Reykjavík has a fantastic café culture—locals aren’t just obsessive about drinking good coffee, but they want interesting and nice places to drink it. I got to experience just how awesome the city’s cafés are during my layover in Reykjavík when I met with Couchsurfer Romina at Stofan Café. It’s really inspired me to look deeper into the café culture in Reykjavík, so without further ado, here are 6 of Reykjavik’s best coffeehouse experiences:
Stofan Kaffihús
This was my introduction to Reykjavik’s café culture, so of course it would be included. It was a cute yellow building with vintage seating and friendly staff who didn’t mind that I sat there and drank their unlimited filter coffee all day! Stofan means the living room, and that’s exactly what you’ll find: coffee tables, couches, and people lounging around with laptops and notebooks. They also serve alcohol if you’re looking for a stronger pick-me-up!
Café Haiti
After spending so much time in Martinique and exploring some Haitian art, the culture of Haiti really interests me. To take all of that colour and import it to Iceland is just plain fascinating! The coffeehouse is located right on the old harbour, and they serve coffee purchased from local farms in Haiti. Café Haiti make amazing cakes and Haitian-Icelandic fusion dishes, but definitely try their spiced coffee, made with caraway!
Mokka
If history is what interests you, then you have to check out Mokka. The owners opened their doors in 1958, serving espressos to Icelanders who only drank filter coffee. It took awhile to catch on, but eventually this spot was the place to be for artists and writers who wanted to discuss ideas. They have an eclectic art décor design and great coffee; besides that, you have to eat the mouth-watering waffles they serve all day.
Kaffitár Bankastræti
This is a franchise you’ll find all over the city, but it isn’t because they are sellouts; it’s because they are extremely popular. Kaffitár is introduced coffee sourced and roasted in Iceland to the mainstream market, which makes this spot important to Reykjavík’s café culture. Their baristas are highly trained and have competed (and won) barista championships. The coffeehouses are vibrant and filled with regulars.
Litli bóndabærinn
If it’s organic coffee and food you’re after, this café, which means The Little Farm, only serves organic products. The staff are awesome, willing to chat and make a quality cuppa. This place also offers bottomless scones with fresh jam and cream (amazing!) as well as homemade gluten-free brownies and desserts.
Nzozi/Kigali Coffee
This tiny spot isn’t too much on the tourist radar, but they serve Rwandan and Burundian coffee that has a completely different taste profile than anything else you can drink in Reykjavík. The coffee is ethically sourced in country, which means all of the money goes into the hands of the people who are on the ground growing the beans. Along with the coffee, they serve Rwandan snacks and a chocolate cake that is next-level delicious.
This article is part of the #HipmunkCityLove series. Check out this article I wrote about hotels in Reykjavík, too!