The Roof sits on the seventh floor of The Reykjavik EDITION at Austurbakki 2, beside the Harpa concert hall on the city's harbour. The Rooftop Guide describes panoramic mountain and ocean views from a slick all-black lounge that opens onto a wrap-around outdoor terrace.
This is the bar for a drinker who wants a polished rooftop and a serious cocktail rather than a casual local. Anyone after a cheap pint will find the EDITION pricing steep, but the trade is a designed room and one of the best high vantage points in central Reykjavik.
The room. The interior runs to floor-to-ceiling glass doors and a dark, low-lit lounge, while the seasonal terrace wraps the building with comfortable seating. The EDITION's own listing frames the space as built for both quiet afternoon drinks and weekend nights, and the glass walls keep the view central in any weather.
What to order. The bar pours a list of crafted signature cocktails alongside local beers, premium spirits and wine, with a short menu of small plates to share. The cocktails are the reason to come, and the small plates are sized for grazing rather than a full meal, so this works better as a drinks stop than a dinner.
Who it is for. The Roof suits a special-occasion drink, a couple after a view and a traveller who wants Reykjavik's most polished rooftop. It is the wrong call for a budget night or anyone who prefers a scruffy downtown bar to a hotel room.
Best time to go. Long summer evenings are the signature experience, when the bright nights keep the terrace usable late. In the colder months the glass lounge becomes a vantage point for the northern lights, and DJs play on Friday and Saturday nights when the room turns from drinks stop to weekend destination.
The Roof is one of the standout Reykjavik rooftop bars and sits within our wider Reykjavik bar guide. For the broader field, browse the best rooftop bars worldwide pillar.
The crowd and vibe. The room draws hotel guests, after-work groups and weekend crowds, and the EDITION pitches the mood as stylish yet relaxed. The energy lifts on DJ nights and settles to a calmer lounge feel on weekday afternoons.
What regulars say. The recurring praise is the view, which reviewers rate among the best in the city, and the design of the all-black lounge. The steady caution is the price, which sits at the top of the Reykjavik range, so most visitors treat it as a one-drink occasion rather than a long session.
The neighbourhood. Austurbakki sits in the Austurhofn harbour district next to Harpa, a short walk from the old harbour and the downtown bars. The position pairs well with a concert at Harpa or a harbour walk, which makes The Roof a natural first or last stop on a polished night out.
On the view. The seventh-floor height is unusual for central Reykjavik, where low-rise streets rarely give a clear line over the harbour, and the wrap-around terrace turns that height into the bar's main asset. Luxury Travel Magazine framed the opening around exactly that panorama, the mountains across the bay on one side and the harbour and Harpa on the other. The glass lounge keeps the outlook usable in poor weather, which matters in a city where the terrace season is short and the winter sky is the draw.
The bottom line. The Roof is Reykjavik's most designed rooftop bar, with harbour and mountain views, a strong cocktail list and weekend DJs. Book ahead at weekends, come for the view and treat the price as the cost of the best high seat in town.
