Best Of Reykjavík: Best Newcomer Bar (Summer)

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

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.