Port 9 sits at Veghúsastígur 9 in central Reykjavik, a natural wine bar with a low intervention list, a short food menu and a calm, candlelit room.
The bar runs as a small, design led room tucked on a quiet side street off Laugavegur, built around a wine counter and a list that leans natural and low intervention. Anyone who wants to drink by the glass and talk finds the format easy. Anyone after beer, cocktails or a late dance floor looks elsewhere.
Port 9 has grown into one of the names Reykjavik wine drinkers cite first, and Guide to Iceland lists it among the city's best bars. The by the glass selection rotates often, drawn from France, Italy, New Zealand and beyond, and the staff steer first timers without fuss. The natural wine focus is the identity the room is built around.
The list runs from skin contact whites and pet nats to structured reds, with a short menu of cheese, charcuterie and small plates to match. Prices sit at the higher end for the city, in line with a curated natural list rather than a house pour. Asking the bar for a glass to suit the night is the easiest way in.
The room is small and warm, with a handful of tables, counter seats and low light that suits a slow drink. It fills on weekends and stays calmer midweek, so a Tuesday or Wednesday is the better bet for a seat and a conversation with the pourer. The format favours two or three over a large group.
Regulars and city guides flag two points: the by the glass list is where the value and the discovery sit, and the room rewards arriving early before the weekend tables fill. The bar keeps shorter hours than the pubs nearby and stays closed on Mondays, so check the day before planning a stop. The kitchen is built to pair rather than to feed a full dinner.
Port 9 works for a wine led opener, a relaxed glass with charcuterie, and a quiet date before dinner. It is the wrong call for a big round or a loud, late night.
Veghúsastígur runs just off Laugavegur in the centre of Reykjavik, a short walk from most of the 101 district, with the bar open from late afternoon until eleven Tuesday through Sunday. The early evening is the calm window, while weekends bring the fuller room. Arriving before eight is the easiest way to settle in at the counter.
The bar sits on a quiet residential stretch of Veghúsastígur, a short climb from the Laugavegur shops, which keeps the walk-in trade lighter than the bars on the main run. That setting is part of the appeal for drinkers who want the room calm. It also means the place rewards a plan rather than a stumble through the door.
What sets it apart is the curation, with a list that changes often enough to give regulars a reason to come back for the next pour. Local guides point to it as the natural wine reference for the city rather than a broad cellar. The staff lead the room, so the smart move is to tell them what you like and let them choose.
On the order, a glass of skin contact white or a chilled red opens the night well, with a charcuterie board to share across the table. The bottles run deeper than the glass list for anyone settling in. The food is light, so book a dinner elsewhere for a full meal.
The bottom line is a focused natural wine bar with a rotating glass list and a warm, candlelit room, set apart by a selection the city's drinkers trust. For a wine led Reykjavik evening it is a clear call. Compare it against the rest of our best wine bars in Reykjavik guide, the wider list of bars in Reykjavik, and our roundup of Reykjavik cocktail bars. Drinkers after more of the same should weigh Veður and Hverfisgata 12.
Sources: Guide to Iceland best bars guide; Port 9 official site; Tripadvisor; Wanderlog; Google Maps reviews.
