The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 07 — 2014
person. The barman comes up from the restaurant to serve us drinks. He's cordial as heck, if slightly confused to have a pair of closing-time drinkers on a Monday evening.
23
Loft Hostel is a big bright place with a lot of floorspace and a very mixed crowd of young, seemingly hip Icelanders and tourists.
Einar Ben is primarily a restaurant, but it has a kind of hidden pub upstairs. With its nice third-floor views of central Reykjavík, comfortable furniture and decent beer prices, it's a nice surprise.
More English pub than The English Pub.
– JR
English Pub
Austurstræti 12A
English Pub feels very mainstream. It very frequently hosts troubadours who all perform the same pained renditions of troubadour classics like “All You Need Is Love” and “Wish You Were Here.” The crowd enthusiastically chants along as if undergoing a spiritual awakening.
950
1400
1100
Troubadours, every day, all the time. Young (20-30s). Drinkers, foreigners, people that like foreigners, troubadour enthusiasts. The bar has a wheel of fortune where you can win drinks.
Everyone here loves to get so drunk that the same old Beatles songs sound fresh. Everyone loves a troubadour, and that's why everyone loves English Pub! – JL
Gaukurinn
Tryggvagata 22 I arrived at Gaukurinn just in time to catch a performance from local reggae band Ojba Rasta, who created a groovy atmosphere. With a reputation as one of Reykjavík's foremost live venues, Gaukurinn offers a great rock ‘n‘ roll feel, with dark walls, wooden tables and leather couches. Aside from the frequent concerts, Gaukurinn offers a friendly vibe, good service and a fine selection of beverages.
900
1300
1000
aggressive. Think Sinatra tunes mixed with Icelandic oldies.
Young (20s - 30s) People in their 20s - 30s mainly, fans of rock and heavy metal or anyone who is into the particular band/music that may be playing. Gaukurinn is one of the few Reykjavík venues that offers regular live performances. It was recently renovated, decked out with a great stage and a new and improved sound system.
An excellent rock 'n' roll bar with a nice feel, plenty of good music and great concerts. – ESV
Gallerý Bar (Hótel Holt) Bergstaðastræti 37
Painters, older gents and ladies, conservative tourists, Scandinavian conference guests, Megas, Happy-hour-hungry middle aged women. Hótel Holt is renowned for its class, it's where your cigar will be lit by a butlerish waiter and the chef will cook your steak wearing one of those ridiculous-looking white chef-hats. It's the real thing. But you sure do pay for it.
Whether you want to sip on a perfect Old Fashioned or just dress up and get a glimpse of the extravagance of the '50s, Hótel Holt is the place to be. – SKK
Glaumbar
Glaumbar’s ownership is as prone to change as Icelandic weather, and each time the beer prices change and a new theme is introduced. This current incarnation seems to still be deciding what to do with itself, but the crowd is still composed of the same drunkards and young kids, with four boys barely past the legal drinking age passed out in separate booths
850
1250
1200
1200
The music that accompanies your drink at Hótel Holt is much like the drink itself: mellow and lifts your spirits without ever being too
Situated by a hotel lobby, drinkers at Hotel Plaza can amuse themselves with the sight of tourists passing by wearing their shiny windproof jackets. The crowd is mostly made up of different tourist groups—suited businessmen along with elderly travellers coming in after a long day, dropping their trekking poles to sinking into a nice chat over a glass of wine.
950
1400
1200
Everything from '50s style rock to John Grant and Hermigervill, played at a comfortable volume. Older (40+) Tourists, hotel guests, businesspeople/bankers.
2000
N/A
A nice fake fireplace at the sitting area, a small TV showing CNN near the bar, and a large window with a clear view over Ingólfstorg and Austurstræti. The kind-of-fancy lobby look is dominant.
This is first and foremost a lobby with a relaxed atmosphere, where hotel guests can sit for a drink or two with a close view over Ingólfstorg before heading somewhere else. – MA
Dudebros, hnakkar, alcoholics, business people with no sense of taste, Julian Assange before he holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. There is an unbalanced foosball table, several TVs showing the latest game, and only one beer on tap (Tuborg). At least the toilets don’t have the remnants of impure coke-lines on every surface like they did during Iceland’s boom years.
The place to be if you have no friends or sense of self-worth and just want to get shit-faced. – TGB
A massive heated outdoor smoking area.
If you don't know where to go, then go to Hressingarskálinn. – HMF & TGH
Húrra
Split up into two main areas by a movable wall, a traditional bar, and then a stage/dance floor area, the venue can easily transform from being a massive music venue, to a small lounge bar. Ah, and they have Einstök pale ale on draft, for cheap. STOP! Review over. Dear Húrra, we forgive your every trespass, past present and future, such as the artwork by Jón Sæmundur and the broken foosball table on the ground floor will not be discussed. Nor will all the dancing, drinking young people.
800
1000
750
The live bands that perform at Húrra range from hip hop legends to folk heroes, punk bands to atmospheric electro artists. After their shows, DJs frequently play a good mix of party music, consisting of electro, house and hip hop.
Austurstræti 20
Young people, rockers, hip hoppers, pop fans, the hip dancing crowd, couples, downtown figure Hannes (the one who looks like Johnny Cash)
The only word that accurately captures the mood at Hressó on Saturday night is: "drunk!" Intoxicated patrons stumbled around, regularly spilling their drinks everywhere, rendering the floors appropriately sticky. The crowd was clearly in high spirits, cheerful and oblivious, with the not-too crowded dance floor providing the perfect setting to bust all our best moves.
The crowded prison-like smoking area did not mix well with our level of intoxication. The stage has in the past (when it was called something else like Harlem or Bakkus) been used by bands, performance artists and poets, and Húrra is continuing that legacy with frequent events that fill us with optimism.
990
1300
950
Top 40 music and dance hits ranging from the Backstreet Boys' "Everybody" to the overplayed "Timber" by Pitbull. Hressó also frequently hosts live music.. Young (20s - 30s) Tourists, recent immigrants, university students, people who
salmon, the restaurant is split into five rooms on three floors, each with its own distinct (and at times nutty) flavour. The interiors are mostly clean dark oak, with paintings reminiscent of the '40's hanging off of every wall. The vibe is great for eating out with friends or family, although it's perhaps not the ideal place to go for a pint. Good luck getting a table without a reservation.
1000
Tryggvagata 22
Young (20s - 30s)
Hressingarskálinn (Hressó) For some reason, the thoroughly uninspired pop music booming from Glaumbar's shoddy sound system got a small crowd dancing. Likely the punters were either too intoxicated to know better or lacking the cognitive functions to do so. Too young (under 20).
Going to Hótel Holt is a bit like visiting your grandparents, classic Icelandic paintings hang on the walls, the mellow tones of Icelandic oldies fill the AIR and that chair you sit on smells like it has existed twice as long as you have. And that's awesome. Holt is like a gateway into a world that once was, a romantic getaway to the golden times of yesteryear. It's also kind of like going to an art museum for a drink.
couldn't think of anywhere else to go
Aðalstræti 4
Older (40+))
Tryggvagata 20 Rock 'n' roll, hard rock, and heavy metal are prominent on the playlist, while bands of every genre play shows there.
Hotel Plaza
An excellent rock 'n' roll bar with a nice feel, plenty of good music and great concerts. –JL
Hverfisgata 12 Hverfisgata 12 There are only three ways to refer to the aptly unnamed restaurant: Hverfigata 12, the crazy pizza place or the restaurant with a shelf full of ducks. Serving some of the most bizarre pizzas in Iceland, with toppings such as potatoes and salted
1400
1050
The music plays quietly from a custom made playlist, playing faster tunes during rush hour to encourage people not to dally. Older (40+)
Families with kids, young professionals The place is clean enough for kids to lick the floor (which they undoubtedly do) and has two beers on tap, despite not really being a bar. The selection of cocktails is also decent, with “Björk The Queen” (Icelandic Birch liqueur + sparkling wine) catching our attention.
A restaurant that puts a lot of effort into making you want to stay after you eat.. – TGB
Ísafold Bistro - Bar & Spa Þingholtsstræti 3
Quite the posh hotel bar, Ísafold has big leather sofas, huge chandeliers and a fake waterfall (!). The staff is attentive and professional, and the cocktail and wine menu is appropriately impressive. Clearly a high-end place for high-end people.
950
1200
13500
Electronic lounge music. Older (40+) High end tourists, business people and bankers. They gave us free cashews with our drinks. The restrooms feature clean, individual towels.
A good place to go if you're feeling fancy. – HMF & TGH