15 cafes worth the trip across Iceland, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Iceland guides.
Reykjavik Roasters ★ 4.7 · Reykjavik
101 · Karastigur 1, 101 Reykjavik
Reykjavik Roasters on Karastigur is the city's specialty-coffee anchor, a snug 1929 house roasting its own beans and pulling careful espresso.
Tip: The original branch behind Skolavordustigur. There are sibling cafes on Brautarholt and Freyjugata too.
Mokka Kaffi ★ 4.5 · Reykjavik
101 · Skolavordustigur 3a, 101 Reykjavik
Mokka Kaffi on Skolavordustigur has been Reykjavik's oldest cafe since 1958, run by one family and famous for waffles with rhubarb jam and hot chocolate.
Tip: Little has changed since the 1950s, down to the espresso machine. Cash-friendly, no laptops culture.
Reykjavik Roasters Brautarholt ★ 4.5 · Reykjavik
105 · Brautarholt 2, 105 Reykjavik
The Brautarholt branch of Reykjavik Roasters doubles as the roastery, a larger, brighter Reykjavik room where you can watch beans roast over a pour-over.
Tip: Less touristy than the Karastigur original and with more table room. Whole beans for sale at the bar.
Sandholt ★ 4.4 · Reykjavik
101 · Laugavegur 36, 101 Reykjavik
Sandholt on Laugavegur is a 1920 family bakery and cafe in Reykjavik, where the all-day sourdough breakfast and pastry counter draw a main-street crowd.
Tip: The cafe shares the room with the bakery, so the pastries could not be fresher. Open from 07:00.
Grai Kotturinn ★ 4.3 · Reykjavik
101 · Hverfisgata 16a, 101 Reykjavik
Grai Kotturinn, the Grey Cat, on Hverfisgata is a tiny basement Reykjavik brunch room famous for the Truck, a plate of pancakes, bacon, eggs and potatoes.
Tip: Just a handful of tables, so expect a queue at weekends. Breakfast and lunch only.
Cafe Haiti ★ 4.3 · Reykjavik
101-grandi · Geirsgata 7b, 101 Reykjavik
Cafe Haiti on Geirsgata roasts beans flown in from Haiti on its own machine, a small Reykjavik harbour cafe pouring single-origin espresso since 2007.
Tip: Roasts beans on site in the harbour cafe. Whole beans by the bag to take home.
Cafe Babalu ★ 4.2 · Reykjavik
101 · Skolavordustigur 22a, 101 Reykjavik
Cafe Babalu on Skolavordustigur is a quirky two-floor Reykjavik living room of board games and books, pouring coffee with sandwiches, crepes and soups.
Tip: Vegan-friendly plates and a sunny upstairs balcony. A cosy stop on the climb to Hallgrimskirkja.
Cafe Loki ★ 4.2 · Reykjavik
101 · Lokastigur 28, 101 Reykjavik
Cafe Loki faces Hallgrimskirkja from Lokastigur, a Reykjavik cafe built on traditional Icelandic plates of dark rye bread, mashed fish and rye ice cream.
Tip: One of the easiest places to try traditional Icelandic food without a sit-down dinner. Walk-in only.
Stofan Cafe ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101 · Vesturgata 3, 101 Reykjavik
Stofan Cafe sits on Ingolfstorg square on Vesturgata, a Reykjavik living-room cafe of worn armchairs, cake and coffee that suits a slow afternoon downtown.
Tip: The name means living room and the upstairs sofas earn it. Good for a long sit with cake and wifi.
Kaffibrennslan ★ 4.0 · Reykjavik
101 · Laugavegur 21, 101 Reykjavik
Kaffibrennslan works a historic Laugavegur house as a Reykjavik cafe by day and a relaxed bar by night, pouring coffee, cake and Icelandic beer.
Tip: The street-watching window seats on Laugavegur are the prize. Happy hour bridges cafe and bar.
Kaffi Grandi ★ 4.0 · Reykjavik
101-grandi · Fiskislod 43, 101 Reykjavik
Kaffi Grandi is a daytime cafe in the Grandi harbour district inside FlyOver Iceland on Fiskislod, pouring espresso with croissants, bagels and pastries for a coffee break by the docks.
Tip: Card only, no cash. Open daily until early evening, handy before or after the FlyOver Iceland show.
Deig ★ 4.0 · Reykjavik
101 · Tryggvagata 12, 101 Reykjavik
Deig near the Old Harbour on Tryggvagata pairs coffee with doughnuts, bagels and bagel sandwiches, a casual Reykjavik counter sharing space with Le Kock.
Tip: Shares premises with Le Kock and the Tail cocktail bar, so it runs late some nights. Counter service.
Solon Bistro ★ 4.0 · Reykjavik
101 · Bankastraeti 7a, 101 Reykjavik
Solon Bistro at the corner of Bankastraeti and Laugavegur is a downtown Reykjavik cafe-bistro of coffee, sandwiches and brunch, an all-day room at the heart of the centre.
Tip: Brunch runs 11:00 to 16:00 daily. Cafe by day, bar later, a quick-stop central anchor.
Kaffi Vest ★ 3.9 · Reykjavik
107 · Melhagi 20, 107 Reykjavik
Kaffi Vest is a neighbourhood cafe in the western Vesturbaer district of Reykjavik on Melhagi, a local spot for brunch and coffee away from the centre.
Tip: Out in residential Vesturbaer near the swimming pool, so it draws locals more than tourists.
Kaffi O-le ★ 3.8 · Reykjavik
101 · Laugavegur 20a, 101 Reykjavik
Kaffi O-le on Laugavegur is a relaxed main-street Reykjavik cafe pouring espresso and flat whites with cake, a dependable mid-shopping coffee stop downtown.
Tip: Right on the Laugavegur shopping strip, so it fills with browsers. Good for a quick caffeine break.