Grapevine’s Best Of 2016: The Best Place To Start The Night

The Reykjavík Grapevine is proud to present: The Best Of Reykjavík 2016! Earlier this summer we published our Best Of magazine to help you, our beloved readers, find the very best places this little city has to offer. You can use the info to plan your schedule, or even as a fun experiment to see how your tastes align with those of ours.

Best place to start the night

KEX Hostel

Skúlagata 28

KEX is a hostel bar and gastropub with a beautifully designed interior and a large patio that catches the sun on a clear day. There’s always something going on, whether it’s a free concert, a beer festival, or KEXmas. The bar hosts weekly jazz nights, and you can also book a trip into the countryside via the KEXLAND tour company. It’s quiet by day but bustling at night, serves great food, and has a wide selection of Icelandic beer on the taps. “You always bump into someone you haven’t seen in a while at KEX,” noted the panel.

Runners-up:

Bar Ananas

Klapparstígur 38

Melting the country’s often frosty surface, Bar Ananas is a tropically-themed bar filled with delicious cocktails, friendly bartenders and sultry tunes. It’s divided into separate spaces so it’s easy to find the perfect spot. “You constantly have to wait in line for the toilet though,” the panel pointed out.

Bravó

Laugavegur 22

Bravó is run by the same owner as Húrra, another one of our favourite bars, but feels more like a pub than a party place. Even though there’s a weekly roster of DJs, it’s almost always a sit-down crowd and a mellow atmosphere. Anyone can walk in into Bravó and feel perfectly at home, and it’s right in the heart of downtown.

Past Winners

2015: Loft Hostel
2014: Kaldi
2013: Slippbarinn
2012: Kex
2011: Nýlenduvörverzlun Hemma & Valda (RIP)