Gamla Kaffihusid

Gamla Kaffihusid is the kind of cafe that guidebooks miss because it is not where tourists go. Tucked into the residential Fell neighbourhood of Reykjavik, well away from the selfie sticks and souvenir shops of Laugavegur, this small, warm cafe operates as a genuine community hub — the sort of place where neighbours drop in for coffee, families come for Saturday lunch, and everyone knows the staff by name.

The Food

The menu is short and unpretentious. Homemade soup of the day, burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches with ham, chicken dishes, and a selection of cakes and pastries. The burgers are surprisingly good — thick, well-seasoned, and served with proper chips. The soups are the kind that taste like someone's grandmother made them, which they probably did. The date cake has a small but devoted following.

Nothing on the menu is trying to impress a food critic. Everything is trying to feed you well, and it succeeds.

The Atmosphere

"The Old Coffee House" is named with good reason. The interior has an old-time tavern feel — worn in the right way, comfortable rather than shabby — and the atmosphere is the warmest you will find in any Reykjavik cafe. The service has drawn consistent praise from visitors who are unused to being treated like actual human beings rather than credit cards with legs.

This is a neighbourhood cafe in the truest sense. Regulars drift in and out, children are welcome, and the pace is unhurried. If the downtown cafes feel performative — and some do — Gamla Kaffihusid feels real.

Getting There

This is the trade-off. Gamla Kaffihusid is not on any tourist trail. Drafnarfelli 18 is in a residential neighbourhood east of the city centre, reachable by buses 3, 4, 12, or 17 (get off at the Fellaskoli stop). By car, it is a 15-minute drive from downtown. It is not a casual walk-in from your hotel.

But that inaccessibility is part of the charm. You come here because you have heard about it, because a local recommended it, or because you have decided to experience Reykjavik the way Reykjavik actually lives rather than the way it markets itself to visitors.

Practical Tips

Best for. Anyone who wants to escape the tourist centre, eat homemade food at fair prices, and experience a side of Reykjavik that most visitors never see.

Budget. One of the cheapest meals you will find in the city. A soup and sandwich or a burger with coffee will cost less than a single main course at most downtown restaurants.

Rating. The near-perfect Tripadvisor score of 4.9 from visitors who have found this place tells you everything. People do not leave reviews like that for average experiences.

Gamla Kaffihusid is not a destination in the tourist sense. It is the opposite — a place that belongs to its neighbourhood and welcomes anyone willing to come find it. If that sounds like your kind of cafe, make the trip. You will not regret it.