Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.09.2018, Page 28

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2018
28
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Best Newcomer Bar
Artson
Laugavegur 59
The bar of Nostra is a wonderful
place to spend some time. With large
windows, an airy, minimal space and
artisan cocktails with homegrown
ingredients, it’s more date place than
dive bar. However, if you’re watching
your pennies, they have a great happy
hour that runs Tuesday-Saturday from
17:00 to 19:00, with cocktails at 1,500
ISK, non-alcoholic concoctions at 750
ISK, cut-price bottles of champagne,
and wine or Stella Artois for under 1,000
ISK. If you’ve something to celebrate, or
you want to feel fancy for the night, this
is the place.
Runners Up
Bastard Brew & Food
Vegamótastígur 4
This brand new downtown bar is
something of a beer palace. It’s an
English pub style environment, without
the sense of history—everything from
the tables to the plush leather seating
are catalogue-fresh—but with eleven
beers on tap, a great happy hour, a
promising menu, and two beers brewed
in the in-house brewery, it’s already a
great drinking session spot.
Spánski
Ingólfsstræti 8
This discrete basement bar is some-
thing new in Reykjavík; a Spanish-style
bodega bar with red wine on tap, and
various tapas plates. Every drink is
poured and every snack prepared by
Augustin, the Spanish gentleman who
runs the place, so the service can be a
little slow—but it’s all part of Spánski’s
oddball charm.
Previous Winners
2018: Veður
2017: Pablo Discobar
2016: Bryggjan Brugghús
2015: Mikkeller & Friends
DRINKING GUIDE
Just Like The
High School
Cafeteria
Find your people with The Reykjavík Bar
Vibe Guide
Words: Hannah Jane Cohen
While you might stop by bars just
for their vast wine list or exten-
sive selection of craft beers, the
real reason most go out is to soak
up some nightlife culture with
their preferred breed of people.
From important judges to lip-
stick-clad goths to those that still
read ‘Pitchfork’, there’s a spot for
every type of person in Reykjavík.
Presenting: the Reykjavík Bar
Vibe Guide.
To Gossip With
Fellow Suit-Clad
Professionals: Kaldi
Laugavegur 20b
Looking to get bad and boujeee
but don’t know where that ref-
erence is from? Stop by Kaldi to
hang with other future world
leaders. This place is chock-full
of politicians and industry ti-
tans relaxing in expensive Italian
leather shoes with their equally
attractive spouses. The menu is
full of fancy Kaldi beers and the
vibe is similarly sophisticated,
but that said, it’s still a cosy spot
to relax while you shit-talk the
Pirate Party. Oops, we mean con-
verse.
To Pretend You’re At
Berghain: Paloma
Naustin 1-3
Techno and/or dirty bathroom
fans rejoice! Paloma’s two floors
serve up both in excess. While
this beloved grunge fest isn’t
open 24/7 like that infamous Ber-
lin club, you’ll definitely find an
all day afterparty after closing if
you so choose. Their upper level
tends to gravitate towards more
mainstream dance and EDM but
the downstairs is a cesspool of
the weirder electronic styles.
Wear some UV paint to stand out.
To Talk About
Obscure Music With
The Generation X
Hipsters: Kaffibarinn
Bergstaðastræti 1
For casual DJs, music journalists,
aspiring poets, and those that
used to date ‘em, Kaffibarinn will
most certainly whet your palate.
During the day, this Reykjavík
institution serves up the perfect
vibe to reread your worn in copy
of ‘Ulysses’ over a beer, or at least
pretend to. At night, though, DJs
of all genres and flavour arrive to
make one of the craziest dance
floors in the city. Make sure to
grab some air in their legendary
smoking area too. There, eaves-
drop on some drama or make
a new drunk best friend who is
probably famous. You can also
grab the opportunity to eye-fuck
someone whom you will later
fuck, have a few children with,
break up with, and then uncer-
emoniously re-meet years later
in that same smoking area and
repeat the whole process.
To Get Shitfaced
With Tourists To Pop
Music Standards:
Lebowski Bar
Laugavegur 20b
Lebowski is always a safe bet for a
party, especially if you’re visiting
the country and looking for some
fellow tourists to go on a road
trip with the following day. The
music is a mixture of pop hits
of the last 20 years and beloved
standards, so the dance floor is
always poppin’ with groups of
girls singing along at the top of
their lungs and guys pulling out
their best dance moves. During
the day, stop by for a burger and
a milkshake, or one of their fancy
White Russians if you’re gonna
start pregaming early, which you
absolutely should.
To Hang Out With
Other Experimental
Non-Conformists:
Gaukurinn
Tryggvagata 22
If you were once really into
nu-metal, Gaukurinn is probably
the only haunt in Reykjavík where
you can get drunk and reminisce
about Korn’s golden days over a
hand-rolled cigarette. With bi-
monthly drag extravaganzas,
BDSM nights, the only dedicat-
ed Eurovision karaoke nights in
the city, regular metal/goth/rock
shows, and a completely vegan
cocktail menu, it’s only place that
truly embodies the sentiment,
‘When in doubt, freak ‘em out!’
Loiter with your fellow weirdos,
compare tattoos, and you’ll just
maybe meet the Neil Gaiman to
your Amanda Palmer.