Reykjavik is not a cheap city to drink in, and that fact alone makes bar choice count for something. A forgettable lager at the wrong spot can feel like throwing money away. A well-poured Icelandic IPA, a flight of seasonal locals, or a late stop with the right energy around you — that feels like the city showing you something real.
The good news is that Reykjavik handles craft beer unusually well for a capital its size. The scene is compact and walkable, serious without ever tipping into snobbery. You can drink at respected Icelandic breweries, speak to bartenders who actually know their taps, and move between polished beer halls and smaller specialist spots in a single evening.
Best Reykjavik craft beer bars at a glance
These bars are not all trying to do the same thing. Some are built for range — long tap lists, international bottles, room to explore. Others put Icelandic craft front and centre and let atmosphere follow. A few are especially good for first-time visitors because they make trying local beer straightforward without needing a PhD in brewing.
If you have one night, keep the route simple and stay central. Two or three stops tends to work better than trying to cover every name on a list. The beer here is good enough that pacing actually rewards you.
Skúli Craft Bar
If someone asks where to start, this is the honest answer. Skúli Craft Bar gets the basics right — solid tap selection, a central location, staff who can point you toward Icelandic beers without turning it into a lecture. Those three things together are rarer than they should be.
The atmosphere sits on the relaxed side of things, which helps if you have just finished a long day of sightseeing and want a quality drink without walking into a room that feels coded for regulars only. The lineup rotates and usually includes Icelandic breweries pushing past the standard pale ale and lager territory.
It also works well for mixed groups. The person who cares deeply about beer will find something worth caring about. Everyone else can order something good and simply enjoy the evening.
Session Craft Bar
Session is the right stop if curation matters to you. It draws people who want more than a random selection of taps and who like a place that treats beer as the reason for being there, not an afterthought. The range tends to be considered rather than sprawling.
What makes it appealing to visitors is that it feels current. You are not just drinking craft beer in Reykjavik — you are drinking in a place that reflects where the city’s beer thinking actually is right now. If you enjoy smaller pours, experimenting with styles, and talking through what is on before you commit, Session earns its spot near the top.
It works best earlier in the evening, when the room is quieter and you can actually take your time with the list.
MicroBar
MicroBar has been part of the Reykjavik beer conversation for a while, and it still holds up. It is a practical choice when you want variety from a bar that understands beer-first customers. The selection typically runs Icelandic craft options alongside imports, which is useful if you want to set local brewing against broader European and American points of reference.
Flights and half pours make a lot of sense here. Reykjavik prices can punish indecision, so being able to taste your way to a full pint is a genuine advantage. For anyone trying to get a feel for Icelandic brewing in a single stop, MicroBar keeps that manageable.
The atmosphere can feel more functional than atmospheric on some nights. For a lot of visitors, that is not actually a problem — it just means the beer is carrying the weight, and the beer is up to it.
Malbygg Taproom
Malbygg is the name worth knowing if you want to drink at one of Iceland’s genuinely ambitious modern craft breweries rather than simply a bar that stocks local taps. Their beers have earned real respect, particularly among travelers who already follow Nordic or European craft scenes and want something local that keeps up.
At the taproom, the experience is brewery-shaped. That means fresher pours, a clearer sense of identity, and a stronger feel for what one producer does well when they are paying attention. Expect hop-forward beers, seasonal experimentation, and a menu that tracks trends without just chasing them.
For some visitors, this will be the standout of the whole Reykjavik beer side of a trip. For others, it may feel a bit more destination-specific than a casual downtown bar. It depends on whether you want a broad night out or something more deliberate.
Ægir 101
Ægir 101 works well for travelers who want a central beer bar with a bit of atmosphere behind it. It is approachable, well located, and easy to fold into an evening built around dinner or a walk through downtown. That convenience is not trivial in Reykjavik, where weather can cut a loosely planned night considerably shorter than expected.
The beer selection is usually broad enough to satisfy most visitors, with local craft well represented. It is not always the most specialist pick in the city, but it tends to sit in that useful middle ground between quality and ease. If someone in your group is there for beer and someone else just wants a decent bar, Ægir 101 handles both without complaint.
It may not win a head-to-head comparison on rarity or depth, but it makes a lot of sense when you are actually planning a real evening rather than an ideal one.
Lebowski Bar
Lebowski Bar is not a pure craft beer destination — and that is precisely why it still earns a mention here. If the priority is a fun, energetic night with more than beer on offer, it fits. The menu is wider, the vibe is louder, and the appeal stretches further than at any of the dedicated craft spots.
For serious beer travelers, this probably is not stop one. For mixed groups on a weekend, it can be one of the more practical calls on the list. You get a recognisable Reykjavik nightlife atmosphere with enough beer choice to keep things interesting.
Think of it as a social bar that works for beer drinkers, rather than a beer bar that also happens to be lively.
Kaldi Bar
Kaldi Bar is worth your time if you want Icelandic beer in a setting that feels genuinely local rather than polished for tourism. The bar is connected to one of Iceland’s better-known beer names, and that gives it credibility with visitors who want to drink something rooted in the country rather than imported craft trends given a local label.
The mood is more straightforward and less curated than at some of the newer craft-led spots. That is part of what makes it good. If you want to settle in with a few beers and let the evening move at its own pace rather than working through a tasting menu, Kaldi is often the right answer.
It is also a useful reminder that the best Reykjavik craft beer bars are not all after the same experience. Some are about discovery. Some are just about being somewhere comfortable with a good beer in hand.
Bastard Brew & Food
Bastard Brew & Food earns its place when food is a real part of the plan. There are bars where eating feels like a compromise and bars where the drinking feels secondary. Bastard manages the balance better than most, which makes it especially useful at the start of an evening when you need to actually eat something.
You can work through local beers, have a proper meal, and sidestep the common visitor mistake of drinking on an empty stomach in a city where alcohol moves quickly through both your energy and your budget. The atmosphere is lively without being overwhelming, and it can carry a bigger portion of your night without running out of things to offer.
If you are planning an evening with dinner, drinks, and maybe one more stop after, Bastard is one of the easier anchors to build around.
Kex Hostel Bar
Kex is better known as a social hub than a specialist beer destination, but it belongs on this list because it solves a real problem. Sometimes you do not need the finest tap list in the city. You need somewhere comfortable, with decent local beer, good energy, and a crowd that mixes visitors and locals without feeling staged.
That is what Kex does. It is particularly good on a first or second night in Reykjavik, when you are still getting your bearings and maybe not ready to commit to something narrower. The selection is not the deepest in the city, but the setting often more than compensates.
How to choose the right beer bar in Reykjavik
It comes down to what kind of night you are actually having. If craft beer is the whole point, start with Skúli Craft Bar, Session Craft Bar, MicroBar, or Malbygg Taproom. If you want something more balanced — food involved, broader crowd, less tunnel vision on taps — Ægir 101, Bastard Brew & Food, or Kex Hostel Bar may be the better fit.
Budget is worth thinking about before you head out. Happy hour can make a meaningful difference in Reykjavik, so checking times in advance is not overthinking it. Trying to hit every well-known bar in one night usually ends in rushed rounds and expensive regret. Two good bars — one chosen for range, one for atmosphere — is typically the smarter plan.
If you want more practical Iceland planning help beyond nightlife, Iceland Now at https://Icelandnow.org covers the kind of detail that makes a trip run more smoothly.
One last thing worth saying: order Icelandic beer first. You can drink familiar styles anywhere. In Reykjavik, even one well-chosen local pour tells you more about the place than a full night of playing it safe.
