12 Best Bars in City Center East, Reykjavík

Akureyri-based brewery Einstök has opened the brand's first tasting space in the capital city. The interiors are cozy and moody—large groups mingle with solo drinkers enjoying pints of Arctic Pale Ale and other seasonal brews. The outdoor seating is the best on Laugavegur and provides the ultimate people-watching perch.

One of the city's most famous cafés and nightspots—thanks to its associations with local and international celebs, like Damon Albarn from Blur—Kaffibarinn is a relaxed café during the day but it gets hopping on nights and weekends, when DJs show up and play until the wee hours.

Unofficially Iceland's best gay bar, Kiki Queer Bar is a spirited mix of locals and travelers on any given night. Located in the heart of Reykjavík's nightlife hub, you can dance until the wee hours here.

The line of people waiting to get in to this bar stretches around the block on weekends. And it's totally worth the wait: inside, you'll find some of the city's best DJs, as well as a ton of locals relaxing and mingling. Prikið is open during the day too, when the crowds are much smaller. The burger is a sleeper hit, so try and stop by for lunch if you can.

This loud bar's open-floor plan can accommodate groups easily. The best seats are the pillow-topped benches along the window—they were practically made for people-watching. All of the cocktails are great here, but the classics are treated with special care; you can't go wrong with an Old-Fashioned.

This is your basic, no-frills bar serving up drinks and cakes beginning in the afternoon and hosting DJs into the early morning hours. It's located in the main shopping district, making it a great spot to grab a snack and libation in the late afternoon.

Take a trip back in time—specifically, Miami circa the 1980s. The color theme is pastel, the architecture skews brutalist, and the neon lights never stop. Plus, the cocktails hold their own, too.

The best time to visit Micro Bar is between the hours of 3 and 7 pm, when the bar has two beers on special for happy hour. You'll find a solid selection of Icelandic beers and an inviting atmosphere that's perfect for making new local friends.

During the day, Mikki Refur serves up coffee, but once the sun goes down (or happy hour hits), the wine list becomes the popular choice. There are also small bites to help pace your sips.

If you don't feel like heading to the top of Hallgrímskirkja to take in 360-degree views of Reykjavík, check out Petersen Svítan. This rooftop lounge is on the third floor of Gamla Bíó, a historic cinema. In a previous life, the bar was the cinema owner's apartment; today, it's an open-air bar with a bi-level terrace.

Head right this way for the happy hour, which runs from 4 to 7 pm every day. The intimate space often holds exhibit, live music, and DJ sets, so chances are you'll stick around once happy hour ends.

Admittedly a tourist attraction, this bar and restaurant is themed after—you guessed it—the Coen Brothers' cult classic The Big Lebowski, and has an entire menu dedicated to White Russians. The decor is full of references: the bar is lined with rugs, the barstools look like bowling shoes, and "the Dude" himself can be found on the cocktail napkins. The neon sign out front provides quite the photo op.