While high prices mean Reykjavík isn’t really thought of as a shopper’s paradise, there are still plenty of great local products you can only get here. Whether you’re hunting for a piece of Icelandic design, searching for hard-to-find vinyl by an Icelandic artist, stocking the fridge of your Airbnb, or hunting down the perfect hand-knitted lopapeysa, this guide will get you on the right track. Most of the winners are located in downtown Reykjavík, but a few are scattered throughout the Greater Reykjavík area, giving you a good excuse to get out of the city centre hubbub and do some exploring. Happy shopping!
Best Bookshop
Bókin
Klapparstígur 26
Setting foot in this bookstore is more like a treasure hunt than anything else. The books (mostly in Icelandic) are either neatly organised on the shelves, randomly piled on the floor, or teetering on the verge of an avalanche. It’s a maze of paper and leather that surrounds you from all angles. You can find beautifully bound gems in the English section if you dig enough—but if not, just ask for help: “these guys know every book that’s in there,” said the panel.
Runner-Up:
IÐA Zimsen
Vesturgata 2a
This lovely bookstore has a café inside, making it the perfect retreat for gloomy afternoons in the rain. Grab a strong coffee and one of the beautiful travel books stacked on the wooden shelves and get lost in your daydreams, or enjoy people-watching in the cosiest environment.
Runner-Up:
Mál og Menning
Laugavegur 18
There’s little you can’t find in this three-floor bookstore. Whether it’s postcards, magazines, or English-translated Icelandic works you’re after, you could explore every corner once a day and always find something new. Then, when you’re tired of flipping through tomes, step upstairs for a cup of tea.
Previous Winners
2017: Mál og Menning
2016: Eymundsson Austurstræti
2015: Sjónarlind
2014: Nexus
2013: Eymundsson, Bankastræti
Other Shopping 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.
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