Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.06.2013, Page 22

Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.06.2013, Page 22
beers and beautiful glass beer steins that make you want to slam them down on the solid wood tables. Forced yuppie-ism and old school patriotism. – RL Café Amsterdam Hafnarstræti 5 Amsterdam is a dive bar, pure and simple—neon lights, the smell of stale beer, worn wooden tables, high bar stools, slot machines, chipped paintwork, and the vague suspicion that anything you touch might be sticky or give you a splinter. On a drunken night out at Airwaves, this place can be raucous, ear-splitting fun. At 22:00 on the Saturday night Grapevine dropped by, the barman was chatting to his mate—the only other person in the bar—and the atmosphere would best be described as "funereal." 950 1500 1200 They play classic rock and americana (Bob Dylan, Steppenwolf, Rolling Stones). There's a stage and a sound system for live music. Young (20s-30s). Rockers, punks, crimson-cheeked career drinkers and slightly less crimson-cheeked future career drinkers, stray tourists, rough lads/hardcases, and (apparently) bikers—although we didn't see any, or anyone else at all, for that matter. The slot machines seemed interesting, but after we'd emptied our pockets of change and walked over, it became apparent that the slots in question were in fact credit-card slots, and instead of dispensing change, the machines spit out a receipt that is then swapped for the winnings at the bar. Way too much effort. On certain nights, Amsterdam can provide a decent party, but this visit was a grim experience. – JR Café París Austurstræti 14 This place is better known as a daytime café than a bar although it offers an impressive choice of cocktails. It offers excellent outdoor seating, good service and an open kitchen till 23:00. People here seem extremely well mannered, (maybe it’s the high percentage of tourists?) and the place is far from rowdy. It’s not really the place for a crazy night out but can make for a good place to warm up. 950 1100 950 Café Paris have variable playlists consisting mainly of soft and easy pop music and oldies. Older(40+). Tourists, poets, journalists, out-of- towners. Café Paris has great outdoor seating in one of the best locations in town, offering a view in three directions in the heart of Reykjavík. A basic, cosy café that offers a good selection of beers and cocktails. – HH Café Rosenberg Klapparstígur 25 Rosenberg is a wooden haven for jazz and blues, sophistication and goodness. Instruments adorn the walls and bands are on every night. I feel like I should wear gloves and a bowler hat, or make some sort of statement of sophistication. I resort to saying "darling" every five seconds. 800 1150 900 Live jazz, blues, and other bands who play instruments generally made of wood. It often costs to get in, but it is more often than not worth it. Older (40+). People over thirty, music lovers, Icelanders. The toilets are always clean. There is always enough toilet paper. And there are lots of clean mirrors. There is a nice, sheltered smoking area in the front of the place, although it might be a bit annoying for non-smokers walking in (but you could hold your breath and run for it). A beacon of warmth and sophisti- cation, peppered with the best of Icelandic music. – AG Celtic Cross Hverfisgata 26 Maybe if I had come later, I wouldn't have to endure this troubadour. I can see why people around me are getting sloppy. It's the only thing to do when confronted by such painful caterwauling. It's still really early, but people aren't wasting any time to get as obnoxious as possible. When the first beer glass whizzes through the air, that's when it's time to go. 900 1000 1000 "I wanna knoooow have you ever seen the rain?" Older(40+). Middle-aged people desperately clinging to their partying youth, drunken tourists who like Irish bars, British people, singers from local metal bands, sad dads, cougar moms, nondescript drinkers. Tucked away to the right of the bar is a funeral parlour, which can be somewhat seen from Hverfisgata as "Finnegan's Funeral Home." It's like something out of a Tim Burton movie. In the words of Kent Brockman: “All this drinking, violence, destruction of property. Are these the things we think of when we think of the Irish?” – RL Center Hotel - Plaza Aðalstræti 4 The bar at Center Hotel Plaza is your typical hotel bar only without any characteristics. It seems to exist solely to fulfil a hotel's requirement to boast a bar. 900 1200 1100 A subtle set of Icelandic background music, Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men and Emiliana Torrini. You can expect something Icelandic that has made it onto the Billboard. Young (20s-30s) Tourists. It’s a standard bar, nothing more, nothing less. As their demography is pretty wide, being a hotel and all, they seem to want to please everybody and it's that need that renders this bar dull. It's hard to deduce whether it's a lobby or a bar. – SKK Den Danske Kro Ingólfsstræti 3 The Danish bar is packed during happy hour all days of the week, not in small part due to a spacious patio out front. It's a great spot for afternoon drinking in the sun; however this also means that people get quite drunk quite early. It was pouring this Friday, which made it a bit more crowded inside and that may have amplified the feeling that somebody would be leaving soon in the back of a police car with a smashed guitar round their neck. 950 1300 1000 This is the prime venue to catch troubadours, acoustic renditions of Eurovision songs. College rock and Bowie and Beatles classics can be heard nearly every night– much to their neighbours' dismay. Older (40+). People with drinking problems, journalists and media people, tourists, the odd poet, Danes, office workers on their way home. You can play darts if space allows. Happy hour is great, but the evenings are harder to swallow. – AB Dillon Whiskey Bar Laugavegur 30 Grubby and grungy, but harmless and friendly. Dillon is a shelter for rockers and metalheads. It’s kind of gross, but not to the point of the toilets in ‘Trainspotting.’ The staff give off a familial vibe and the patrons are seemingly all regulars. 900 1000 1000 Rock, metal, punk, "TNT" by ACDC. Young (20s-30s). Metalheads, Krummi Björgvins, Atli Stones, Amma Rock, punks, nerds, dweebs, doofuses, sweethearts, lost souls. There is a huge selection of whiskey on the bar and a long and detailed menu poster up on the wall. Also, the second floor smoking balconies usually get more crowded than indoors, even on rainy nights. Cause it's TNT! It's dy-no-mite! – RL Dolly Hafnarstræti 4 Dolly was in full blown party gear when we arrived at the scene. The place was packed with young people dancing around to insanely loud electronic music and the line outside stretched the length of the bar. The bar offers a very normal drinks selection but the beer tasted a little stale and off. I would definitely go for a bottled beer at this particular venue. But Dolly has recently gone through a change in atmosphere as the place has been filling up with large heavy set men and their makeup smeared girlfriends. This is a change we would not like to see taken further and hope that Dolly is returned to its original younger and slightly more innocent crowd. 850 1200 1000 Great electric music and good DJs on weekends. Young (20s-30s). The young crowd, but recently the place has been filling up with beefy jock types. They have great music during the weekends. Young, but rapidly losing its innocence. – RJH Dubliner Hafnarstræti 1-3 Dubliner is a classic Irish Pub. The atmosphere is laid back and easy going and the interior is actually pretty tasteful. The clientele usually comprised of older Icelandic drinkers of both genders and also foreign enthusiasts of Irish pub culture. They serve a nice selection of beers on tap, although they are quite pricey, and have an old dartboard that actually sees use. That said, the place kind of falls apart when you realize that every night, and I mean EVERY night, the place offers live music in the form of a troubadour. But if you like this kind of atmosphere and this kind of music, you will find the Dubliner to be a very agreeable bar. 1000 1290 1300 Troubadours Older (40+) Older Icelanders and Irish pub enthusiasts A man in a fedora singing “Wonderwall.” I'll have another pint of plain and listen to the guitars as I gently weep. – RJH English Pub Austurstræti 12A Spacious enough to get rowdy but clean and proper enough to stay dignified, this is the kind of place people should go for after-work drinks with their mates, except people don't really do that here so much. It’s super busy on this windy and rainy night with people ducking in for cover from both the front and back entrances. 950 1400 1100 A gaggle of troubadour gents crooning mainstream rock and pop tunes, heavy on the UK angle of course. Not just Oasis though! Sometimes they'll throw in a song by The Cure or Stone Roses. Young (20s-50s). Professional drinkers, British expats, troubadour enthusiasts, early-bird tourists, out of work bankers, bros, hens. There’s a wheel of fortune where you can spin to win up to one metre of beer, a spacious back patio on Austurvöllur that fills up quickly on sunny days and nights, and complicated swinging bathroom doors. All in all it's just another bar on the crawl. – RL Faktorý Smiðjustígur 6 Faktorý is exceptionally cool inside and out. Just off the main strip of Laugavegur, it’s schmooze-y Manhattan-style lounge is tempered by a foosball table and very kind bartenders who smile sweetly when they take your empty glass. The eclectic musical line-up each weekend attracts a variety of people, which keeps the place interesting. 800 1000 1000 Faktorý is a jack of all trades when it comes to music - little of this, little of that - bodda bing bodda boom. There's a stage for live music, and the default playlist is interesting and dreamy. Plus, the free jazz show on Sunday evenings is a great way to end a weekend. Young(20s-30s). Musicians (so basically any native Icelander), guys in sports coats and jeans, likeable hipsters, classy (or at least reasonable) folks, nicotine addicts. One of Faktorý's best features is its spacious, graffiti-adorned front yard. It makes you feel like you are hanging out at a quirky, off-the- beaten-path house party. Mi Faktorý es su Faktorý. – SS Gallerý Bar (Hótel Holt) Bergstaðastræti 37 This is an old school hotel with a ‘50s rat pack feel to it—dark decor, leather couches, dim panelling, cosy fireplaces and Iceland's finest art on the walls. We feel at home immediately although the bar is almost empty when we visit. The service is impeccable and the drinks are as good as they get. It doesn’t need more than that to make it one of my favourite spots. 850 1000 1390 A mixture of gangster hip hop, samba and classical jazz. Older (40+). Tourists, artsy fartsies, business 22The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 7 — 2013 THE GRAPEVINE'S BIG-ASS BAR GUIDE 2013

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