Atlantica - 01.03.2002, Síða 52

i-site CAFÉ❍
50 A T L A N T I C A
KAUPFÉLAGIÐ
The latest place to see and be seen in Reykjavík is newcomer
bar/restaurant Kaupfélagid. The name means ‘the co-op’ and
according to its owner, wunderkind entrepreneur Fridrik
Weisshappel, ”You can’t open a bar with a name like that unless it’s
some sort of shop as well. Kaupfélagid is just that – a restaurant, a
bar and the country’s coolest gift shop.” On sale are objects that
you can’t get anywhere else in Iceland, such as Tiffany bookmarks,
antique silver, old wristwatches, lamps and designs by famous
designers such as Ray and Charles Eames. The objects, purchased
in New York and London, are posed in quirky shelves on the wall,
putting an eccentric spin on the premises. The general look is laid-
back, trendy but cosy, with designer 60s lampshades, animal-hide
bar stools and red walls. Weisshappel is also an avid art collector
and in every corner of the bar you’ll find a work by a contemporary
Icelandic artist. In the daytime, Kaupfélagid is a comfortable café
serving simple brasserie fare at low prices and offering Internet
access via six laptops. In the evening, you can order dinner or just
drinks and enjoy the variety of music on offer. Wednesdays are
ambient nights where a masseur appears at around 9:30 pm for
some hands-on soothing to stressed-out guests. Sunday and
Tuesday nights are alternative nights, where you’ll hear the sounds
of Depeche Mode, The Cure, REM and everything else you never
thought you’d hear again in a bar. Monday nights are charity bingo
nights, hosted by celebrities, with all proceeds going to children
with chronic diseases. Weekends pump up the volume with resident
DJs Árni E or Margeir, and if you want to be sure to get in, try to
make it before midnight so the crowd waiting in line doesn’t throw
you off. For an all-round love affair with Kaupfélagid, you can head
back there at 7:30 am, just in time for a healthy smoothie, corn-
flakes, croissants and the daily papers. Directly in keeping with
Weisshappel’s slogan, “Everything is good at the co-op.” AMB
Kaupfélagid, Laugavegur 3, 101 Reykjavík, tel: (+354) 552-9395.
Reykjavík’s most famous bar, Kaffibarinn, immortalised in the
novel/film 101 Reykjavík, has recently undergone a facelift. However
charming it may have been, with its bottle-green walls and general
dingy feel, the premises were rather cramped and catered badly to
the crowds standing in line outside. The new look hasn’t veered
greatly from the old. A lick of old-fashioned, light grey paint, a few
candelabras and most importantly, a whole new wing and bar on
the ground floor, make for a subtle, elegant improvement. Upstairs,
several cosy sofas have been installed to relax in for those late-
night tête-à-têtes. Designer Lilja Pálmadóttir, who is also the wife of
film-maker Baltasar Kormákur, one of the owners of the bar, was
responsible for the new look. She claims to have done “as little as
possible. I didn’t want the regulars to get a shock when they
returned. The lighter-coloured paint is just to get a fresh breeze run-
ning through the premises, basically to lighten things up a bit.“
Another novelty is the possibility of good chow. Kaffibarinn offers
simple lunchtime snacks such as soups, sandwiches and light dish-
es that are above all, good. Thursday nights are reggae and hip hop
nights, and on weekends, different DJs set the house on fire. “Our
aim is to never have the same style of music playing all the time,“
says Birta, the manager. You’ll still be able to spot stars here such as
Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn (the mythical part-owner of the place)
and Björk partying away. And that’s the real essence of Kaffibarinn:
wild people, wild music and wild nights. AMB
Kaffibarinn, Bergstadastræti 1, 101 Reykjavík, tel: (+354) 551-1588.
Cool
Co-Op
Bigger and BetterKAFFIBARINN
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