To those searching for their next favourite watering hole, date spot, wine bar, or cocktail dispensary, look no further — it’s the Best Of Drinking & Nightlife. Unlike those other bars you frequent, these ones are cool places filled with cool people. You want to be cool, don’t you?
Our panel of expert drinkers conducted a rigorous analysis of this town’s licenced institutions before assembling to give their opinions on the Best bars in Reykjavík. This group of extremely outgoing partygoers, booze drinkers and people in the know left no stone unturned, appraising layout, interior design, selection, customer satisfaction and even the bathrooms.
Suffice to say, they were very thorough. So, crack open a cold one and pour one out for 2024, ‘cause it’s the Best Of Drinking & Nightlife in 2025, baby!
Best Place For Cocktails
Jungle Cocktail Bar
Austurstræti 9
The first independent cocktail bar in Reykjavík, Jungle’s longevity is largely sustained by the staff’s passion for their craft. “They’re actively making good fucking cocktails and putting a lot of thought into them,” said one panellist. “They’re still consistent and still exciting,” said another, noting the bartenders’ constant innovation. Head up to Jungle’s tropical loft for a taste of their constantly rotating cocktail menu.
Runner-Up:
Amma Don
Laugavegur 55
Located behind the graffiti’d door on Laugavegur, Amma Don is the foyer to ÓX, decorated in the spirit of the head chef’s grandmother. Low coffee tables, thick furniture and heavy tapestries are the key motifs here. “There’s an edge to it,” said one panellist. “They have out-there shit, which makes you think, ‘How the fuck does this make sense?’ But then it does.”
Runner-Up:
Gilligogg
Austurstræti 12a
Gilligogg transformed a boring law firm into a lively parlour. From the same owners as Vinnustofa Kjarvals, Gilligogg’s interiors evoke a roaring ‘20s atmosphere and lavish decor. “There’s a smell of money in the air,” said one panel member. A notable feature of the bar is its toilets, which the panel commended. “It’s fancy, and when I get a cocktail I want to feel fancy,” one panellist reasoned.
Previous Winners
2024: Jungle Cocktail Bar
2023: Jungle Cocktail Bar
2022: Jungle Cocktail Bar & Veður
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