Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.04.2017, Side 26

Best Of Reykjavík
For your mind, your body and your wallet
SELECTION
FROM BEST OF
REYKJAVÍK
2017
Best Grocery Store
Krónan
Fiskislóð 15-21& other locations
Bike Cave is the café you need to
know about—relaxed, not New
Nordic, in a suburban neigh-
bourhood close to the domestic
airport, with a resident Sphinx
cat. It’s been described as the
best place to get a “messy vegan
burger.” With a choice of two
veggie patties (black bean and
chilli or potato rosti) we were
already feeling spoilt when they
also turned up with their “lux-
ury vegan burger”—soy gran-
ule patties with a hint of pea-
nut butter, sweet mustard and
onions. This one comes pretty
darn close to the mouthfeel of a
meat burger. But the best part
still remains that all of this
tasty fare will set you back 895-
1195 ISK, sans fries.
Best Pizza
Hornið
Hafnarstræti 15
Pizza joints have always held
the collective fancy of the world
as a sort of comfort zone where
you can break bread with your
grandma and screeching toddler
or as a 101-downtownian nurs-
ing a hangover or heartache or
both. Hornið is one such com-
forting old-school pizza joint.
With thin crust-pizzas and a no-
frills Italian-American flair in
the decor as well as the toppings,
this is a local treasure. While the
Hawaiian has die-hard fans, we
swear by their Quattro Stagioni.
26The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 06 — 2017
Rokk Out In
Reykjavík
High society or fuckbois. Choose your venue.

Words: Hannah Jane Cohen & John Rogers
Photos: Art Bicnick
Reykjavík’s gig circuit has changed
fast in recent years, with city-centre
favourites like Faktorý and NASA
being shuttered by property devel-
opers. But the music scene thrives
regardless, and there are still a
variety of venues to catch a show,
each filling a different musical
niche. From orchestral recitals to
art performances and from hip-
hop parties to grimy rock con-
certs, here are some of our favou-
rite downtown music haunts.
Húrra
It’s no surprise that Húrra wins
our “Best of Reykjavík” magazine’s
Live Music award, year in and year
out. It ’s simply the best music
venue downtown Reykjavík has to
offer, with great sound, a great
bar (they have Club Maté!), a great
dancefloor, a great stage—great
everything, basically. It’s the place
where the best 101 bands host their
album parties, and it’s where peo-
ple end their Friday night blow-
outs. There’s also something fun
happening on most weeknights,
whether it’s live jazz, DJ sets, quiz-
zes or karaoke. Hip hip Húrra!
Harpa
You can’t talk about concerts in
Reykjavík without talking about
Harpa, the glittering music hall
that sits on the city’s coastline.
From the intimate seated Kaldalón
hall to the grand multi-tiered El-
dborg concert hall, Harpa hosts
a constant flow of events, from
symphony performances to com-
edy shows to festivals like Sónar,
Airwaves, Dark Music Days and
Midsummer Music. Dress up nice,
and go absorb some fancy culture.
KEX
As well as being a hostel with an
excellent bar and an ever-reliable
restaurant, Kex Hostel has made a
name for itself as a live music spot,
too. This bustling bar room hosts
free gigs several times a week, and
there’s a tucked-away function
room called Gym & Tonik at the
back that sometimes hosts tick-
eted performances. During Air-
waves, it’s where the KEXP radio
station base their live programme,
which should tell you all you need
to know.
Gaukurinn
If you prefer your music grungy,
raw, and weird, then Gaukurinn
is your place. With dim lights,
leather sofas, and gender-neutral
bathrooms, it’s become the pre-
ferred hangout for the unorthodox
Reykvíkingar, so if you’re looking
for like-minded peeps, here you
go. The venue hosts everything
from metal to underground rap
to drag extravaganzas to stand-up
comedy, so you never really know
what you’re gonna get on a given
night. That said, you know it’ll
be something you can only get at
Gaukurinn.
MENGI
Mengi is an unusual music space,
in more ways than one. The con-
cert room itself is more white
cube than dive bar, hidden away
discreetly behind a gallery shop
on Þórsgata that sells records,
prints, and art ephemera. The
programme encourages new col-
laborations and experimental per-
formances, so even if you know
and love the work of the musi-
cian you’re seeing, you might be
treated to something brand new
on any given night. Memberships
are available for regulars, and the
space also runs an independent
record label.
The Rest
Packed hip-hop bar Prikið, lake-
side concert hall Iðnó and DIY art
space Gallery Port are three very
different spaces that host infre-
quent but well-attended shows.
The cosy Café Rosenberg hosts a
regular programme of acoustic
music. Dillon and Bar 11 are down-
town favourites for dingy rock
concerts. And finally, get Grape-
vine’s Appening app for iPhone
and Android to see what’s going
on all over town. Have fun y’all!
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