Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [68]
SUPERMARKETS
Bónus Kringlan shopping centre (Map); noon-6.30pm Mon-Thu, 10am-7.30pm Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, noon-6pm Sun); Laugavegur (Map; Laugavegur 59; noon-6.30pm Mon-Thu, 10am-7.30pm Fri, 10am-6pm Sat) The cheapest supermarket.
10-11 Austurstræti (Map; 24hr), Barónsstígur (Map; 24hr), Borgartún (Map; 24hr) and Laugalækur (Map; 24hr) Has many branches in the city.
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DRINKING
See the boxed text (opposite) for the lowdown on Reykjavík’s infamous pub crawl. At night, many of the city’s cafes turn the lights down, the volume up, and swap cappuccinos for cocktails – so Click here for more funky drinking venues.
Bars
Café Oliver (Map; 552 2300; www.cafeoliver.is; Laugavegur 20a; to 1am Sun-Thu, to 4.30am Fri & Sat) One of Reykjavík’s newer cafe-bars, Oliver is the most in-vogue place for brunch, and for partying late in superstyle. DJs pump out the tunes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with long queues snaking back from the doors.
Kaffibarinn (Map; 551 1588; Bergstaðastræti 1; ) This old house, with the London Underground symbol over the door, contains one of Reykjavík’s coolest bars; it even had a starring role in cult movie 101 Reykjavík (2000). At weekends you’ll need a famous face or a battering ram to get in. At other times it’s a place for artistic types to chill with their Macs.
Vegamót (Map; 511 3040; www.vegamot.is; Vegamótstígur 4; to 1am Sun-Thu, to 5am Fri & Sat) Vegamót is another smart cafe-by-day, club-by-night – wear your best togs if you want to fit in. The buzzy balcony is a fine place to watch the fashion-conscious flocks. There are usually top DJs and a thronging dance floor. The minimum age here is 22.
Thorvaldsen Bar (Map; 511 1413; www.thorvaldsen.is; Austurstræti 8-10) This understated modernist bar is ultraposh, from the fusion-style food to the clientele. There are DJs from Thursday to Saturday – dress up well or you won’t get in, and after midnight be prepared to queue…and queue. There’s a tiny dance floor, and ‘theme nights’ on Asia de Cuba Wednesday and Mojito Thursday.
Kaffi Sólon (Map; 562 3232; www.solon.is; Bankastræti 7a; to midnight Sun-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat) This great bistro becomes a swish bar for a beautiful, martini-drinking set by night. There are long queues, in-demand DJs, moody lighting and a dance floor containing around 17 people per sq metre. There are usually DJs or live music on Thursday.
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THE RUNTUR
Reykjavík is renowned for its Friday- and Saturday-night runtur, when industrious Icelanders abandon work and pub crawl with passion. Friday night is the big one; midweek drinking is not really done, although it’s gradually becoming more common for people to go out on Thursday night, when many bars have DJs or live music.
Much of the partying happens in the city’s cafes and bistros, which transform into raucous beer-soaked bars at the weekend; there are also dedicated pubs and clubs. But it’s not the quantity of drinking dens that makes Reykjavík’s nightlife special – it’s the upbeat energy that pours from them!
Places usually open until 1am Sunday to Thursday and until 3am or later on Friday and Saturday. ‘In’ clubs have long queues at weekends.
Thanks to the high price of alcohol, things don’t get going until late. Icelanders brave the melee at the alcohol store Vín BúÐ (see opposite), then toddle home for a prepub party. Once they’re merry, people hit town around midnight, party until 5am, queue for a hot dog, then topple into bed or the gutter, whichever is more convenient. Considering the quantity of booze swilling around, the scene is pretty good-natured.
Rather than settling into one venue for the evening, Icelanders like to cruise from bar to bar, getting progressively louder and less inhibited as the evening goes on. Most of the action is concentrated on Laugavegur and Austurstræti. You’ll pay around Ikr700 to Ikr800 per pint of beer, and some venues have cover charges (about Ikr1000) after midnight. Things change fast – check Grapevine for the latest listings. You should dress up in Reykjav