The 10 Best Craft Beer Bars in Reykjavik

American Bar Reykjavik draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for match days and group bookings. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

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. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Apotek is a heritage Reykjavik cocktail bar in a converted apothecary. The room is preserved early 1900s — marble counter, antique apothecary cabinets, dim warm. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

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. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

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. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Björgardurinn — meaning 'Beer Garden' — is a craft beer specialist near Frakkastigur. The bar pours around 70 taps including Icelandic, Nordic, and internationa. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Bjorinn Craft Beer Bar draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

Bryggjan Brewery draws a steady local crowd in Grandi. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

Bryggjan Craft Beer draws a steady local crowd in Grandi. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Café Paris is a heritage café-bar on the Austurvöllur main square. The room is preserved early 1900s — wooden floors, dim warm lighting, brass fittings — and th. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Einstök Bar pours the Akureyri brewery’s pale ale and white ale on Laugavegur 10, plus a deep gin shelf. It runs late on weekends with a steady local crowd.

Public House Gastropub on Laugavegur 24 pairs Icelandic plates with a Japanese turn and a long beer list. The daily happy hour runs 3 to 6.