13 bars in Reykjavik, editor-picked for bars open late. Bars serving past 23:00. All bars in Reykjavik.
Kaffibarinn ★ 4.3
101 · Bergstadastraeti 1, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Mon-Thu 15:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-04:30; Sun 12:00-01:00
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
101 · Myrargata 2, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Sun-Thu 12:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-00:00
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 15:00-18:00 every day by the harbour.
Rontgen ★ 4.3
101 · Hverfisgata 12, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Sun-Thu 16:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 16:00-03:00
Rontgen on Hverfisgata is a two-floor wine, beer and cocktail bar above Dill, a Reykjavik room of candles, art and compiled low-intervention wines that won.
Tip: Bar menu from Hosilo runs Tuesday to Saturday until 21:00. Happy hour weekdays 16:00-20:00.
Pablo Discobar ★ 4.1
101 · Veltusund 1, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Sun-Thu 17:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-03:00
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.
Tip: Open from 17:00 daily, until 03:00 Friday and Saturday. Happy hour 16:00-18:00; karaoke later.
Skuli Craft Bar ★ 4.1
101 · Adalstraeti 9, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Mon-Wed 12:00-23:00; Thu 12:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-01:00; Sun 12:00-23:00
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
101 · Laugavegur 86, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Sun-Thu 15:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 15:00-01:00
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.
Tip: Happy hour daily 15:00-18:00. Five-beer and ten-beer flights are the way to taste the Icelandic scene.
Kiki Queer Bar ★ 4.1
101 · Laugavegur 22, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Thu 21:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 21:00-04:30; Sun-Wed closed
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.
Prikid ★ 4.0
101 · Bankastraeti 12, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Mon-Thu 09:00-01:00; Fri 09:00-04:30; Sat 11:00-04:30; Sun 11:00-01:00
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
101 · Laugavegur 30, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Daily 12:00-23:00
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
101 · Tryggvagata 22, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Sun-Thu 16:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 16:00-03:00
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
101 · Austurstraeti 16, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30-23:00; Fri 11:30-00:00; Sat 12:00-00:00; Sun 12:00-23:30
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
101 · Tryggvagata 12, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30-00:00; Fri-Sat 11:30-01:00; Sun 11:30-00:00
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
101 · Laugavegur 20a, 101 Reykjavik
Hours: Sun-Thu 11:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-04:30
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.