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There's no shortage of great cafés and coffee shops in Reykjavík. The two Icelandic coffee chains, Te & Kaffi and Kaffitár have several locations downtown, plus there are several bookstore cafés and several small independent cafés lining the busiest streets and squares. And if you prefer international coffee chains there is a Joe and the Juice café on the main thoroughfare Laugavegurinn.
But if you either don't like chain cafés or have already visited all of the most popular places, or if you are simply looking for a different atmosphere and a cup of coffee off the beaten path, we have you covered.
These five cafés are very different: Some are far off the beaten path, while others just one or two blocks off the main streets. But they all have one thing in common: They have uniqe character making them worth visiting!
1. Kattakaffihúsið - The Reykjavík Cat Café
Mjá That's how Icelandic cats say "meow". Photo/Maggie
If you love cats and are looking for a favorite Reykjavík café look no further: Kattakaffihúsið is the café for you! Reykjavík's first (and so far only) cat café is a wonderful, friendly little café in downtown, located on Bergstaðastræti street, just one block from busy Skólavörðustígur street it's the ideal place to sit down for a cup of coffee and rest.
Read more: The Purrrfect café for cat lovers
The Cat Café works with a local cat shelter and hversumane society Villikettir to find homes for homeless adult cats. At any time the café is home to two or three lovely felines who are looking for a loving family. Customers can come in, get to know the cats, fall in love, and then adopt them - or just get their fix of purring and meowing (which, if you were wondering, is pronounced mjá, in Icelandic).
Opening hours (Both at the Kárastígur and Brautarholt locations):
Every day:10:00-18:00
2. Hannesarholt
Even if Hannesarholt is smack down town it is far enough from the beaten path to remain mostly undiscovered. Which is a real shame, because Hannesarholt is one of the most beautiful cafés/restaurants in Reykjavík.
A HISTORIC BUILDING The Café is located in the living room, the dining room and the library of Hannes Hafstein, first prime minister of Iceland. Photo/Iceland Magazine
Hannesarholt is located in one of the most beautiful houses in the Þingholtin neighbourhood (the old down-town area, bordered by Skólavörðustígur street, the lake and Hallgrímskirkja church). The house is one of the oldest stone buildings in Reykjavík, built in 1915 following the great Reykjavík fire of 1915.
The house was built by Hannes Hafstein, who was a celebrated poet, Member of Parliament and one of the heroes of the Icelandic struggle for independence. Hannes also became the first prime minister of Iceland, in 1904. His statue stands in front of the Prime Minister’s office by Lækjargata street.
Hannesarholt is not only rich in history, it serves a great breakfast and lunch menues and concerts and musical performances at night. The food is both simple and honest, made with fresh ingredients. You should stop by for a breakfast of Icelandic skyr with homemade muesli or lunch for traditional Icelandic fish stew. If you are walking around down-town looking for a café you should definitely take the few extra steps to visit Hannesarholt, rather than stumble into one of the crowded cafés along the main shopping streets.
Opening hours:
Weekdays 8:00-17:00 (breakfast is served 8:00-11:00, Lunch 11:00-14:30)
Weekends 11:00-17:00
3. Reykjavík Roasters, Borgarholt (near Hlemmur square)
Reykjavík Roasters probably offers the best coffee in Reykjavík. Its café by Kárastígur in the old part of town is also one of the most popular cafés in Reykjavík. And no wonder, not only is the coffee great, the café offers a cosy and somewhat quirky atmosphere, just one block from Hallgrímskirkja church. Due to the location and the fact that the café is always packed with travellers as well as locals and regulars, which disqualifies Reykjavík Roasters from this list.
The best coffee in town Reykjavík Roasters is off the beaten path, across the street from the Icelandic Academy of the Arts. Photo/Iceland Magazine
So, why are we still including Reykjavík Roasters on this list of hidden cafés, you might ask? The reason is that Reykjavík Roasters opened a second store this summer, which is still relatively hidden! The décor is rather minimalistic, as opposed to the eclectic quirkiness at Kárastígur.
The customers at both locations are a mix of smart young professionals and local hipsters. Located in Brautarholt, across the street from the Icelandic Academy of the Arts, a couple of blocks east off the Bus Stop Square at the end of Laugavegur shopping street, it is a great place to stop to have an early-bird cup of quality coffee before you head down-town.
Opening hours (Both at the Kárastígur and Brautarholt locations):
Weekdays 8:00-18:00
Weekends 9:00-17:00
4. Bike Cave
Close to the down town Airport, Bike Cave is probably not just the most interesting hidden small café and burger joint in Reykjavík, it is also the most reasonably priced. At a time when prices at most cafés and restaurants have climbed ever higher, whether that is due to inflation or gold-rush attempts by restaurateurs to milk every last penny out of the growing tide of foreign travellers, Bike Cave still offers prices which seem to come out of the 1990s. A cup of coffee costs less than 300 ISK!
Eclectic and homey Bike cave can serve as an excellent base for travellers, whatever transportation they prefer. Photo/Bike Cave.
But Bike Cave is not only a charming small café and bistro, it is also a great travel centre, offering various services to travellers. You can find everything from scooter-rental and a short term car rental, for running errands around town, to a laundromat and shower facilities. You can grab a reasonably priced burger or beer while you wait for the laundry, or wash off the dust from the road.
In addition Bike Cave is a Self Service Pit Stop for anyone traveling by bike or bicycle. A bicycle stand and motorbike lift, loaded tool chests, an automatic tire changer and computerized balancing machine – again, all reasonably priced.
Located in the small neighbourhood of Skerjafjörður, which is more like a village within the city, Bike Cave is within walking distance from the Nauthólsvík geothermal beach.
Opening hours:
Every day 8:00-23:00
5. Kaffi Vínyl: Only all vegan restaurant in Reykjavík
Spinning records Kaffi Vínyl is the only all-vegan restaurant in Reykjavík, and a wonderful café. Photo/Kaffi Vinyl
While it's safe to say Kaffi Vínyl is the most hipstery café on this liste, you are not required to have a degree in irony, beard grooming and obscure Italian disco to enjoy this great café. Kaffi Vínyl is located on Hverfisgata street, it's the currently the hippest place in Reykjavík: A record shop, a vegan restaurant, café and bar.
Kaffi Vínyl offers light food and drinks, offering a great selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes. If you are looking for a ham sandwich this might not be the place for you!
As the name implies the café is also a record store, specializing in hard to get vinyl, offering selected electronica, vintage grooves and classic albums. DJ´s and live performances at night turn the café into a happening spot to relax and get to know people. The atmosphere at Kaffi Vínyl is relaxed and the eclectic decor (basically just random mismatched second hand furniture!) gives the place a wonderful unpretencious vibe some over-designed hipster cafés lack. You actually feel you are sitting at a friend’s apartment.
Opening hours:
Every day 9:00-23:00
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