From Iceland — Best Of Reykjavík Drinking 2022: Best Place For Cocktails

Words by

Photo by

Art Bicnick

It’s been two years of off-and-on single-or-double flip-cup-flip-flopping, but as of 2022, bars are officially back in action—and oh, how we needed it! This year was certainly a standout for our local scene. Not only were bar-goers finally safe to sink their extremely appreciative teeth back into the weekly djamma, but new spots and old classics stepped up to the plate swinging to give ‘em what they wanted. So cue the orchestra (and the Opal) as we gather once again to celebrate the best that Reykjavík nightlife has to offer. Because let’s be real: Icelanders love to drink. In fact, there is probably nothing Icelanders like doing more than drinking, which could be why this country doesn’t have a space program…

Best Place For Cocktails

Joint Winners:

Jungle

Austurstræti 9

Photo by Art Bicnick

Jungle is backed by a who’s-who of Icelandic cocktail maestros who partnered together to open a bar entirely focused on cocktails. They found the perfect fit for it on the second floor of the 1920s building at Austurstræti 9, with its lush leather chairs and considerable ceiling height. This has been decked with tropical arrangements so the end result falls (somehow) comfortably between a tiki lounge and a prohibition speakeasy.

Veður

Klapparstígur 33

Photo by Timothée Lambrecq

We’ll let you in on the Icelandic pun in the name. The name means “weather” and “Veðurbarinn” could either mean “weather-beaten” or “the weather bar”. Anyone who has visited Iceland outside of the four months of sunshine, knows that you need a spot to dip into for an expertly made classic cocktail and a bartender who knows your name. Veður is a new-ish bar but there’s something about it which makes you feel like it’s always been there.

Runner-Up:

Apótek

Austurstræti 16

Photo by Alisa

Apótek is a spacious, upscale restaurant whose cocktail creations have picked up a bundle of local awards. The building’s pharmacological past lives on in its name—Apótek means pharmacy—and the cocktail list, which is divided up into categories like “painkillers” or “stimulants,” exemplifies this. We’d recommend the Black Death Negroni and the Stranger Tides.