Hostel bar and live venue101
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.
Signature drink: Local beer
Food: Gastropub plates
Tip: Concerts and jam sessions run most weeks in the old factory hall. The kitchen does proper gastropub plates.
Whiskey and rock bar101
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.
Signature drink: Whiskey and bourbon
Food: None
Order: A pour from the hundred-plus whiskies, or a local beer for the rock nights.
Tip: The garden out back is a summer sun-trap. Live rock plays in the attic space above the main bar.
Rooftop bar101
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.
Signature drink: Cocktails with a city view
Food: Snacks
Tip: The upper terrace has the wide views over Vesturbaer. Best on a rare still, sunny Reykjavik evening.
Live music bar101
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.
Signature drink: Cheap beer
Food: None
Tip: A long-running grassroots venue for new bands and drag nights. The crowd mixes locals and visitors.
Hostel rooftop bar101
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.
Signature drink: Beer and live acts
Food: Light bites
Tip: The balcony catches afternoon sun over Bankastraeti. Free gigs and DJ sets run through the week.
Cocktail bar101
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.
Signature drink: Classic and house cocktails
Food: Small plates
Tip: The happy hour at the marble bar is among the best central deals. Quieter and more polished than the clubs.