A prescription
Apótek Kitchen + Bar, Austurstræti 16
The building on Austurstræti 16 has been an apothecary since 1772 - one of the oldest continuously commercial buildings in Reykjavík. The pharmacy operated until 1999. The current restaurant-and-bar moved in around 2014, kept the original wooden fittings, the original mortar-and-pestle display, and a number of the smaller details (the prescription drawers behind the bar, the painted-tile floor). The bar's identity is built deliberately on the pharmacy frame. The right way to read the menu is as a doctor's prescription, taken seriously.
Apótek Kitchen + Bar
Austurstræti 16 · est. 1772 (building) · 2014 (current operation)
For:A first-time visitor to Reykjavík unsure where to start.
Rx 1 — Opening dose:Apothecary's Gin & Tonic. Iceland's own Vor gin (juniper-and-Arctic-thyme), Mediterranean tonic, slice of cucumber, twig of dill. Take seated at the bar; pair with sourdough and Icelandic butter.
Rx 2 — Follow-up (after 30 min):Reyka Cosmopolitan. Reyka vodka (the Iceland-distilled vodka, filtered through Icelandic lava), cranberry, lime, orange. Take alongside the bar's small plates - smoked Arctic char on flatbread, or beetroot-and-goat-cheese.
Rx 3 — If symptoms persist:Brennivín, straight, chilled. One shot. Iceland's caraway aquavit, taken at the bar standing if at all possible. Not the final drink of the evening but the drink that turns the evening into a Reykjavík evening rather than a hotel-bar one.
Rx 4 — Maintenance dose:Anything stirred from the seasonal menu. The bar rotates four seasonal cocktails every quarter; the bartenders know which one is best for first-time visitors and will pick if you ask.
Side effects:Tendency to declare Reykjavík underrated. Persistent desire to order a fifth drink. Mild headache the following morning if the brennivín portion is exceeded.
— Take with food. Refills available until 1am Mon-Thu, 3am Fri-Sat.
Apótek runs a serious kitchen alongside the bar - the lunch menu, in particular, is one of the better-value formal meals in central Reykjavík. The bar itself is best for a 7-9pm visit before dinner or a later 10pm-midnight visit on the way home from somewhere else. Closed Sundays for bar service.
