An ode to Durban's Polar Bar

This week’s old picture features a landmark on Durban’s entertainment and late night scene - the Polar Bar. It comes from the Facebook site Durban Histories and Stories.

The popular ice cream parlour and meeting spot for locals was on the corner of West and Broad Street. It was also famed for its burgers and root beer. Some even remember it as the first place that sold pizza in Durban.

On the post, one-time owner Joe Couvaras notes: “The Polar Bar a business I owned for the last 2 years before they demolished the block, sold more ice cream cones over a one-year period than any one in South African, according to Clover Dairy who supplied the ice cream mix.”

Eleanor Poulter loved their soft-serve ice-cream cones and remembers them costing 6 cents, while for Dave Harborth, the Polar bar was all about root beer and great sandwiches.

Denys Peel said the bar was open until 2am and was where his band met after gigs in the city.

Lyn Andrews remembers Polar Bar as a Christmas treat: “As a youngster, my parents would take my brother and I down West Street at Christmas time to go "window shopping" and enjoy the Christmas lights, cheer and lucky dips from Santa Clause. The highlight was to get as far as Broad Street to Polar Bar and get our ice creams (sometimes dipped in peanuts or chocolate or a plain flake added). Such fond memories.”

Patrick Matthews said the business was originally owned by the Miller family and he went to  Westville High School with their son, Robert

For Anand Naidoo the picture brought back memories. “I used to sell newspapers on the streets in the 60s. I always bought an ice cream when done with the tips I collected.”

The building was pulled down in the seventies, but surprisingly it wasn’t a major highrise that replaced it. Instead an unprepossessing modern lowrise that today houses a Mr Price store.