Editorial
The 8 best live music bars in Reykjavik pack a national music scene into a few central streets, where a band plays most nights within a short walk of Laugavegur. We read each for the stage first and the bar second: who is playing, what the room pours and the night to turn up. From the alternative stage at Gaukurinn to a rock bar voted the city's best, these are the live rooms our editors send you to.
Four rooms carry the loud end of the city, from a dark alternative stage to a smoky whiskey saloon.
The rest of the list belongs to the institutions, the hip hop cafe, the jazz hostel and the legendary bars that built the scene.
For live music in Reykjavik, Gaukurinn keeps the most distinctive stage while Lemmy earns its title as the city's best room for a band every night. Hurra catches the new Icelandic acts, KEX wins the jazz crowd, and the English Pub guarantees a singalong. Start at Gaukurinn and let a short walk down Laugavegur do the rest.
Priya Nair is barsforKings' senior cocktail editor and a former Punch contributor. She reads a bar by its menu first: how the list is built, the house spirits, and the one drink worth ordering.