Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.12.2016, Side 36

The R
eykjavík G
rapevine
Iceland A
irw
aves Special 20
16
36
Airwaves is a delightful five
days—a chance to hang out with
friends, catch some favorite
acts, find some new favorites,
and, of course, get drunk (un-
less you’re sober, then you can
eat some skyr or something). If
this is your first time in Iceland,
you won’t have time to sample
every bar—trust me, Reykjavík
has a lot of them—but don’t
worry. We at The Reykjavík
Grapevine have you covered.
Our staff is full of barflies. You
couldn’t have asked for a better
guide.
Starting
the night
A i r w a v e s c o n c e r t s s t a r t
around 19-20:00 each night, so
there’s ample time for a drink
or two around Reykjavík to get
you hyped and in the mood for
music.
For cocktail lovers, look no
further than Geiti Smart, the
new restaurant/bar at the Can-
opy hotel on Hverfisgata. The
place is relatively unknown
still—you probably won’t hear
about it from your Icelandic
friend or Airbnb host—but the
cocktails there are on point and
amongst the best in Reykjavík.
It’s a sophisticated but quirky
place, and they also have an
amazing wine selection.
If you’re looking for some-
thing a bit rowdier, Bar Anan-
as—the preferred tiki bar of
the downtown crowd—also has
some great tropical-themed
aperitifs. It ’s a bit grungier,
but it’s more of a local hot spot.
Another good cocktail option
is Slippbarinn—who often
change their menu and include
Icelandic ingredients for unusu-
al flavours—and Sæta Svínið, a
new gastropub on Ingólfstorg.
If beer is more your thing,
check out the microbrewer-
ies Kaldi on K lapparstígur
and Mikkeller & Friends on
Hverfisgata. Mikkeller is more
expensive, but it always has
twenty craft beers on the taps,
including some eye-watering
sour ales. Kaldi is a cosy alter-
native, and more of a hangout
spot, with couches, a piano and
a smoking area.
They also have one Kaldi
beer on tap at Reykjavík insti-
tution Kaffibarinn. There are
six beers to try, so it’s a smaller
selection, but it’s pretty much
guaranteed to be a good time.
And they have soup now!
Ending
the night
The last concert of Airwaves
ends just when bars close, but
if you want to skip the last acts
and get a taste of true Reykjavík
nightlife, there are a plethora of
options.
For hip-hop and rap lovers,
Prikið is where you want to be.
A haunt of the 101 rats and Adi-
das enthusiasts of Iceland, this
bar gets pretty crazy on week-
ends. And if you’re lucky, you
might meet the hip-hop musi-
cians you just saw playing at the
festival. Pro tip: It’s also a great
place for a hangover breakfast
the next day.
If you want something a lit-
tle more like Berghain, Paloma
is the closest you’ll get in Reyk-
javík. The basement is some-
what infamous around town:
it’s dark and smoky, and you
never know quite what you’ll
find down there.
But Kaffibarinn is, again,
always a reliably fun option—
there are DJs every night, a tiny,
packed dance f loor, a seated
backroom, and a yard to chat
and smoke in. You’re essen-
tially always going to have a
good time there, whatever your
mood.
If you’re after a pop sing-
along, try Kiki—Reykjavík’s gay
bar—which is just a street away.
It’s great if you want to dance.
Or are gay.
But the thing about Airwaves
is that no matter what bar you
go to, every patron will have the
same goal: to have fun. So, sure,
take our recommendations, but
don’t be afraid to venture off the
beaten path and find your own
favourite places. After all, beer
is beer is beer, wherever you
choose to go.
Crazy-Waves
Where to get your drink on at Airwaves
Words Hannah Jane Cohen
Photo Horður Sveinsson