Bars
The English Pub
Very popular English-style pub in the heart of the city, with a wide range of beers and a wheel of fortune. Beware troubadours in the weekends, though they're very bad!
The Celtic Cross
An Irish pub, with several dark ales and booths where groups can sit and talk in relative privacy.
Bjarni Fel
A sports bar, named for a famous Icelandic footballer and later sports commentator.
Clubs
Bar 11
A rock bar, often featuring live music during weekdays, and good DJs in the weekends.
Kofi Tómasar frænda
In a basement on Laugavegur. DJs here play the most popular pop of all eras from the 1960s onwards, songs people can sing along with while they dance.
Kaffibarinn
An old favorite, this club in a red two-story timber house has been around since the 1980s and remains hip as ever. It was for a period owned partly by Damon Albarn of Blur. Heavy drinking and heavy dancing.
Dillon Rock Bar
Dillon has become quite the attraction for the Icelandic music industry, rockers, students, family folk and famed Hollywood actors over the past decade. During the summertime you can enjoy a cold one in the sun in Dillon´s Beergarden and catch outdoor festivals over the summer. Catch a live band, have a chat with the friendly staff or join the mixed up group on Saturday nights when the 60 year old DJ Andrea rocks the joint and join the family of friends at this century old house of fun.
ReykjavÃk is considered to have some of the best nightlife in all of Europe and it can be almost guaranteed that you haven't really "partied" until you've done it here. This fact is proven by the amount of celebrities who come specifically for it.
Drinking is expensive - expect to pay between 600 and 900 ISK for a draft pint at a bar. Bottled beers and mixed drinks are more expensive, sometimes outlandishly so. Despite the cost, going out in Reykjavik is a fun experience. Since alcohol is expensive at ReykjavÃk bars and clubs, Icelanders usually buy their alcohol at the government owned liquor stores VÃnbúðin, called RÃkið by locals and stay at home drinking until about midnight or later, then they will wander to the bars. Do not expect bars and clubs to become crowded during weekends until about 1AM at least. Cover charges are very rare in ReykjavÃk, unless there is live music or some other sort of event going on. Note that although the legal age for entering clubs is 18, the legal drinking age is 20 and many places set higher entry age limits themselves.
Bars are open to 1AM on weeknights, but most will stay open until 5AM on Friday and Saturday. The clubs and bars themselves are mostly found in a very small area of the city centre, it's easy to just walk around and follow the crowds. You're sure to find somewhere to go, but if you're not sure, groups of drunken Icelanders will usually be eager to help a tourist out! During weekends, live music is easy to find in some of ReykjavÃk's bars. During the day, be sure to pick up a the free English-language magazine The ReykjavÃk Grapevine (http://grapevine.is/) for information on live music events for that evening. It is easy to find in shops, restaurants and bars around the city.