Entertainment in Iceland
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Café Haiti
If you’re a coffee fan, this tiny cafe near the harbour is the place for you. Owner Elda buys her beans from her home country of Haiti, and roasts and grinds them on-site, producing what regulars swear are the best cups of coffee in the country.
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Celtic Cross
If Víking beer isn’t doing it for you, head for a pint of Guinness at Celtic Cross. It is done up like a funeral parlour and features bands in the basement at weekends.
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Barbara
Barbara is a gay bar/club in theory, although in practice it attracts everyone in town who likes wild dancing.
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Café Amsterdam
At the time of writing, Reykjavík was reeling with shock as one of the city's oldest venues went bankrupt and a second pronounced that it no longer wanted to stage live bands! But the Reykjavík scene is robust and strangely organic, and other venues are already beginning to emerge.
Café Amsterdam has been around for aeons, but it now seems to be evolving as the new place to catch up-and-coming bands, and there are frequent live performances at various bars, pubs and clubs, including Nelly's, Sirkus and NASA.
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Iceland Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra will eventually move to flashy new premises by the harbour, currently half built. The economic crisis has put a temporary halt to the construction work and planned relocation, so for now the orchestra will remain at Reykjavík University cinema. There are around 60 classical performances per season, normally on Thursday at 7.30pm.
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Hressingarskálinn
Known colloquially as Hressó, this large open-plan cafe-bar serves a diverse menu until 10pm daily (everything from porridge to plokkfiskur). At weekends, it loses its civilised veneer and concentrates on beer, bar and dancing; a garden out back provides fresh air. There’s usually a DJ or live music on Thursday nights.
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Kaffibarinn
This old house, with the London Underground symbol over the door, contains one of Reykjavík’s coolest bars; it even had a starring role in cult movie 101 Reykjavík (2000). At weekends you’ll need a famous face or a battering ram to get in. At other times it’s a place for artistic types to chill with their Macs.
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Thorvaldsen Bar
This understated modernist bar is ultraposh, from the fusion-style food to the clientele. There are DJs from Thursday to Saturday – dress up well or you won’t get in, and after midnight be prepared to queue…and queue. There’s a tiny dance floor, and ‘theme nights’ on Asia de Cuba Wednesday and Mojito Thursday.
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Salt Lounge Bar
A lustrous bar-restaurant attached to the Radisson SAS 1919 Hotel, Salt is gloriously upmarket. It's all clean Scandinavian lines, low luxurious seats and soft purple-toned lighting - and they even bring the cocktails to your table. It's not a place to get raddled in, but maybe one for early-evening drinkies.
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Grand Rokk
This down-to-earth pub was once a great live-music venue, but a few years ago the owners installed large-screen TVs upstairs and turned it into a sports bar. There have been recent signs that bands are being welcomed back…keep your fingers crossed, and in the meantime, you know where to go to watch football.
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Barinn
At the time of writing the jury was still out on Barinn. Its previous incarnation was a laid-back bluesy-grungy kind of place, but it's since been revamped and has yet to find its crowd. Its all much whiter and brighter, with chalkboard menus, bistro food and weekend DJs. Drop by to see how it's shaping up.
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Dillon
Beer, beards and the odd flying bottle…atmospheric Dillon is a RRRRROCK pub, drawing lively crowds. There are frequent concerts on its tiny corner stage, a great beer garden, and an unusual DJ, the white-haired white-wine-and-rum-swilling ‘rokkmamman’ Andrea Jons, a kind of female Icelandic John Peel.
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Gullfoss Lounge Bar
A lustrous bar-restaurant attached to the Radisson SAS 1919 Hotel, Gullfoss is gloriously upmarket. It’s all clean Scandinavian lines, low luxurious seats and soft purple-toned lighting. It’s not a place to get falling-over drunk in, but one for early-evening cocktails or a glass or two of good wine.
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Karamba
Quiet during the day, colourful Karamba becomes a lively drinking spot at night. Newly opened in 2009, the bar has become an instant hit for its eclectic DJ sets and frequent (and often impromptu) live band performances. There’s sometimes a cover charge if better-known musicians are playing.
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Rex
Rex caters to an older, richer and more beautiful crowd than your average nightclub. It's a place where business deals are made over perfect cocktails, and where visiting celebrities can party in peace. Its three floors glow with rich red wallpaper, soft velvet seats and chandeliers.
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Sódóma
Just opened in 2009, Sódóma (named after a fictional bar from a famous Icelandic film) is a central venue rising from the ashes of former stalwart Gaukur á Stöng. It acts as a rougher rock bar, and its size gives it prominence as one of the city’s main live-music venues.
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Batteríið
For a few years now, this place on the wrong side of Lækjargata has been one of Reykjavík’s main live-music venues. When you know it holds just 300 people, you understand how cute and teeny the city’s bar scene really is… Escape the crush in the fairy-lighted courtyard.
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Nelly's
By serving the cheapest beer in town (around Ikr900 for 1½L), publike Nelly's naturally pulls in a young, studenty crowd. There's a cheerful atmosphere, DJs and live bands play regularly, it opens until 06:00 at weekends, and there are daily offers on alcohol.
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Sirkus
Our personal favourite, this kooky bar has dinky fairy lights, bus seats in the attic, an annual Tom Selleck Moustache Competition, and a loyal local following. DJs and bands play regularly, and there's a summer garden where you can snatch gulps of fresh air.
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Laugardalsvöllur National Stadium
The country’s passion for football (soccer) is huge. Cup and international matches are played at this national stadium in Laugardalur; see the sports sections of Reykjavík’s newspapers for fixtures, and buy tickets directly from the venue.
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Hverfisbarinn
This trendy bar and club attracts a young, dressy crowd and has long queues at weekends. It’s done out in a cool modern-Scandinavian style, which adds to the spacious feel. There’s live music on Thursday from 10pm, and DJs on Friday and Saturday.
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Reykjavík City Theatre
The country’s second-largest theatre, behind Kringlan shopping centre, stages at least six plays and musicals per year, showing at around 8pm from Thursday to Sunday. The Icelandic Dance Company (www.id.is) is in residence there.
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Q Bar
Q Bar is one of the smallest bars in Reykjavík, a smart, stylish, minimalist place that transformed itself into a gay bar a couple of years ago. It bills itself as ‘straight friendly’ and certainly entertains a mixed clientele.
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Glaumbar
This American-style sports bar is young, brash and boisterous, with a huge video screen showing matches, deafening music, and weekend DJs. It's where very drunk people tend to end up at dawn, thanks to its late opening hours (to 06:00).
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Kaffi Brennslan
All kinds of folk frequent Brennslan, an unpretentious Art Deco café-bar - conventional types mix with the avant-garde. It entices a 20s and 30s crowd with beers from 20 countries, but it never gets so packed that you can't move.
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