Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2018, Page 30

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2018
30
www.omnomchocolate.comOmnom Factory & ShopHólmaslóð 4, 101 Reykjavík
“This shit-hole in the wall is possibly one of
the best-worst kept secrets in town.”
DRINKING GUIDE
One Bourbon,
One Scotch,
One Beer
Getting tanked on a budget in Reykjavík
Words: Rex Beckett Photo: Art Bicnick
You hear it everywhere you go
every single day: “Iceland is so
expensive!” Especially in rela-
tion to alcohol. No one gave you
the heads-up to hit the airport
duty-free store upon your ar-
rival, so now you are faced with
exorbitant beer prices and un-
conscionable state-run liquor
store hours. What is a poor
wretch to do to have a simple
drink without blowing a month’s
rent? Well, as you would expect
from journalists, we are more
than familiar with the cheap-
est ways to get soused in town.
Bear in mind that “cheap drink-
ing” in Reykjavík is still expen-
sive by most standards, but it’s
the best we can offer you. Start
by equipping yourself with our
very handy Appy Hour app, then
hit the streets and get sloppy at
these charming spots.
Bravó
This delightfully candlelit cor-
ner bar has the perfect balance
of cosiness and dinginess, which
any good local dive requires to
pull off being a loveable bum.
Kind of like that roommate you
have who spends 72 hours in-
doors in the same pyjamas and
has a bunch of weird clown dolls
on their windowsill but still
sleeps with gorgeous people in
their plush king-sized bed. Bravó
has the best happy hour times in
town by far—running from 11:00
to 20:00—and they serve good
standard pints and a solid selec-
tion of bottled beverages. Nice,
friendly staff and good DJs, too.
Ölsmiðjan
Situated smack downtown on
Lækjargata by the pond, what
this absolute hole of a dive lacks
in class it more than makes up
for in discount beer. A Gull and
a shot will run you just under
1,000 ISK, and you can find a
dim corner to go basically undis-
turbed as you booze up. Its gruff
demeanor is more bark than
bite, but I wouldn’t mess with
the regulars if I were you. This
divey turf is beloved by many,
and it just might win your heart,
too.
Ölstofa Kormáks
& Skjaldar
Not to be confused with the
previous dive, this nearly unde-
tectable watering hole is a clas-
sic go-to for many locals. With
a fine selection of draughts and
bottled brews, plus all the shots
your thirsty throat could hope
for, they keep the prices nice and
reasonable in their dim, neigh-
bourhood tavern-esque digs.
It’s also one of the few places in
town that can pull a proper pint,
with their genuine Irish servers
on staff.
Bar 7
This shit-hole in the wall is pos-
sibly one of the best-worst kept
secrets in town. This place is
literally the dive-bar equivalent
of the movie ‘The Room.’ This is
The Disaster Artist of bars. It is
amazing. They serve maybe three
things (1 beer, 1 or 2 liquors, and
potato chips or something), all
the music is just played off the
barely-legal bartender’s phone,
there is one unisex toilet, and the
entire place is covered in giant
frames containing matchbooks
from bars around the world and
Elvis-painted-on-velvet. You can
get super fucked up for under
3,000 ISK here. The regulars are
insane. Enjoy!
Awaiting the booze-hungry masses