Kaldi Bar

Kaldi Bar is a beer bar on Laugavegur and the Reykjavik home of Kaldi, an Icelandic beer brewed in the Czech tradition. The bar has been on Laugavegur since 2014, at number 20b, with its entrance on Klapparstígur, and it has won the Bartenders' Choice Award for best atmosphere in Iceland in 2023, 2025 and 2026.

Beer is the main draw. Twelve beers are on tap at any time, and the Kaldi house beers are always among them. The brewery describes its beer as unpasteurised and made with no added sugar or preservatives, and trying a few of the different styles is the obvious thing to do here. Taps from the brewer Ölgerðin, including Guinness and Egils Lite, are also served. For those who prefer spirits, Kaldi has one of the largest gin selections in the country, with 93 bottles from eight regions.

The daily happy hour runs from 16:00 to 19:00, with lower prices on draught beer and house wine, which matters in a city where a round of drinks can be costly. That makes the late afternoon the most sociable time to arrive, as people drop in after work or sightseeing. Later in the evening, especially at weekends, expect the bar to be busier.

Kaldi is open from 12:00 until 01:00 from Sunday to Thursday and until 03:00 on Friday and Saturday, and it closes on 24 and 25 December, with hours sometimes changing on other holidays. It does not take reservations for tables or groups, so come early if you want a seat. The age limit is 22, which is higher than at many bars, so bring photo ID. Cards, mobile payments and cash are all accepted.

Drinking in Iceland is expensive because of high alcohol taxes, so many locals plan their evenings around happy hours, and visitors can do the same. Pace yourself, drink water between rounds and remember that the bars stay open late at weekends.

The bar suits beer lovers, groups of friends and anyone looking for a relaxed, central place to start an evening. If you want quiet conversation, go in the afternoon. Lebowski Bar is next door at Laugavegur 20a, and many of the city's other bars and late-night venues are within a few minutes' walk along Laugavegur, Bankastræti and Hverfisgata, so it is easy to make Kaldi the first stop of a night out.