In order to keep our summer Best of Reykjavík issue fresh and up to date, we decided to give out a second round of awards for the Best Newcomer Bar. The Spring edition’s winners are still absolutely worth checking out, but below are our three favourite brand new drinking holes to check out.
Best Newcomer Bar
Artson
Laugavegur 59
The bar of Nostra is a wonderful place to spend some time. With large windows, an airy, minimal space and artisan cocktails with homegrown ingredients, it’s more date place than dive bar. However, if you’re watching your pennies, they have a great happy hour that runs Tuesday-Saturday from 17:00 to 19:00, with cocktails at 1,500 ISK, non-alcoholic concoctions at 750 ISK, cut-price bottles of champagne, and wine or Stella Artois for under 1,000 ISK. If you’ve something to celebrate, or you want to feel fancy for the night, this is the place.
Runner-Up:
Bastard Brew & Food
Vegamótastígur 4
This brand new downtown bar is something of a beer palace. It’s an English pub style environment, without the sense of history—everything from the tables to the plush leather seating are catalogue-fresh—but with eleven beers on tap, a great happy hour, a promising menu, and two beers brewed in the in-house brewery, it’s already a great drinking session spot.
Runner-Up:
Spánski
Ingólfsstræti 8
This discrete basement bar is something new in Reykjavík; a Spanish-style bodega bar with red wine on tap, and various tapas plates. Every drink is poured and every snack prepared by Augustin, the Spanish gentleman who runs the place, so the service can be a little slow—but it’s all part of Spánski’s oddball charm.
Previous Winners
2018 (Spring): Veður
2017: Pablo Discobar
2016: Bryggjan Brugghús
2015: Mikkeller & Friends
2014: Húrra
2013: Kaldi
Other Drinking Categories
You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Reykjavík 2018 magazine—an essential guide to having fun in Reykjavík—here, posted worldwide. We also have a Special Offer double-pack that also includes our Best Of Iceland magazine, about places to eat, see, swim, shop and stay, all around the country, here.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
