate/tea. Specifically ask for the "Alien coffee" platter to get the entire presentation on a fun wooden tray--otherwise, they'll bring the meringues out in a boring white plate. As delicate as the meringues look and sound, I found there is no graceful way to eat a meringue and cream. Spooning the cream onto the meringue will send the cream running down the grooves of the meringue. Dipping the meringue into the cream will leave a trail of cream from the cup to your mouth. A travel mate resorted to crushing his meringues into the cup of cream and spooning it into his mouth. However you decide to eat it, the meringues and cream comprise this perfect combination between the light cookie and the heavy cream, and it's absolutely heaven. A MUST try!
Wow a great place. It is a perfect place to have a drink and take pics. Come early around 10:30 or late 7:00PM. Less tourists and you can have the place to yourself. If possible sit at the bar. The chairs are wow. Best place to have a beer or one of their Alien themes drinks. Highly recommend it.
I didn't get to step inside, but apparently Alien is big here in Gruyere. Right across the Cafe is the Museum for H.R. Giger. The cafe is interesting. All Alien themed and the seats are very...um..themed. If you're an Alien fan, then Gruyere is definitely the must see stop for you. While you're at it get some cheese and double cream!
For fans of the Alien movies, this is one hell of a treat. HR Giger's imagination comes to life at this bar next to his Musee Giger in Gruyeres, Switzerland. Note that the Giger bar is extremely popular with tourists, so it gets packed and there's often a wait at lunch time and other peak hours. Sit in one of the spinal Harkonnen Dune chairs, sip a Giger absinthe or Alien coffee and cookies, and enjoy the sci fi horror madness.
Somewhere lurking in the shadow of Gruyere's 12th century chateau, we stumbled across two biomechanoid beings guarding a small doorway, as if protecting the tomb of a Babylonian God. That may sound like an exaggeration but, given the god-like status of the man who once lived here, it really isn't! His name was Hans Rudy Giger (H. R. Giger) who locals believed was the bastard love-child of Aleister Crowley and the anti-christ. He died in 2014, bashing his head on a staircase in true Omen-esque style and we were standing at the doorway of his studio gallery, now a shrine to his life's work. As we toured the gallery, downloading the hidden messages in his tormented artwork, including a whole lot of Baphomet imagery bundled-up with scenes of orgiastic torture involving genetically modified humanoids, xenomorphs and biomechanoids, we began to realize the true perverted depth of the man. Up until that time I had only known Giger as a reclusive science fiction illustrator, made famous by the 1979 movie "Alien", but it was evident that he was a lot more complicated than that. He had demons and lots of them! Inside the gallery we found an adult only room that featured mechanical "stimulation devices" he forced his models to use before they posed for his paintings and on the top floor was his private art collection consisting of a chainsaw made from severed limbs, an eight legged half man half spider metal statue and numerous abstract paintings depicting illuminati symbolism as well as sadistic acts of bestiality or worse. After our tour, my girlfriend and I didn't talk to each other for about an hour as we tried to make sense of what we had just seen. When we finally did, it was to share the same depressing fact about Giger's life that we had found on his Wiki page. Li Tobler, a model who had lived with Giger, committed suicide in their house in 1971 at the age of 27, apparently suffering from depression. Many blamed the morbidity of Giger's work as well as their promiscuity and extensive drug use for her death. I wasn't surprised by this. I had only been exposed to his work for an hour and my mood had significantly darkened. Now, mix this with god-knows what mind altering substances they were pushing in the 70's and I can see how she may have descended a dark, self-destructive path. So to say that Giger had touched us, would be an understatement. He had "mind-fucked" us, temporarily altering our personalities and for a moment, we were not sure if we would ever be the same again. It took a hot bowl of fondu and a huge slab of raclette (found at nearby chalet) to put our heads back in the right place and once again we were able to engage in civilized discourse. In reflection, it's easy to pass-off Giger as just another goofy artist using shock tactics to make a living, but there's a true demonic spirit lurking within his work that you will be either deeply disturbed or seduced by. We had travelled to Gruyere on the hunt for the world-famous cheese that is the town's namesake, but what we found was cheese and an Alien orgy. Amazing!
8 months ago
Coolest bar I've ever been to in my entire life! This is a once in a lifetime experience. We tried every specialty drink shot! super good. Bartender, super friendly, even though we don't speak the same language. read more
The location does not make any sense, the service is terrible, there is not enough seating, the menu is not that great, and I absolutely LOVE IT. This bar was designed by H.R. Giger, the Swiss artist best known for creating the visual design of the Alien in Ridley Scott's 1979 Film 'Alien.' It looks like the interior of the aliens' spaceship and is full of the biomechanical art style that Guger pioneered. Vertebrae designs arch across the ceiling, pod swivel chairs sit along the bar, a metal alien hangs from a wall, and bones are ingrained in every direction - the design transports you right into the Alien universe. You can find this alien-themed bar right in the middle of the medieval walled city of Gruyeres, Switzerland. It's at the end of a cobblestone historic road that cars cannot travel down, right before the castle. Why here? No idea. But it's worth the visit. Trust me, I was a total skeptic. I wanted to experience the medieval history and Swiss culture during my limited time here, so this was not on my list. But I am so glad we stopped. The service was horrible. And the drinks menu sucked. But a glass of the bright-green Grand Gruyère went perfect in this setting. Highly recommended! read more
I'm a huge fan of the Alien, Species, & Dune movies so had to come here for a drink after visiting the adjacent museum dedicated to Giger's art. I visited in the early afternoon so it wasn't super busy which was fine by me during Covid times. I do think visiting after dark would add to the atmosphere however. I opted to sit at the bar in one of the surprisingly comfortable chairs modeled after the Space Jockey cockpit chair from the original Alien movie. Sci Fi geek heaven! They have a variety of beers and wines, plus cocktails named after various things in movies Giger was involved in, "Nostomo, Dune, HR Giger", along with shots with a similar theme. As with anything alcoholic in Switzerland, they're a bit pricey and they're capitalizing on the kitsch value, but you only get one opportunity to do something like this. I tried the Dune cocktail (see my picture). It was good although small. L For food, they serve cheese plates, pizza, hot dogs, and other small plates. The experience is worth coming here, especially if you've seen the museum and is a counterpoint to the medieval village that it's located in. Definitely visit! read more
They don't have a ton of food on the menu but it's a cool place to grab a quick hot dog, grilled cheese and ham or pizza. All are good enough. What knocks this into unique territory is the cool decor done by H R Geiger himself. If you don't know who he is he's the artist that designed the alien monster amongst other things and museum devised to his work is cross the street. I won't even try to describe I posted a bunch of pictures but trust me come in here it's very very cool read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
First timer. The concept is very nice and the decor is very Alien and very awesome. I had the Alien coffee with alcohol. The coffee has a strong flavor that over masked the alcohol :( It was good but I wanted to feel the taste of alcohol. The coffee came with double cream and merengue dessert (classic dessert of Switzerland) was very-very good. The whole experience, for me, deserves more than 5 stars. read more
6 years ago
Very impressive! Make sure you try out all of the different seats, if possible. Especially the window seats, but also the seats at the back at the babyface-wall or at the beautiful table with chairs. The music was a bit jazzy, loungy, the atmosphere is great and on the other side of the small street you find the museum. Extremely impressive experience and don't forget your camera! read more
8 years ago
HR Giger is probably one of the coolest, if not the coolest bar I've ever been to. It's a themed bar, based on the Alien films. I've never seen any of the films, nor am I a fan of sci-fi, but I was still able to appreciate the bar. All of the tables/chairs looked like some kind of alien spine, and it was really unique. You can tell that the bar is geared towards tourists, but it didn't feel touristy. It wasn't crowded when we went, which was on a Wednesday at around noon. The drinks are pretty reasonably priced too for a bar like this. My only gripe would be that there were too many flies around. Despite of that, it's still definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in Gruyéres. read more
8 years ago
Certainly the attraction here is the amazing decor! It is a must-see for any Giger fan. Even though this is technically a bar, they do serve food. I do not drink alcohol, so I had the local dessert called Double Cream and Meringue. Oh my goodness, it is so delicious! Very rich and near perfection. The bar closes at around 8 or 8:30, so just be aware this is more of a daytime attraction. Definitely support this establishment. They provide an amazing atmosphere and it's truly a cool place. They do ask that you buy something if you come in, and sadly people would come in, snap pictures and walk out. Seriously, this place is so cool, how could you not want to take a load off and soak up the otherworldly ambiance? read more
After visiting the museum it was great to catch a buzz in here with my wife. We had beers, absinthe & Facehugger shots. The price was really reasonable consider where you actually are. If this was anything/anywhere else they would charge you to even enter a place like this and for those who make the Pilgrimage to Gruyères specifically for the HR Giger Museum & Cafe we would all gladly pay to enter but this is free. It was just so incredible to be in the place. So sit back in a Harkonnen Chair, down some drinks and enjoy the darkness. Giger fans: don't forget to visit the castle at the top for a great addition and there is a seldom seen HR Giger oil painting in there. If you want to pay your respects to the master himself his grave is in the local cemetery. read more
7 years ago
Giger Glory . When Alien first made it to the screen when I was a child, I was mesmerized by the biomechanical beauty of the creature and set design. There was something so lyrical and sensual about it's lines and textures with it's organic and technological fusion. I immediately became fascinated with the art of the man behind the creation. When coming to Switzerland, I made it a priority to visit Giger's Bar and bask in it's immersive tactile glory firsthand. (Side Note: Giger's designs were originally for the uncompleted film adaptation of one of my favorite book series, Dune. The chairs in the bar are the original designs for one of it's central characters, Baron Harkonnen). read more
Absolutely love the decor at the bar! We came here for a break after visiting the museum, the drinks are not too overpriced and actually reasonable for being in the middle of nowhere. The drinks menu features a lot of HR Giger's work inspired drinks. We tried a few and had a beer, they were not bad! There are so much detail inside the place it's an one of a kind novelty bar you must visit at least once. read more
I'd seen pictures of the Giger Bar beforehand, and I wish I hadn't. The biggest impact of this cafe/bar is its first impression when you walk in, so a lot of the effect was probably lost on me. The bar was designed by H.R. Giger, the artist that designed the Alien in the movie. This guy has a morbid, but what I found to be single-tracked, sense of design and imagination. The walls and ceilings are wrapped with rows of spinal chords, the seats place you in the embrace of an alien, one of the ceiling lamps looks like a multi-valve heart, and there is a wall that looks like it's stacked with dead babies. Once you've seen these things, though, the designs basically repeat themselves. So if you're not up for eating/drinking something, a quick look around should suffice. That being said, YOU SHOULD GET THE MERINGUES. Now, this was my first meringue and double-cream experience so I don't know how it stacks up to others, but OMG was it good. CHF9.50 will get you four light and crispy meringues that melt in your mouth, two little cups of thick cream, and a coffee/hot chocolate/tea. Specifically ask for the "Alien coffee" platter to get the entire presentation on a fun wooden tray--otherwise, they'll bring the meringues out in a boring white plate. As delicate as the meringues look and sound, I found there is no graceful way to eat a meringue and cream. Spooning the cream onto the meringue will send the cream running down the grooves of the meringue. Dipping the meringue into the cream will leave a trail of cream from the cup to your mouth. A travel mate resorted to crushing his meringues into the cup of cream and spooning it into his mouth. However you decide to eat it, the meringues and cream comprise this perfect combination between the light cookie and the heavy cream, and it's absolutely heaven. A MUST try! read more
8 years ago
Wow a great place. It is a perfect place to have a drink and take pics. Come early around 10:30 or late 7:00PM. Less tourists and you can have the place to yourself. If possible sit at the bar. The chairs are wow. Best place to have a beer or one of their Alien themes drinks. Highly recommend it. read more
8 years ago
15 years ago
I didn't get to step inside, but apparently Alien is big here in Gruyere. Right across the Cafe is the Museum for H.R. Giger. The cafe is interesting. All Alien themed and the seats are very...um..themed. If you're an Alien fan, then Gruyere is definitely the must see stop for you. While you're at it get some cheese and double cream! read more
9 years ago
For fans of the Alien movies, this is one hell of a treat. HR Giger's imagination comes to life at this bar next to his Musee Giger in Gruyeres, Switzerland. Note that the Giger bar is extremely popular with tourists, so it gets packed and there's often a wait at lunch time and other peak hours. Sit in one of the spinal Harkonnen Dune chairs, sip a Giger absinthe or Alien coffee and cookies, and enjoy the sci fi horror madness. read more
7 years ago
Somewhere lurking in the shadow of Gruyere's 12th century chateau, we stumbled across two biomechanoid beings guarding a small doorway, as if protecting the tomb of a Babylonian God. That may sound like an exaggeration but, given the god-like status of the man who once lived here, it really isn't! His name was Hans Rudy Giger (H. R. Giger) who locals believed was the bastard love-child of Aleister Crowley and the anti-christ. He died in 2014, bashing his head on a staircase in true Omen-esque style and we were standing at the doorway of his studio gallery, now a shrine to his life's work. As we toured the gallery, downloading the hidden messages in his tormented artwork, including a whole lot of Baphomet imagery bundled-up with scenes of orgiastic torture involving genetically modified humanoids, xenomorphs and biomechanoids, we began to realize the true perverted depth of the man. Up until that time I had only known Giger as a reclusive science fiction illustrator, made famous by the 1979 movie "Alien", but it was evident that he was a lot more complicated than that. He had demons and lots of them! Inside the gallery we found an adult only room that featured mechanical "stimulation devices" he forced his models to use before they posed for his paintings and on the top floor was his private art collection consisting of a chainsaw made from severed limbs, an eight legged half man half spider metal statue and numerous abstract paintings depicting illuminati symbolism as well as sadistic acts of bestiality or worse. After our tour, my girlfriend and I didn't talk to each other for about an hour as we tried to make sense of what we had just seen. When we finally did, it was to share the same depressing fact about Giger's life that we had found on his Wiki page. Li Tobler, a model who had lived with Giger, committed suicide in their house in 1971 at the age of 27, apparently suffering from depression. Many blamed the morbidity of Giger's work as well as their promiscuity and extensive drug use for her death. I wasn't surprised by this. I had only been exposed to his work for an hour and my mood had significantly darkened. Now, mix this with god-knows what mind altering substances they were pushing in the 70's and I can see how she may have descended a dark, self-destructive path. So to say that Giger had touched us, would be an understatement. He had "mind-fucked" us, temporarily altering our personalities and for a moment, we were not sure if we would ever be the same again. It took a hot bowl of fondu and a huge slab of raclette (found at nearby chalet) to put our heads back in the right place and once again we were able to engage in civilized discourse. In reflection, it's easy to pass-off Giger as just another goofy artist using shock tactics to make a living, but there's a true demonic spirit lurking within his work that you will be either deeply disturbed or seduced by. We had travelled to Gruyere on the hunt for the world-famous cheese that is the town's namesake, but what we found was cheese and an Alien orgy. Amazing! read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
12 years ago
Cool stylish place! The design of the interior is a must see for any Alien fan (so everybody!). Probably given the names behind it I had higher expectation for the bar itself, but besides few cocktails (that I could not get because lack of one of the ingredient) the menu is standard... while some fantasy or extravagance would have been appreciated in such a place. To be seen but nothing to come back for. read more
8 years ago
OK, if you are an Alien fan then DEFINITELY take a quick sip or bite of something in the Giger bar. You will not go away disappointed. However, if you are an Alien fan, please see my review regarding the Giger museum, before paying the ticket price. When you enter the bar you immediately feel as if you have been teleported to the world of Aliens. Almost, as if you were just recently cast as an extra in the next Alien movie, and you were on set. This place is ALWAYS crowded. We had to stand around and wait for a seat to open up. You are definitely not going for a comfy, quiet atmosphere here. Remember, this is an Alien bar. I don't remember any Alien bars from the movies looking comfortable OR quiet. They offer a selection of drinks and bites to eat on the menu. There are many people in the small space, yet only a few people working. You need to be patient, and soak in the surroundings. The service wasn't rude, like I would imagine most Alien bars from the movies would be, but, surprisingly once you do get served, they were nice. read more
7 years ago
10 years ago
It's definitely worth a stop if you're an aliens fan. Just walk in, order a drink and take some pictures. Drinks and food are nothing special but it has a great vibe read more
10 years ago
11 years ago
8 years ago
More info about H.R. Giger Museum Bar
Rue du Château Saint-Germain 3
1663 Gruyères
Switzerland
Directions
026 921 08 00
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.hrgiger.com
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
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