Best Of Reykjavík 2018: Best Bar For Live Music

There is one thing abundantly clear from our very scientific drinking research, Hverfisgata is one hot little street right now. After getting massive internal road surgery a couple of years ago, it has come out thriving with a great bunch of watering holes from the casual to the swanky. Reykjavík’s bar scene seems to be shifting towards the latter in general, and the formerly beloved dive-bar trend looks like it’s taking a disco nap. Some facts of life remain the same: alcohol is expensive and that doesn’t stop us from partying. Bottoms up, babe.

Best Bar For Live Music

Húrra

Tryggvagata 22

Outside of dedicated concert halls such as Harpa, Húrra is truly the best live venue in the city—and in some ways it even has them beat! With its modest but spacious stage, fantastic sound-system and tight, intimate capacity, the bar holds most of the best gigs in town on any given week. “The programming is really open-minded because they book unknown local up-and-comers to huge international names.” Never is this more apparent than during Airwaves, but really you can almost always catch a great gig and then stay for the DJ and the party,

Runner-Up:

Gaukurinn

Tryggvagata 22

Running a close second is Gaukurinn’s dark, deep-set, low-ceilinged stage in their roomy bar. Hosting a great array of shows often from the more eccentric fringes of culture, it’s a great place to find the dark-sided shows and circus of drag darlings.

Runner-Up:

MENGI

Óðinsgata 2

With its impeccable programme of quality concerts, Mengi hosts talented artists who often fall within the territory of experimental, avant-garde, singer-songwriter and electronica. Their sleek, gallery-like space is acoustically and visually lovely, but capacity is limited, so arrive early. A members card softens the blow of the 2,000 ISK standard cover charge.

Previous Winners

2016: Húrra

2015: Húrra

2014: Cafe Rosenberg

2013: Volta (RIP)

Other Drinking Categories

Best Bar For Live Music

Best Wine Place

Best Newcomer Bar

Best Smoking Area

Best Happy Hour

Best Place For Cocktails

Best Beer Selection

Best Place To Watch Sports

Best Place To Start The Night

Best Goddamn Bar

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.