Words by

The Reykjavík Grapevine

Photo by

Art Bicnick

The Norse god Óðinn obtained the mead of the poetry from the giants and shared it with those seeking divine connection. Sounds familiar, right? We’ve all had those kinds of nights here in Reykjavík. Now, you can too. Whether it’s cocktails, a wine bar, a date spot, or a happy hour beer, we have filtered the seemingly unlimited options here to give you the best chances of building that time-honoured experience that fermentation allows.

Our extremely mortal panel of drinkers has inspected the local bars and watering holes and given their honest, exuberant opinions on the best bars in Reykjavik. All factors were considered, from atmosphere and interior design to bathroom availability and customer satisfaction.

If you’re seeking wisdom, camaraderie, or just want to get your drink on, these are the establishments our panel recommends.

Best Bar To End The Night

Kaffibarinn (Joint winner)

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To be the best bar to end the night, a key detail is that you be open until the end of the night. Kaffibarinn has both late hours and constant traffic, so it’ll be there for you, likely when it shouldn’t be. “I feel like there’s no place like Kaffibarinn. Everybody here has ended their night at Kaffibarinn,” our panel noted. If you do end up here, it’s not exactly to commiserate. The DJ sets go remarkably late and are well-attended very late.

Kiki Queer Bar (Joint winner)

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It’s possible that, at the end of a night, you will have a good deal of energy. Kiki is here for this. Described as the best place to dance late, our panel notes that the club has upped their game of late. For those who have not upped their game, one panellist notes, “You go there when you’ve lost all prospects of going home with someone. It’s like, ‘Fuck it. Now I’m going to dance.’”

Runner Up:

Röntgen

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Photo by Art Bicnick

For some unhealthy perspective on our Best of Drinking culture, an excerpt from our discussion on Röntgen. “If you want to end slightly earlier, Röntgen is a good place. It closes at 3:00.” Yes, somehow, in this scene, 3 AM is early. Surprisingly tasteful and intimate, with multiple floors and nooks to hold actual conversation if that’s your thing, this bar also hosts DJ sets. Also important for a late night establishment, decent bathrooms.