Things to do in Iceland
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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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Blue Lagoon
As the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, as Disney World is to Florida, so the Blue Lagoon is to Iceland…with all the positive and negative connotations that implies. Those who say it’s too expensive, too clinical, too crowded are kind of right, but you’ll be missing something special if you don’t go.
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Vín og Skel
Tucked inside a courtyard off Laugavegur, this simple restaurant (which feels like a French seaside eatery) devotes itself wholeheartedly to perfect seafood. Bouillabaisse soup, scallops, langoustines, cod and mussels all feature on its menu, chalked up on a big Gallic-looking blackboard. [Whale meat served.]
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Kjarvalsstaðir
Jóhannes Kjarval (1885–1972) was a fisherman until his crew paid for him to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He’s one of Iceland’s most popular artists, and his unearthly landscapes can be seen inside the angular glass-and-wood Kjarvalsstaðir, alongside changing installations.
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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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Grái Kötturinn
This tiny six-table cafe looks like a cross between an eccentric bookshop and a lopsided art gallery – quite charming! Opening hours are odd, but it serves breakfast from 7am weekdays and 8am weekends – toast, bagels, American pancakes, or bacon and eggs served on thick, buttery slabs of freshly baked bread.
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Súfistinn
This great cafe-bar is the most cheerful place to eat in town – ladies lunch, readers read, kids play chess, and half of Hafnarfjörður gathers to gossip about the other half. There’s a satisfying selection of salads, sarnies, burritos, crêpes, quiches and coffee on offer, and an all-new outside decking area.
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Siggihall
Run by Iceland's most famous TV chef, this upmarket seafood restaurant is regarded as one of the finest in Reykjavík. The menu features plenty of fishy favourites, with Icelandic-Mediterranean fusion dishes taking precedence. Siggihall is best known for its bacalao, served in different styles.
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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.
reviewed
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Krua Thai
Look beyond the simple interior to the tasty food: here you’ll find genuine recipes, popular with Thai residents of Reykjavík. The glossy photo-menu shows soups, spicy salads, curries and stir-fries; you order at the counter, and generous, freshly-cooked dishes appear looking just like they do in the snaps.
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Kjarnaskógur Woods
About 3km south of town is Iceland's most visited 'forest', the Kjarnaskógur woods. This bushland area has a 2km-long athletic course, walking tracks, picnic tables, an amusing children's playground and some novel fitness-testing devices. Check out the amusing log sundial designed by Icelandic Scouts.
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Lækjarbrekka
This top-notch restaurant has built up its reputation over more than 20 years, cooking traditional Icelandic dishes (game, lobster, juicy pepper steak and mountain lamb) with half an eye on the tourist dollar. From June to August it puts on a high-quality Icelandic buffet (Ikr5600) every evening from 6pm.
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Narfeyrarstofa
Well, the jig is up – everyone’s figured out that this atmospheric joint is the best place in town for a bite, including all the tour groups. It’s definitely worth sampling the delicious assortment of cakes and burgers; just don’t stop by during prime lunching hours ’cause you won’t get a table!
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Hornið
There’s an easy-going air at this bright art deco cafe-restaurant, with its warm terracotta tiles, weeping-fig plants and decently spaced tables. Pizzas are freshly made before your eyes, the prettily presented pasta meals will set you up for the day, and you can sample traditional Icelandic fish dishes.
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Handknitting Association of Iceland
Traditional handmade hats, socks and sweaters are sold at this knitting collective, or you can buy yarn and knitting patterns and do it yourself. There’s a smaller branch ([tel] 562 1890; Laugavegur 64; [hrs] 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat Jul & Aug, shorter hr winter), which sells made-up items only.
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Siggubær
The merchant Bjarni Sívertsen was once the most important man in Hafnarfjörður. To take on board the huge contrast between Bjarni’s lifestyle and the typical impoverished Icelander’s, you can visit the 19th century Siggubær – a tiny restored fishing hut, next to the park at Hellisgerði.
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Iceland
10 days (Reykjavik)
by Intrepid
Discover Iceland's history in Reykjavik, Witness the steamy eruptions of a giant geyser, Hike to the tongue of Europe's biggest glacier, Travel to Iceland's…Not LP reviewed
from USD$3,185 -
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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.
reviewed
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Whale-Watching Tour from Reykjavik
2 hours 30 minutes (Departs Reykjavik, Iceland)
by Viator
Board a whale-watching boat in Reykjavik and head out on an adventure to see the numerous whales of Faxaflói Bay. Visit the 'puffin islands' where thousands of…Not LP reviewed
from USD$64.98 -
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Laugar Spa
The five-star Laugar spa is attached to Laugardalslaug, and offers delicious ways to pamper yourself. There are six themed saunas and steam rooms, a vast and well-equipped gym, and beauty and massage clinics with soothing treatments (detox wraps, facials and hot-stone therapies).
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Café Nielsen
Occupying the midrange bracket between N1 eats and gourmet treats, the standard menu at Café Nielsen won’t blow you away, but you’ll probably end up eating here if you’re spending any amount of time in town. In summer there’s a pleasant leafy terrace and garden. The kitchen closes at 10pm sharp.
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Hans Petersen
Reykjavík has plenty of photo shops, but prices for film are astronomical. Hans Petersen is the best place to go for slide or print film, photographic equipment and processing. There are other branches near the Nordica Hotel on Suðurlandsgata and in the Kringlan and Smáralind Shopping Centres.
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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.
reviewed