The Best Cafes in Reykjavik (2026)

Reykjavik has one of the best cafe cultures in Northern Europe, and it thrives for a simple reason: the weather demands it. When it is dark by 15:30 in winter and the wind is cutting sideways down Laugavegur, a warm room with good coffee becomes less of a luxury and more of a survival strategy. Icelanders drink more coffee per capita than almost any other nation, and the cafes that serve them have risen to the occasion.

This is not a city of impersonal chain coffee shops. Reykjavik's best cafes are small, independent, and full of character -- places where you will find locals reading, working on laptops, or simply watching the rain streak down the windows. Here are the ones worth seeking out.

Reykjavik Roasters

If you care about coffee -- really care about it -- Reykjavik Roasters is where you go. They roast their own beans in small batches, and the baristas know their craft. The flagship on Karastigur is a small, pleasantly worn-in space with mismatched furniture and the kind of effortless cool that cannot be manufactured. The pour-over is excellent. The espresso is excellent. Even the filter coffee is excellent. There is no food menu to speak of, and that is the point -- this is a place that does one thing and does it properly.

Best for: Serious specialty coffee Try: Single-origin pour-over

Braud & Co

The smell hits you from halfway down the street. Braud & Co is a bakery first and a cafe second, and the baked goods are extraordinary -- cinnamon rolls with a caramelised crust, sourdough bread that locals queue for before work, and a rotating selection of pastries that changes daily. The space is tiny, and finding a seat during peak hours requires either luck or patience. Buy a cinnamon roll regardless. It is one of the finest things you will eat in Reykjavik at any price.

Best for: Pastries and fresh bread Try: The cinnamon snuður (cinnamon roll) -- still warm from the oven

Sandholt

Sandholt has been baking in Reykjavik since 1920, which makes it one of the oldest bakeries in the country. The ground-floor cafe on Laugavegur serves excellent pastries, open sandwiches, soups, and solid coffee in a bright, spacious room. It sits comfortably between bakery, cafe, and light lunch spot. The croissants are properly laminated, the sourdough is first-rate, and the lunch menu -- particularly the fish soup and open-faced sandwiches -- offers genuine quality at a fair price. A reliable choice any time of day.

Best for: Pastries and a light lunch Try: The smoked salmon open sandwich with the house sourdough

Cafe Babalu

Babalu occupies two floors of a colourful old house on Skolavordustigur, the street that climbs up to Hallgrimskirkja. The interior is eclectic bordering on chaotic -- mismatched furniture, art on every wall, and a warmth that has nothing to do with the heating. The coffee is decent (not destination-worthy on its own), but the soups, crepes, and cakes are good, and the atmosphere is wonderful. This is the cafe you go to when you want to feel like you have found a secret, even though half of Reykjavik already knows about it.

Best for: Atmosphere and a cosy afternoon Try: The soup of the day with bread

Cafe Loki

Directly across the street from Hallgrimskirkja, Cafe Loki is as much a cultural experience as a cafe. The menu leans heavily into traditional Icelandic food -- rye bread ice cream, dried fish with butter, lamb soup, and various preparations of the legendary Icelandic kleina (fried dough). The coffee is straightforward and hot, which is all it needs to be when you are sitting in the window watching tourists photograph the church. It is touristy, yes, but in the best possible way -- the food is genuine and the prices are reasonable.

Best for: Traditional Icelandic snacks with a view Try: The rye bread ice cream -- strange, sweet, and surprisingly good

The Coocoo's Nest

Down by the Grandi harbour area, The Coocoo's Nest is the Reykjavik cafe for a lazy weekend brunch. The space is bright and airy with harbour views, the menu covers eggs, pancakes, smoothie bowls, and solid coffee, and the atmosphere is relaxed in a way that central Reykjavik often is not. It is slightly off the main tourist trail, which means you can usually get a table without a long wait. The brunch menu runs until mid-afternoon, which is exactly as it should be.

Best for: Weekend brunch and harbour views Try: The shakshuka or the pancake stack

Exploring the Cafe Scene

One of the pleasures of Reykjavik is that the city is small enough to walk between all of these cafes in an afternoon. If you would like a guided introduction, Reykjavik walking tours starting from ISK 8,000 often include stops at local cafes and bakeries as part of their route through the city centre. It is a good way to combine sightseeing with coffee stops and pick up local recommendations from your guide.

---

How We Chose

We looked for cafes that Reykjavik residents actually use -- not just places that are popular with tourists (though some are both). Coffee quality, atmosphere, food offering, and the overall feeling of a place all mattered. A great cafe in Reykjavik needs to be a place where you want to stay for an hour, not just grab a takeaway cup. Every cafe on this list passes that test.

Last updated: February 2026.