Best Of Reykjavík 2018: Best Bookshop

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

Best Shop To Pick Up Local Design

Best Shop To Pick Up Local Fashion

Best Grocery Store

Best Clothing Store

Best Secondhand Shop

Best Place To Buy A Wool Sweater

Best Jewellery Shop

Best Goddamn Store

Best Homeware Shop

Best Record Store

Best Bookshop

Hidden Gem

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.