Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.03.2018, Page 26

SELECTION
FROM BEST OF
REYKJAVÍK 2018
Best Place To End The Night:

Prikið
Bankastræti 12
Prikið is the bar version of that
“I’m going to bed early tonight
vs. me at 3 am” meme. Show up
at 10pm and it’s Rancho Relaxo.
Get there at 2 am and it’s House
Party. “It has a very specific at-
mosphere,” said one panellist
referring to its young, raucous,
hip-hop-centric vibes. “Week-
nights can be more chill and
sometimes weird in a really
good way.” It’s also just great to
hit the outdoor smoking dock
and buddy up. Fun fresh music,
crazy dance floor, good basic
drinks, cute fun people, lovely
staff, and never a dull moment.
There will be a line-up.
Runners-up
Húrra
Tryggvagata 22
It was a real close one picking
this winner since Húrra is a
well-known end-of-the-night
magnet. “It’s had its ups and
downs but it’s interesting and
diverse and open to everyone,
like a proper dance spot should
be.” Another panellist simply
said, “it always works.” Sold.
Gaukurinn
Tryggvagata 22
Just upstairs is the big brother
bar that has dominated this
corner for ages, albeit under a
few different names and styles,
like an angsty mall-goth teen.
That emo kid has grown up
into that cool elder punk who
looks hard but is a lovable and
loving softie. And it’s the home
of the drag scene! Yas gawd!
DRINKING GUIDE
We Want The Finest
Wines Available To
Humanity
We’re coming back here!
Words: John Rogers, Alice Demurtas, Hannah Jane Cohen
Photos: Art Bicnick
It’s no secret that Icelanders like
a drink—or, more specifically, a
beer. Or ten. Wine, on the other
hand, often gets overlooked. But
lately, the local drinking culture
appears to be evolving, perhaps
partially to cater to the vast and
ongoing tourist influx, so for
those who favour red teeth over
beer breath and grape over grain,
there’s more on offer in Reykjavík
than ever before.
Port 9
Veghúsastígur 7-9
Every oenophile—wine connois-
seur, for the uninitiated—knows
that to truly appreciate wine, it’s
imperative to find a quiet and un-
distracting environment. Enter:
Port 9. This hidden gem, located
behind the Reykjavík Residence,
serves up a dizzying list of more
than 400 wines from around the
world. Complete with a Mediter-
ranean tapas menu to match, it’s
the perfect place to escape the loud
shenanigans of other Reykjavík
bars and relax with a bottle of Marl-
borough Chardonnay or Lebanon
red blend. They also boast a stellar
brunch. HJC
Klaustur
Kirkjutorg 4
This hotel bar is owned by a somme-
lier who’s set his sights on bringing
wines to Reykjavík that aren’t avail-
able anywhere else in the city. In a
smart, freshly-renovated bar room,
you can choose from eight wines
sold by the glass, or over 100 more
sold by the bottle. Champagne runs
from 8,500 ISK to 80,000 ISK a bot-
tle—but if happy hour is more your
speed, house wines are 1,000 ISK
from 4-7pm. The decadent cheese
board is well worth the 1,300 ISK
price tag. JR
Marshall House Bar +
Restaurant
Grandagarður 20
Fo c u s s i n g on
Old World wines,
t h i s m u c h -
a d m i r e d n e w
bar and Italian
restaurant has
a great l ist to
choose from, in
a beautiful din-
ing room. The
floor-to-ceiling
windows make it
feel airy even on
the gloomiest day, and you can twin
your visit with a wander around the
three galleries in the floors above.
There are five wines available by the
glass, and twenty available by the
bottle. It’s closed on Mondays. JR
Geiri Smart
Hverfisgata 30
Iceland lightly grazes the outer
rim of the Arctic Circle, with harsh
winds and cold temperatures to
match. Inspired by this, Geiri
Smart’s wine menu showcases cold
climate wines. With a list organ-
ised by latitude, you’ll find a selec-
tion of obscure bottles unlike any
selection in the city. Cool climate
wines are subtler in taste, with low-
er alcohol and higher acidity, which
showcases spicy, floral and herba-
ceous tones. Since Geiri Smart has
a sommelier in residence, the wine
pairings also compliment each
course perfectly. HJC
Kröst
Hlemmur Mathöll, Laugavegur 107
Part of the fun at the Hlemmur
Mathöll food hall is nosing around
all the options on offer from the
various bars and stands. Kröst
prides itself on the wine list. If you
ask for a simple
house red, you’ll
f i n d y o u r s e l f
d r aw n i nt o a
chat with one of
the knowledge-
able bartenders
about their cur-
rent selection;
the staff taste
many different
wines, picking
out their favou-
rites to form a concise list that
changes every month. JR
gpv.is/bestof
Get to know Iceland
26The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 04 — 2018
“If you ask for a
simple house red,
you’ll find yourself
drawn into a chat
with one of the
knowledgeable
bartenders”
Best of Reykjavík
Port 9 has literally hundreds of different bottles
ramen
momo
“ The
Icelandic
ramen ”
Tryggvagata 16
Open 11:30-22:00
saegreif inn. is
Geirsgata 8 • 101 Reykjavík • Tel. 553 1500 • seabaron8@gmail.com
An absolute
must-try!
Saegreifinn restaurant (Sea Baron) is like none other
in Iceland; a world famous lobster soup and a diverse
fish selection.