Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.05.2011, Side 22

22
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 6 — 2011
Glacier Walks
Accommodation
Golde
n Circ
le
Super Jeeps
Blue Lagoo
n
Car Re
ntals
Bus Tours and more ...
Whale Wat
ching
Sp
ö
r
eh
f.
PLAN YOUR
ADVENTURE
WITH US
L a u g a v e g u r
BOOK YOUR TOUR HERE
Bankastræti
S
k
ó
l a
v
ö
r ð
u
s
t í g
u
r
FREE BOOKING SERVICE
Icelandic Travel Market - www.itm.is
10
%
Of
f s
ele
cte
d
Su
pe
r J
ee
p a
nd
Gl
aci
er
Tou
rs
if y
ou
br
ing
th
is
ad
to
th
e
ITM
.
INFORMATION AND BOOKING CENTER
Icelandic Travel Market
Bankastræti 2 - Downtown
Scan QR code to locate ITM
Tel: +354 522 4979
itm@itm.is - www.itm.is
Open 9 - 19, Summer 8 - 21
Live Pub
Laugavegur 45a
Saturday, 01:55
500-600 1600 500-600
Like the Japanese god of karaoke
etiquette just died by his own hand.
A karaoke machine, some soccer
posters and not much else.
High school kids attempting karaoke in
various stages of drunkenness and
undress.
The karaoke machine.
No.
Did I mention the karaoke machine
already?
Seppuku by karaoke.

Mónakó
Laugavegur 78
Sunday, 21:00
850 1000 800
Drunken stupor.
Homely. Reminiscent of your grandma's
living room—should your gran keep a
dozen slot machines and some
professional drunkards in her home.
Seasoned gambler with alcoholic
tendencies
Golden age of rock and reggae.
No, and if you're offered something you
probably shouldn’t eat it.
"A CLEAN glass? Who do you think you
are, the president?"
Slot machine-galore and a uniquely
local atmosphere.
If you want to experience the real
existence of professional drinkers and
gamblers, where no one tries to put up a
fake smile for show, go here.

Monte Carlo
Laugavegur 34a
Sunday, 22:00
850 1000 800
Chill, with a dash of madness.
Classic pub decoration, a lot cleaner
than you would expect, with more slot
machines than anyone can hope for.
‘Adventurous’ drinkers.
Various kind of music, only playing a few
seconds of each song. Happily skipping
from Rolling Stones to Cypress Hill to
Nýdönsk—sometimes raising the volume
for no reason, then lowering it.
No.
“Can you please give me a cigarette?”
It resembles Mónakó.
A real authentic alcohol-crazy Icelandic
experience.

Nýlenduvöruverzlun Hemma & Valda
Laugavegur 21
Friday, 00:00
750 850 650
Relaxed. No bullshit. No glitz.
Vintage furniture. Wood & velour. Mood
lighting. Basically like a large living
room.
101 locals, scenesters, hipsters,
students, tourists. People who like to
‘hang out’.
Though it’s usually a ‘sit and chat’ kind
of place, it also offers a lot of diverse live
music, in which case people have been
known to dance. Live music usually
features slightly obscure or rather
non-mainstream bands, but can include
anything from reggae to jazz to electro.
Known to host ‘Grapevine Grassroots’.
No kitchen, but they will grill you a
sandwich.
Ómar Ragnarsson was there. That says a
lot.
A beer and wine kind of sit-down place.
Great for a chat, at any time.
Cosy as fuck.

Næsti Bar
Ingólfsstræti 1a.
Saturday, 00:45.
750 1100 700
Soft music, people chatting.
Generic.
People of all ages who prefer talking to
dancing.
Too quiet to hear.
Chips.
"Do you want to play ‘kill, marry, fuck’?"
Nice place for a chat.
If your idea of a good time on the town
is a conversation with friends, Næsti bar
is the place. The crowd varies quite a
bit, sometimes young, sometimes old,
sometimes both.

Obladi oblada
Laugavegur 45a
Sunday, 21:30
750 1000 800
Like in a retirement home—if drinking
was encouraged and all the women
were dead.
Back in the USSR.
The Beatles and their ilk (for example,
REM). Occasionally have some kind of
Beatles coverband playing.
No.
“Don't go there. Let it be. It's been a
hard day's night. Ha ha!”
It wants to be a Beatles bar.
The perfect place to go with a senile
Beatles fan—but for others. Please stay
away.

Óliver
Laugavegur 20A
19:00, Friday, 23:30, Saturday
850 1200 700
A restaurant/bar/club trying to cover all
bases. Wants to be sophisticated.
Black leather booths, wood-veneer
walls, and plenty of chrome and glass.
Clean, modern, but kinda soulless.
Weekends attracts a mixed 25+ pick-up
crowd.
Top 40, dance music, karaoke,
troubadour s.
The ubiquitous 101 menu with an
emphasis on Indian during restaurant
hours.
One of the staff, when describing their
Thursday night regular performer, Ingó
from Veðurguðirnir: “He is quite popular
in Iceland”.
More theme nights than a cruise ship.
Covers all your needs for a big night on
the pull.

Ölstofan
Vegamótastígur 4
Saturday, 00:30
700-800 1000 700
Friendly neighbourhood feel where
people drink while having conversa-
tions.
Needlepoint pictures and grandma
lights hanging over the bar give the
place a homey feel.
Purported intellectual types, artists,
journalists and hipsters, 30+.
Low volume music, nothing offensive or
loud—anything from Dean Martin to
Johnny Cash or indie rock.
None, except bar nuts and occasionally
pop corn.
“Yeah, I’m super busy these days! By the
way, did you see my exhibition?”
The central bar island. Great place to
stand or sit, gives a nice view of the
entire place. The heated smoking area is
great during cold nights. Ölstofan brews
its own beer, Brio, which is excellent.
Great place to sit down for a beer and a
conversation with friends.

Prikið
Bankastræti 12
Saturday, 00:00
690 990 500
Old-school Reykjavík café by day,
magically becomes a nest of hip hop
creatures at night. Have you seen
Tarantino’s ‘From Dusk till Dawn’?
Two floors of austere and simple
decorations.
20+ youngsters, rappers and skaters.
Chill by day, hip hop by night. MCs will
drop in intermittently.
A full grill menu. Nice burgers.
“This music makes me completely crazy,
man!”

That bizarre outdoor smoking area with
walls full of graffiti and a broken basket
makes you feel like you were in a
magical hip hop dream.
Rowdy after midnight. For hip-hop
lovers.

Rósenberg
Klapparstígur 25a
Sunday, 17:00
800 1150 900
Relaxed, at night it depends on who’s
playing.
Wooden panelling. Music posters.
Concertgoers, Musicians’ Union
members, music lovers.
Easy going, at night hosts often-excel-
lent live performances.
Full menu during restaurant hours.
“Women can also be sound engineers!”
Their steadfast commitment to a certain
style of live music ( jazz, blues,
professional rock).
The best at what they do.

Kaffi Sólon
Bankastræti 7a
Sunday, 19:00
900 1000 800
Too bright for normal barflies. Except
maybe at night.
Black, streamlined—a brighter version of
Hvíta Perlan. Art on the walls.
25+ whoever. Undefined.
Lounge. DJs on weekends.
A full 101 bistro style menu.
“What’s this canapé?”
Nothing much. A place lacking in
identity.
Felt uncomfortable the whole time. The
light was too bright and the bartenders
kept offering me to order something
more, while I was still drinking my beer.

Strawberries
Lækjargata 6a
Sunday, 00:00

1000 1500 1000
Faux strip club.
Plush and beleathered.
The unhappily married. Real estate
agents and tourists. 40+.
Faux strip club.
Nope.
“This is unfair!”
It’s a faux strip club.
What strip clubs turn into when strip
clubs turn illegal. Go there if you miss
strip clubs, otherwise avoid.

Þingholtsbar
Þingholtsstræti 5
Friday, 00:28
800 1200 750
You could say it was a relaxed
atmosphere—we were literally the only
patrons. Apart from that, it seemed like
a nice place for “warm-up drinks” before
hitting louder, more dance-oriented
pubs.
We were told it was designed by Guðrún
Jónsdóttir, who won an Esquire
magazine award for restaurant design.
And it really shows. The interior is very
Scando—neutral colours, sharp lines,
furs and skins. Felt at once comfy and
fancy just sitting there.
Wish we could say, as we were the only
ones there.
Piped-in adult contemporary.
Set in a basement on a side street, you'd
walk right past it if you didn't know
exactly where it was, which, in our
opinion, is part of the charm.
Quiet, classy and understated. The best
happy hour in town.

Thorvaldsen
Austurstræti 8-10
Sunday, 20:30
800 1200 700
Neutral, relaxed.
Stylish, fancy, minimalist.
30+ very business type atmo here. Well
dressed co-workers.
Mixed RnB, pop, chill-lounge.
Full menu with a wide variety of meals,
kitchen open from 11:00-22:00 + bar
snack all hours.
"That’s not luck, it’s called having
connections!!!" [from a random man
slamming his cell-phone before
storming out].
They have ‘Bertelsstofa’, kind of the
better living room of the place. Suitable
for big meetings or fancy parties.
A nice place with an interesting menu.
Suitable for friends and couples to dine
in a nice looking environment Although
the look of the place hints at a dress
code that’s not really the case. Good
service and relaxing mood.

Trúnó
Laugavegur 22
Saturday, 01:00 AM
800 1400 700
Animated, cheerful, polite.
Playful, colourful, clean. Framed pictures
of Madonna and Jón Gnarr, respectively.
Gay & gay friendly.
DJs play disco and europop. Sometimes
live music.