Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.12.2016, Blaðsíða 26

The R
eykjavík G
rapevine
B
est of R
eykjavík 20
16
26
The Sunny Day Guide
12HRS IN REYKJAVÍK
The sun is out, the sky is blue,
and Reykjavík is your oyster.
While the downtown area is
more than compact enough for
you to wander the streets and
discover some great spots on
your own, we thought those on
a weekend break might like a
shortcut to some of our favour-
ite stuff to do.
A hearty brunch at Prikið
(Bankastræti 12)
After meandering around the
downtown shops, there are few
spots better for people-watch-
ing in Reykjavík than Prikið, the
oldest café in the city. If you get
a seat downstairs, you’ll see half
the city wandering down Lau-
gavegur, but upstairs the win-
dows look right across the bay
to Mount Esja. The breakfasts
are massive and will set you up
nicely for the day ahead.
Hire bikes and go to
Perlan and Nauthólsvík
Time to blow off the cobwebs.
You can hire bikes at Borgarh-
jól on Hverfisgata (4.200 ISK for
the day or 2.600 ISK for 4 hours),
and soon be rocketing off to Per-
lan, a hilltop visitor centre that
offers amazing views over the
city and the surrounding area.
Nearby you’ll find Nauthólsvík, a
geothermal beach area where you
can jump into a hotpot and swim
in a heated section of the sea.
Bask in the hotpots at
Vesturbæjarlaug (Hofsvallagata)
If you didn’t fancy a swim at the
beach, we recommend a trip to
Vesturbæjarlaug. This recently
refurbished pool is one of the
nicest in Reykjavík. Locals of all
ages go for a soak in the hotpots
on a daily basis, chatting about
politics, life, and the price of
fish (quite literally, sometimes).
Lunch at Kaffihús Vesturbæjar,
or a picnic from Melabúðin
(Hofsvallagata)
After basking in the spacious
steam room of Vesturbæjar-
laug, you might be hungry.
Treat yourself to a pylsur (an
Icelandic-style hot dog with
raw onions, cronions and three
types of sauces) from the kiosk
outside the pool. If you feel like
a more substantial lunch, you
could pop into Kaffihús Ves-
turbæjar across the street. If
the weather is really nice, you
could pick up something at the
Melabúðin deli & grocery store
and sit outside for a picnic.
Contemporary art at i8
(Tryggvagata 16)
It’s culture time! The modest-
ly-sized, free-entry i8 Gallery
offers a monthly programme
from a stable of top contempo-
rary Icelandic and overseas art-
ists. If you have the time and in-
clination, just across the street
is Hafnarhúsið, a museum that
boasts a large collection of Ice-
landic art and hosts regular
contemporary art exhibitions
by international guests.
Gourmet afternoon coffee at
Reykjavík Roasters (Kárastígur 1)
As well as a nice downtown lo-
cation, a mellow atmosphere,
and a sweet vinyl collection, the
good folks at Reykjavík Roasters
also roast the coffee beans right
there in front of you. If you go
mid-afternoon, you’ll have prob-
ably missed the lunchtime rush,
and you can get a seat and watch
the world go by with a pastry and
a delicious oat milk latté.
A walk around Harpa and
a happy-hour cocktail
(Austurbakki 2)
The Harpa concert hall is a
hard-to-miss, glittering gem
of contemporary architecture
right on the waterfront. Reyk-
javík doesn’t have a million
spots to get a good cocktail, but
the Kolabrautin restaurant on
Harpa’s top floor has a cocktail
happy hour, which you can enjoy
with a great view of the city.
Kaffibarinn / bar-hopping
around downtown
Kaffibarinn is a classic hub of
Reykjavík nightlife, with an ev-
er-intriguing crowd of locals
and newcomers , a small-but-
solid selection of local beers, and
local DJs every night from 22:00.
If you fancy checking out more
places to party , you can always
hop around to Bravó, Kex, Kaldi
and Húrra, or the more recently
opened craft bars, such as Skúli
and Mikkeler & Friends.
Words by JOHN ROGERS
Collage by SVEINBJÖRN Based
on photo by JULIA STAPLES