Reykjavik
You're flying out of Reykjavik Airport, you have 90 minutes to kill, and you'd like to do better than a Pret. Good news: airport drinking has improved more in the last five years than the previous fifty. Pre-flight drinks at Reykjavik Airport range from chain reliability to surprisingly polished hotel-style bars in the airport hotels. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to drinking better at Reykjavik's airports.
City Centre · $$$
Apotek Restaurant Bar draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
a converted apothecary. The room is preserved early 1900s — marble counter · $$$
Apotek is a heritage Reykjavik cocktail bar in a converted apothecary. The room is preserved early 1900s — marble counter, antique apothecary cabinets, dim warm
City centre · $$
The Big Lebowski Bar is Reykjavik's most theatrical themed bar — built entirely around the 1998 Coen Brothers film. White Russians are the signature drink (24 v
City Centre · $$
Bjórskóli (Beer School) draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Want a real drink before flying? The fastest play is to get to airport hotels next door — most run polished bars that beat anything post-security. We list them at the bottom. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, see our shortlist of bars in Reykjavik proper at the end.
Plays for Reykjavik Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 200+ cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond Reykjavik? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.