The best bars and nightlife in Reykjavik

Mellow by day and even through the week, Reykjavik turns into something of a boisterous powerhouse at the weekends, as cafés transform into bars and clubs playing everything from house to heavy metal. The more raucous spots are supplemented by a slew of craft beer places and wine bars where it’s possible to enjoy an evening out without feeling like you’re in a mosh pit. Everything can be reached easily on foot, there are very rarely any entrance fees or queues, and dress codes and VIP rooms are the exception rather than the norm.

For more Reykjavik inspiration, see our guides to the best hotels, restaurants and things to do.

Slippbarinn

Slippbarinn, found inside the Icelandair Marina hotel down on Reykjavik’s pretty harbourfront, has built a reputation as a trendy drinking den. The reasons for this are twofold: the warm and welcoming interior, which features a long wooden bar with designer barstools, large windows with views towards the harbour, and light fittings that resemble buoys as a nod to its location; and the high quality of its drinks – particularly its ever-changing cocktails, which are made from fresh, local ingredients and house-made syrups, and served up by enthusiastic mixologists. There are also five beers on tap, a number of good wines, and a decent gin and rum selection; the food menu spans steak burgers and a catch of the day and there are occasional DJs.

Contact:​ slippbarinn.is
Prices:​ £-££

Kaldi Bar

One of the city’s original craft beer spots is technically an outpost of Iceland’s first microbrewery of the same name – Kaldi. Both brewery and bar alike became instantly famous for their unfiltered, Czech-style beers, and the latter has grown over the years into a popular locals and tourist hangout that still has a great range of beers – local as well as international – as well as the largest gin collection in Iceland and a fairly serious cocktail menu to boot. Set inside a red-fronted residential house right on the high street (Laugavegur), it’s not a huge place, comprising two rooms with comfortable benches, stools and chairs, tartan wallpaper and exposed brick walls – and a piano in the back room should you feel creative (or drunk enough). Somehow there’s always space to squeeze in, especially in summer when the large backyard patio opens up.

Contact: kaldibar.com
Prices:​ £-££

Micro Bar

Having relocated from the brick-walled basement of Restaurant Reykjavík, this popular craft beer spot – run by the folks behind the Gæðingur microbrewery – can now be found inside a new location right on the high street (Laugavegur 86). Set inside a bright, open-plan room with space for around 45 people, the service is as friendly and personalised as before, with great music played at respectfully low volumes, and the same generous offering of drinks: 14 on draft, including brews not found anywhere else in the country, plus endless bottled varieties spanning New England IPAs, German and Belgian wheat beers, wines and whiskeys. There are tasting flights (5 and 10 beers) available for the curious.

Contact: 00 354 865 8389; facebook.com/MicroBarIceland
Prices:​ £-££

Jungle Cocktail Bar

Jungle by name, jungle by nature: this themed cocktail bar has all the lush tropical greenery you could wish for, much of it hanging down over its dapper bar. The real pull, though, are the cocktails, which range from house-crafted specials and classic highballs, created by the capable, award-winning staff. There are also beers on tap, and a selection of wines and champagne, making it a popular for after-work drinks during the week, helped along by the cosy, candlelit ambiance and comfortable velvet sofa booths. Things get more lively some weekends when the club brings in DJs.

Contact: jungle.is
Prices:​ £-££
Getting in:​ No dress code

Prikid

Alongside Kaffibarrin, Prikid is something of a legendary all-rounder, serving as a café-diner and casual hangout during the day, and a lively bar in the evenings, with vibrant parties at the weekends. Styled like a 1950s-era diner, the daily menu spans classics such as American-style milkshakes, pancakes and burgers (including vegan versions), and is a fun place to people-watch from its Laugavegur-facing windows. Come evening time, it serves a decent, if unfussy, range of mixed drinks, beers and wines and a regular mix of DJs and live music often with a hip hop theme.

Contact: prikid.is
Prices:​ £
Getting in:​ ​Get there early at weekends to avoid queues

Dillon Whiskey Bar

Dillon, set in an old wooden house on Reykjavik’s buzzy main street, is a stalwart of the city’s pub scene. True to its name, it offers over 200 whiskeys – the usual classics as well as lesser-spotted varieties from Sweden, Japan and even Icelandic: a domestically distilled tipple called Flóki–as well as local beers on draft. There’s a very generous happy hour every day from 12-9pm, and the soundtrack is generally rock-themed, with live acts, DJs and karaoke sessions in the upstairs attic space. Popular with locals as well as tourists, it also has a beer garden in summer, and a heated patio for smokers in winter.

Contact: dillon.is
Prices:​ £-££
Getting in: No dress code

Pablo Discobar

The punning name captures something of the cheekily ironic and slightly kitsch nature of this craft cocktail bar. It’s a colourful experience complete with floral wallpaper, mirrored ceilings and, yes, discoballs, inside. The bar, decorated with Mexican murals and manned by bartenders often wearing equally flamboyant shirts, serves beers and mixed drinks but mostly a good selection of cocktails (the margaritas are top-notch). The music, as the name also suggests, leans towards disco from the 1970s onwards as well as Latin sounds, and the atmosphere and crowd tend to be equally upbeat. Happy hour runs daily between 5pm-8pm and there are two state-of-the-art karaoke rooms and more dancing on the second floor.

Contact: 00 354 7908088; facebook.com/discobarrvk
Prices:​ £-££

Gaukurinn

Running since 1983, this unpretentious spot is one of the best local bars to catch some live music. The dynamic and consistent program brings together Icelandic and foreign bands as well as comedy and karaoke nights, drag shows and poetry slams, pub quizzes and open mic nights – there are even regular ‘language cafe’ evenings. The gigs lean towards rock, alternative and metal bands and although it has a bit of a dive bar feel, it’s professionally run, friendly and proudly inclusive. The prices are pretty good by local standards and it also has some fabled history, being the venue that served the first legal draft after beer was legalised in Iceland in 1988.

Website: gaukurinn.is
Prices:​ £

Lebowski Bar

Yep, you guessed it: a bar dedicated to The Dude, Jeff Bridge’s personable slacker made famous by the Coen brothers movie The Big Lebowski. The riotous interior has rugs stuck to the bar, colourful bar stools and pop-culture photos – as well as a bowling lane – and diner-style tables that look out on the main high street. There are movie and music quizzes, sports screenings, comfy brown sofas to chill on, and the menu has a steady stream of American-influenced food (burgers, nachos, chicken wings) and drinks: choose from milkshakes, 10 draft beers, or more than 25 types of White Russian. Thursday is movie quiz night and there are DJs every night from 10pm.

Contact: lebowski.is
Prices:​ £

Vínstúkan

This intimate restaurant and wine bar is deservedly popular for its excellent selection of wines, high quality but approachable menu, and overall levels of unpretentious friendliness. With a stylish interior inspired by Danish TV series “Klovn”, it’s run by Ólafur Örn Ólafsson (formerly of DILL restaurant) and Ragnar Eiríksson, the first Icelander to be awarded a Michelin star. The star of the show are definitely the wines – the list of over 200 bottles is impressive for Iceland and since there is an emphasis on smaller producers from around Europe, there’s lots to discover. There are plenty of natural wines but non-natural ones too with a generous amount available by the glass. The restaurant’s sharing dishes span lighter snacks such as manchego, anchovies and hummus, as well as more substantial fare such as smoked mackerel, monkfish cheeks and flank steak confit in duck fat.

Website: tiu-sopar.is/english
Prices:​ £-££
Reservations: recommended at weekends

Röntgen

Open since 2019, this warm and welcoming wine and cocktail bar has grown steadily popular with the “Reykjavik 101” (downtown) cognoscenti. Spread over two floors, the venue has a snug, homey atmosphere, with candles on the table, coloured lights strung around the windows and ceiling, and local artworks on the walls. The wooden bar serves up an excellent selection of wines – including natural wines – as well as beers and very decent cocktails, including delicious espresso martinis and an expertly made old fashioned. It’s a great spot for a quiet chit-chat but there’s also regular entertainment: pub quizzes and karaoke on Wednesdays, and DJs or live music from Wednesdays to Saturdays.

Contact: rontgenbar.is
Prices:​ £-££
Getting in: No dress code

Apéro Vínbar

Apéro, opened in 2022 by couple Marie-Odile Désy and Garðar Víðir Gunnarsson, has a unique focus on small-producer wine imports from France. An intimate but welcoming space, with boldly-coloured walls, blue velvet furnishings and chic black-and gold tables, it’s a great spot for a casual glass from their carefully curated list, which includes bubbles from Agrapart, A.R.Lenoble and Michel Gonet, and a great range of reds and whites from Languedoc-Roussillon, Bordeaux, Bourgogne the Rhone valley and more. Equally compelling are the ever-changing small plates, which range from hand-cut fries and imam bayildi dip to cheese and charcuterie boards, cannelés filled with a mushroom, thyme and truffle cream, as well as more substantial meals such as burgundy snails cassolette, duck and foie gras terrine and daily special. The space also offers a wine tasting for small groups.

Contact: apero.is
Prices:​ £-££

How we choose

Every bar, venue or experience in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from casual pubs to exquisite cocktail bars – to best suit every type of traveller – and consider the service, drinks, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.

About our expert

Paul has been an Icelandophile since writing his 2003 music-themed travelogue, 'waking up in Iceland'. He has travelled all over the country during his numerous visits since, and loves nothing more than a dip in a local hot pool and a waffle at the timeless Mokka cafe.