Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.07.2018, Síða 25

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Best Place To Watch
Sports Over A Beer
American Bar
Austurstræti 8-10
If sports is what you’re after, what
better place than the namesake of the
land that honours athletes like an Ital-
ian grandma does the Pope. This place
is more “Everybody loves Tom Petty,
right?” than “Let’s build a wall between
Mexico!” kind of American, so it’s quite
friendly and down to earth, with their
big screens all over the place showing
all kinds of physical things involving
balls. They often have the game sched-
ule on the window out front so there’s
no reason to miss a match. You gotta
support the team.
Runners Up
Lebowski Bar
Laugavegur 20a
Another big huge place with lots of
screens showing lots of games, this
fully carpeted bar honouring The Dude
is another nice laid-back place to just
zone out with some good sports. Unpre-
tentious and even graced with its own
mascot, Púki the cat, who drinks virgin
White Russians in the window.
Bjarni Fel
Austurstræti 20
An oldie but a goodie, Bjarni Fel is
one-hundred percent a sports bar from
beginning to end. Alcohol, screens,
games, good sight-lines, good match
programming. The only thing is that it
can be a wee bit cramped, but if that’s
how you like to enjoy your sports, then
cram in.
Previous Winners
2017: Lebowski Bar
2016: American Bar
2015: Bjarni Fel
2014: Bjarni Fel
2013: Bjarni Fel
Best Beer Selection
Mikkeller &
Friends
Hverfisgata 12
Upstairs from one of our best pizza
places is this super cool bar dedicated
to one of Denmark’s finest breweries.
Their astounding and extensive beer
list is exceeded only by the staff’s
expertise and congeniality. “It’s a great
place to start a night with a couple of
really good quality beers,” said one pan-
ellist. “There’s always something new to
try,” said another referring to the bar’s
regular guest brewery takeovers. An-
tique Reykjavík décor and the wafting
smell of pizza are just added bonuses. A
must-try for any beer aficionado.
Runners Up
MicroBar
Vesturgata 2
Down in a large dim cellar in the bottom
of downtown, you find this beer barrel
heaven with an ever-changing and
diverse menu of tasty brews. It has a
great open indoor-garden feeling, still
intimate enough to have a great date or
to just sample until you’re sloshed.
Skúli Craft Bar
Aðalstræti 9
Skúli’s another solid option for the
beer-lovers of the world, boasting an
equally extensive and diverse menu as
our runners up, but with a decidedly
different atmosphere. Set on a ground
floor with giant windows around most
of the bar, one may prefer the open
feeling or feel a bit exposed, but it’s a
lovely place.
Previous Winners
2017: Microbar
2016: Mikkeller & Friends
2015: Skúli Craft Bar
2014: Micro Bar
2013: Micro Bar
Best Wine Place
Port 9
Veghúsastígur 9
A tucked away basement bar with
a discrete and secretive vibe, Port
9 has low lighting and lots of dim
corners suitable for drinks, dates or
general conspiring. It’s also the only
self-proclaimed out-and-out wine bar
in Reykjavík. “They have a short list
of basic, affordable options that are
available by the glass,” said the panel.
“But if you ask, there’s a more extensive
book-length wine list, sold by the bottle.
And then if you ask again, out comes a
gold-leaf, handwritten book of their fine
wines. It doesn’t have prices. So maybe
don’t order from the ‘special book’ if
you’ve already had a few.”
Runners Up
Kröst
Hlemmur
Every joint in Hlemmur has a speciality,
and alongside burgers and bar snacks,
Kröst prides itself on the wine list. “They
have at least six at any given time, and
the selection changes constantly,” said
the panel. “So whenever you go back,
there’ll be something new to try.”
Geiri Smart
Hverfisgata 30
This fancy drinking hole is connected
to the Hilton Canopy hotel complex
and has an unusual wine list focussing
on cold-climate wines. There’s a long
bar with plenty of space, and it has a
swanky kind of feeling, so sip your drink
and people-watch whilst role-playing
some kind of American Psycho lifestyle.
If you want. You weirdo.
Previous Winners
2017: Microbar
2016: Mikkeller & Friends
2015: Skúli Craft Bar
2014: Micro Bar
2013: Micro Bar
Best Place For Cocktails
Hverfisgata 12
Hverfisgata 12
As well as serving up damn fine pizzas,
the bartenders at H12 stir and shake up
fabulous concoctions that delight and
inebriate the senses. With its charming
yesteryear environment and truly lovely
waiting staff, it’s the perfect place to
raise a pinky and joyfully tilt your head
back with a great cocktail, mixed to
perfection. They offer standard classics
and innovative takes on old favourites
using items from their food menu, like
the pizza-juice bloody mary—a spicy,
vitamin C-rich hangover cure that’s
perhaps the best in town.
Runners Up
Pablo Discobar
Veltusund 1
Still a relative newcomer in the local bar
scene, Pablo has quickly established
itself as a place with great cocktails
for the dress-code loving crowd. The
drinks and the décor are maximalist,
lavish, and tropical, and the extra little
tacky patina gives it a certain Scarface
Miami Beach charm.
Mat Bar
Hverfisgata 26
Mat Bar’s cocktail list has all sorts of
fancy treats, from a classic espresso
martini to a sharp and zesty pisco sour,
garnished with flower petals. Get a
seat at the bar, watch the professional,
smartly dressed bartenders shake your
dreamy drink, and don’t be shy ordering
some delicious tapas plates to go with it.
Previous Winners
2016: Apotek
2015: Apotek
2014: Slippbarinn
2013: Borg, Hotel Borg
2012: Kolabrautin