16 bars worth the trip across Iceland, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Iceland guides.
Kaffibarinn ★ 4.3 · Reykjavik
101 · Bergstadastraeti 1, 101 Reykjavik
Kaffibarinn on Bergstadastraeti has anchored Reykjavik nightlife since 1993, a cafe by day that turns into the city's most packed DJ bar by midnight.
Tip: Part-owned over the years by Damon Albarn. Queues form after 23:00 at weekends, so arrive early.
Slippbarinn ★ 4.3 · Reykjavik
101 · Myrargata 2, 101 Reykjavik
Slippbarinn on Myrargata was Reykjavik's first cocktail bar, a harbourside room at the Marina hotel mixing inventive drinks with a long daily happy hour.
Tip: The rotating Cocktail of the Month is the order. Happy hour runs 15:00 to 18:00 every day by the harbour.
Rontgen ★ 4.3 · Reykjavik
101 · Hverfisgata 12, 101 Reykjavik
Rontgen on Hverfisgata is a two-floor wine, beer and cocktail bar above Dill, a Reykjavik room of candles, art and curated low-intervention wines that won the Grapevine's best bar nod.
Tip: Bar menu from Hosilo runs Tuesday to Saturday until 21:00. Happy hour weekdays 16:00 to 20:00.
Pablo Discobar ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101 · Veltusund 1, 101 Reykjavik
Pablo Discobar on Veltusund pours tropical, mezcal-forward cocktails over two loud floors, a 70s-and-80s disco Reykjavik party bar with a huge mirrored ceiling.
Tip: Open from 17:00 daily, until 03:00 Friday and Saturday. Happy hour 16:00 to 18:00; karaoke later.
Skuli Craft Bar ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101 · Adalstraeti 9, 101 Reykjavik
Skuli Craft Bar on Adalstraeti pours fourteen mostly Icelandic taps plus bottles, a focused Reykjavik beer bar named for an 18th-century town father.
Tip: Most taps are local, so it is a fast way to taste the Icelandic scene. Happy hour early in the evening.
Microbar ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101 · Laugavegur 86, 101 Reykjavik
Microbar on Laugavegur pours ten rotating taps and dozens of bottles, a Reykjavik craft-beer bar run by the founder of Gaedingur, Iceland's first craft brewery.
Tip: Happy hour daily 15:00 to 18:00. Five-beer and ten-beer flights are the way to taste the Icelandic scene.
Kiki Queer Bar ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101 · Laugavegur 22, 101 Reykjavik
Kiki Queer Bar on Laugavegur is Reykjavik's main LGBTQ club, two colourful floors of pop and dance that fill up at weekends with a mixed, welcoming crowd.
Tip: The entrance is on the Klapparstigur side. Friday and Saturday are the big nights for the dance floor.
Kex Hostel Bar ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101 · Skulagata 28, 101 Reykjavik
The bar at Kex Hostel fills a former biscuit factory on Skulagata, a Reykjavik gastropub and live-music room with harbour views and a steady gig calendar.
Tip: Concerts and jam sessions run most weeks in the old factory hall. The kitchen does proper gastropub plates.
Petersen Svitan ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101 · Ingolfsstraeti 2a, 101 Reykjavik
Petersen Svitan crowns the historic Gamla Bio cinema on Ingolfsstraeti, a Reykjavik rooftop bar with a two-level terrace and 360-degree views over the centre.
Tip: The upper terrace has the wide views over Vesturbaer. Best on a rare still, sunny Reykjavik evening.
Prikid ★ 4.0 · Reykjavik
101 · Bankastraeti 12, 101 Reykjavik
Prikid on Bankastraeti is one of Reykjavik's oldest bars, a 1951 diner-cafe by day that becomes a hip-hop bar by night, famous for its hangover breakfast.
Tip: Founded in 1951 and still central to the scene. The greasy breakfast is the morning-after institution.
Dillon Whiskey Bar ★ 4.0 · Reykjavik
101 · Laugavegur 30, 101 Reykjavik
Dillon Whiskey Bar on Laugavegur stocks over a hundred whiskies in a historic Reykjavik house, a rock pub with a tiny gig stage up in the rafters.
Tip: The garden out back is a summer sun-trap. Live rock plays in the attic space above the main bar.
Gaukurinn ★ 4.0 · Reykjavik
101 · Tryggvagata 22, 101 Reykjavik
Gaukurinn on Tryggvagata is a scrappy Reykjavik live venue and bar, hosting rock gigs, drag and DJ nights with some of the cheaper beer downtown.
Tip: A long-running grassroots venue for new bands and drag nights. The crowd mixes locals and visitors.
Apotek Bar ★ 4.0 · Reykjavik
101 · Austurstraeti 16, 101 Reykjavik
The long bar at Apotek on Austurstraeti mixes well-made cocktails in the old first-pharmacy building, one of central Reykjavik's more grown-up drinking rooms.
Tip: The happy hour at the marble bar is among the best central deals. Quieter and more polished than the clubs.
Tail Cocktail Bar ★ 4.0 · Reykjavik
101 · Tryggvagata 12, 101 Reykjavik
Tail is the cocktail bar of the Le Kock complex on Tryggvagata, a moody Reykjavik room near the harbour mixing seasonal drinks beside the food counters.
Tip: Shares its building with Le Kock and Deig, so you can eat next door. Cocktails change with the season.
Lebowski Bar ★ 3.9 · Reykjavik
101 · Laugavegur 20a, 101 Reykjavik
Lebowski Bar on Laugavegur runs a Big Lebowski theme with a wall of White Russians and burgers, a Reykjavik bar that turns into a dance floor late at night.
Tip: Bowling memorabilia and film posters fill the room. Burgers by day, a louder dance scene after midnight.
Loft Hostel Bar ★ 3.9 · Reykjavik
101 · Bankastraeti 7, 101 Reykjavik
The fourth-floor bar at Loft Hostel on Bankastraeti is a see-and-be-seen Reykjavik balcony bar hosting up-and-coming bands and DJs above the main street.
Tip: The balcony catches afternoon sun over Bankastraeti. Free gigs and DJ sets run through the week.