Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2017, Qupperneq 24

The R
eykjavík G
rapevine
B
est of R
eykjavík 20
17
24
Reykjavík’s bar culture is quite vast and diverse, ranging from the
smallest three-table hole that serves one beer and where regulars
threaten you for taking an extra chair, to huge vast glittering bot-
tle-service rooms lined with leather and mirrors. Unfortunately
for our panel of judges, selecting these bars doesn’t mean an actu-
al field trip, but it does require a certain—how shall we put it po-
litely—expertise. They range from former bar staff, to performers
who find themselves in bars all the time, to writers who sometimes
write, and sometimes just drink about it. So here are the results
that our ragtag team of (ahem) experts came up with. Now get out
there and have a few!
Best place to start the night
KEX Hostel
Skúlagata 28
KEX Hostel is a great place to kick off an evening. It’s a hostel bar,
but it kind of transcends that description, with an amazing sea view
over Faxaflóí and Mount Esja, beautiful decor, spacious tables, and
a large wraparound bar with stools to perch on. It’s especially fun
if they’ve got a live show booked—they’re almost always free, with
great local and visiting bands. KEX just has a cool atmosphere, with
the bonus of great food and a good beer selection.
Runners Up
Kaffi Vínyl
Hverfisgata 76
Off the beaten path from the main
Laugavegur drag, this excellent café
was once a discount shoe shop that
was literally never open. It has a great
selection of beers, wines and cocktails,
lovely décor that feels like a hip living
room, and tasty vegan food. It closes
early, but it’s adorable.

Bíó Paradís
Hverfisgata 54
Bíó Paradís is a cinema. But wait—their
lobby has a comfortable, decently priced
bar, and you can bring your drink into
the cinema or just hang out and get nice-
ly lubricated before hitting the town.
Previous Winners
2016: KEX Hostel
2015: Loft Hostel
2014: Kaldi Bar
2013: Slippbarinn
2012: KEX Hostel
Best place to end the night
Paloma
Naustin 1-3
Ending the night in Reykjavík usually
means an after party, so where you end
up before that tends to be the bottom
of the barrel. Paloma’s basement is liter-
ally at the bottom of town and it’s truly
the place to cap off an evening. “It’s the
only place I end up,” said one panelist.
“It’s pretty grimy, and you can go up-
stairs or downstairs, or over to Húrra—
it’s really easy to hang there.” One usually
doesn’t have to battle long lines because
the place is so big, and you’re basically
guaranteed a fun messy time.
Runners Up
Húrra
Tryggvagata 22
Last year’s winner, Húrra remains a
strong contender for a place to top off
the night—but the panel decided that
it doesn’t quite have that last-stop kind
of vibe: “It’s great,” said a panelist, “but
I always end up going somewhere else
when I party there.”
Prikið
Bankastræti 12
With its packed and grinding dance
floor and huge social smoking area, this
hip-hop spot is another classic night-
cap, but tends to skew young and is
notoriously difficult to get into. Said the
panel: “I end up going when I’m bored
and I get really wasted, but there’s
always such a long line.”
Previous Winners
2016: Húrra
2015: Paloma Basement
2014: Paloma
2013: Harlem (RIP)
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2017
Drinking
Tipsy or wasted, the choice is yours.
Best all-around bar
Húrra
Tryggvagata 22
Húrra has been a stalwart in the bar
scene for quite some time now, and
with good cause. It’s a great place to go
anytime and for almost any reason—
early weeknight drinks with work mates,
late weekend nights on your own,
dancing with your friends, or catching
a quality gig in their excellent music
and events programme. The drinks are
varied and well priced, the staff are
cute and friendly, the toilets are clean,
and with the recent addition of karaoke
downstairs, it truly is the best bar.
Runners Up
Prikið
Bankastræti 12
This was a very close race between Húrra
and Prikið—with the former winning out
almost exclusively because of space and
clean bathrooms—but Prikið is great. A
good happy hour, fun DJs playing mainly
hip-hop, a fun yet small dance floor, and a
generally upbeat atmosphere. If you can
beat the line, enjoy.
Kaffibarinn
Bergstaðastræti 1
Kaffibarinn is a classic, hands down,
and the panel agreed that it couldn’t go
without a nod for its consistent quality
in the local bar scene. It’s a particularly
great place to go on weeknights, as the
weekends can get extremely packed
with long lines, but those parties do get
wild. Just don’t you dare take a picture
in there!
Previous Winners
2016: Prikið
2015: KEX Hostel
2014: Boston
2013: Dolly (RIP)
2012: Faktorý (RIP)