Whilst on your Reykjavik holiday start the evening the traditional way with a ‘runtur’ or what we in the UK refer to as a ‘pub crawl’. Kaffibarinn, on the Bergstadastraeti, is the fashionable meeting place of the city’s trendy media crowd. The bar is part owned by Damon Albarn, formerly of Blur, and more recently responsible for bringing the Gorillaz to our stereos. The bar’s popularity is evident in the lengthy queues to get in, but any doubt you have about the its trendiness will soon be vanquished when you hear that Icelandic signing sensation, Bjork, is a huge fan.
Still a ‘runtur’ can’t be a runtur or even a bar crawl with just the one bar, so once you’ve downed the bar’s signature ‘brennevin’, or burnt wine, make your way to Vegamot to carry on the evening’s festivities. The bar’s signature vodka cocktails are more popular here than the local schnapps; both of which must be sampled on your city break to Reykjavik. This hidden gem also doubles up as both a pulsating nightclub and a relaxing Mediterranean bistro, yet strangely, this odd combination works extremely well and the venue is as popular with Reykjavik’s food critics, as it is with its trendy young clubbers.
Continuing with our runtur we head to ‘Gaukur a Stong’, the oldest pub in Iceland and responsible for the famous vodka spiked lager that they sold before the legislation of lager in 1989. Gaukur a Stong is also considered to be one of the cheapest places in Reykjavik to drink, with a pint averaging at just £3.50. This is a lot cheaper than anywhere else you’ll discover on your Reykjavik holiday.
After you’ve sampled some of the local beverages, head to NASA, considered by many to be the coolest nightclub in Iceland. The club plays many different types of music across its three storeys with popular tunes ranging from cheesy disco to pulsating house. NASA is a popular venue for live music with concerts taking place here earlier on in the evening.
If you want to experience Iceland’s nightlife whilst on your city break to Reykjavik but are worried that you’re a little too old for clubbing, then head to the nightclub Rex, an elegant venue which is owned by Terence Conran. The high ceilings and draping chandeliers make it a popular venue for the over thirties who enjoying sampling the club’s incredible cocktail concoctions. Another popular venue located on the Ingolfsstraeti is The Q Bar, which is also the main gay bar in the city. Night time entertainment here ranges from pop quizzes to nights showcasing the best of euro cheese.
You can find one of Reykjavik’s hidden treasures located underneath the National Theatre. The unpronounceable Thjódleikhúskjallarinn is a nightclub for people in the know; a trendy basement café which transforms itself into a popular clubbing venue on a Friday and Saturday night. If you’re thinking of visiting this venue whilst on your city break to Reykjavik then be sure to pack your flares or shoulder pads, as Thjódleikhúskjallarinn is well known for the atmospheric 70’s and 80’s music that it plays.
Vikki Beale is a holiday expert for iceland2go, a specialist operator providing www.iceland2go.com/reykjavik-breaks.asp>holidays to Reykjavik and holidays in Iceland and Greenland. We provide luxury tailor-made itineraries and the finest holidays Reykjavik can offer, with sights including glaciers, geysers, fjords, and the Northern Lights.
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