Reykjavík Grapevine - Jul 2020, Page 32

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2020
32
Kerið volcanic crater
(entrance fee included)
Faxi waterfall
Geysir geothermal area
Gullfoss waterfall
Þingvellir National Park
Availability: Daily
Pickup starts: 8:00
Duration: 8 hours
Grand
Golden
Circle
1
2
3
4
5
5
43
2
Reykjavík
Selfoss
Þingvellir Geysir Gullfoss
Kerið
Faxi
1
Promotion for Grapevine readers
Enter “GRAPEVINE”
for 25% discount
when booking at
bustravel.is
#bustraveliceland
Find more day tours
www.bustravel.is
info@bustravel.is
+354 511 2600
Best Homeware Shop
Kokka
Laugavegur 47
Kokka is a fancy fantasy-land for
food and homeware lovers, filled with
all sorts of utensils you didn’t even
know you needed (but, obviously, you
do). For those looking for new toys
to furnish a modern and really, really
stylish kitchen, Kokka should be your
first stop. “They recently expanded
and it’s really nice,” one panel member
raved. “It’s proper quality, humble, and
cool. It’s also very accessible and easy
to navigate, which I appreciate. The
owners are alsovery pro-Laugavegur,
which is also important for me.”
Runners-Up
Geysir Heima
Skólavörðustígur 16
“What else can you say about Geysir
Heima?” one panellist asks. “It’s
well-curated. The interior is beautiful.
Geysir has cultivated an empire and
it's for good reason.” The upscale
home shop, which offers everything
from their iconic wool blankets to
minimalist glassware to a fantastic se-
lection of art books, will make you fall
in love with Scandinavian style. Pro-tip:
Check out their basement. There’s
often exhibitions down there.
Epal
Skeifan 6
Epal has been a mainstay of the
Reykjavík design scene for more than
30 years, supporting it and con-
stantly pushing it forward. “You can’t
talk about Icelandic design without
mentioning Epal,” one panel member
explains. “They are devoted to Scandi-
navian style.”
Previous Winners
2018-9: Geysir Heima
Best Bookstore
Eymundsson
Austurstræti 18 &
Skólaavörðustígur 11
Eymundsson is a classic bookstore,
offering up the newest in Icelandic
writing and international titles. It
has the rare characteristic of being
perfectly curated for both locals and
tourists, so if you’re a traveller looking
to get an illustrated edition of the
Sagas, or a Reykjavík kid hoping to
pick up the definitely-going-to-be-re-
leased upcoming Game Of Thrones
book, this would be the place to find it.
Bonus: The cafes also make for great
people-watching spots.
Runners-Up
Bókin
Klapparstígur 25-27
If you’re looking to buy the newest Dan
Brown, Bókin may not be your thing.
But if you’re looking for a collec-
tors-edition copy of an Icelandic book
long out of print, there’s only one op-
tion, and that’s Bókin. “It has charisma,
which makes it a winner,” one panel
member said. “If there’s a store in
Reykjavík with charisma, uniqueness,
nerve, and talent, it’s Bókin.”
Bóksala Stúdenta
Sæmundargata 4
Located within the main building of
Háskóli Íslands, the university book-
store runs the gamut from special-
ity academic texts to classics, new
fiction, notebooks and much more.
Another plus? The on-site coffee shop
serves up what are potentially the fair-
est priced coffees in town, as does the
Háskóli Íslands cafeteria next door.
Previous Winners
2019: Bóksala Stúdenta
2018: Bókin
2017: Mál og Menning
Best Record Store
Lucky Records
Rauðarárstígur 10
Lucky Records is the punky, underground horse of the Reykjavík
scene. It’s one of those shops that is easy to get lost in—expect to easily
spend an entire afternoon perusing their selection. “Lucky Records
is very in-tune with the local music scene,” one panellist explains.
“If anyone in the city has released anything, no matter how small,
it’ll be in this store. Moreover, the shopkeepers will have listened to
it. They are really knowledgeable and opinionated in that old-school
record shop way.” Pro-tip: Make sure you check out the back room.
Runners-Up
Reykjavik Record Shop
Klapparstígur 35
Reykjavík Record Shop is a haven cre-
ated by music nerds, for music nerds.
Presenting the best of the Icelandic
and international scenes, every piece
has been meticulously curated to en-
sure that you’re getting the crème de
la crème of music, be it contemporary
or classic.
Geisladiskabúð Valda
Laugavegur 64
Valda is by far the most obscure shop in
the city. “You’ll find things in this store
that you won’t find anywhere else in the
world. I once found a Japanese bootleg
copy of a Finnish band’s first record.
How on Earth did they get that?” one
panel member reminisced. “It’s a gem.”
Previous Winners
2018-9: Reykjavík Record Shop
2017: Lucky Records
2015-6: Reykjavík Record Shop
2013-4: Lucky Records
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2020
Shopping
Stuff is better than money anyway