Draft:Kaffibarinn

Icelandic bar From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Kaffibarinn (Icelandic for "The Coffee Bar") is a café and bar located at Bergstaðastræti 1 in the 101 Reykjavík district of downtown Reykjavík, Iceland. Opened in 1993, it is one of the city's oldest continuously operating bars and is widely regarded as an iconic fixture of Reykjavík's nightlife and cultural scene.[1][2][3] The venue is recognisable by its red corrugated-iron exterior and the London Underground roundel sign mounted above its entrance.[4][5]

History

Founding and early years

Kaffibarinn opened its doors in 1993, just four years after beer was legalised in Iceland on 1 March 1989, following a 74-year partial prohibition during which beer with more than 2.25% alcohol content was banned.[6] The bar emerged during a period of rapid growth in Reykjavík's pub culture; prior to the lifting of the beer ban, the city had relatively few dedicated drinking establishments.[7]

The bar was purchased by Icelandic actor and filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur in 1995. In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kormákur recalled: "While working as an actor, I bought a bar in 1995. I figured it would be cheaper to own a bar than pay my monthly bill."[8] British musician Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz became a co-owner during the same period, after being introduced to Reykjavík's nightlife scene by former Sugarcubes vocalist Einar Örn Benediktsson.[9][10] Albarn later described himself as having been "only very briefly a co-owner of that place," but acknowledged that his public enthusiasm for Iceland in interviews led to large numbers of visitors seeking out the bar.[9]

Baltasar Kormákur sold his stake in Kaffibarinn in 2007, shortly before the 2008-2011 Icelandic financial crisis.[8]

Cultural significance in the 1990s

Along with the now-defunct Sirkus, Kaffibarinn is widely credited with helping establish Reykjavík's international reputation as a nightlife destination during the 1990s.[3][11] The bar became a gathering point for Reykjavík's artistic community, attracting writers, musicians, and filmmakers. Icelandic singer Björk has been noted as a patron.[12] One historian of Reykjavík's nightlife scene described Kaffibarinn in the early 1990s as one of the first examples of the crowded, intimate pub format that defined the city's post-prohibition drinking culture.[7]

In film and popular culture

Kaffibarinn is most prominently associated with the Icelandic cult film 101 Reykjavík (2000), directed by Kormákur and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Hallgrímur Helgason. The film, which starred Victoria Abril and Hilmir Snær Guðnason, used Kaffibarinn as a key location, and the protagonist Hlynur spends much of his time at the bar.[1] The film won the Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and holds an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[13]

The European Film Academy noted that the overlap between fiction and reality at the bar was considerable: Helgason, Kormákur, Albarn, and several of the film's cast members were all regular patrons during the period of the film's production.[1] The Reykjavík Grapevine wrote in 2018 that 101 Reykjavík had made the postal code "into a byword for bohemia" and observed that "Kaffibarinn is still bopping."[14]

The bar has continued to appear in Icelandic films and music videos in the decades since, maintaining its association with the country's creative industries.[1]

Premises and atmosphere

Kaffibarinn occupies a small traditional Icelandic corrugated-iron house painted in a distinctive red colour.[citation needed] The London Underground roundel mounted above the door - a reference to Albarn's British connection - has become one of the most photographed features of downtown Reykjavík.[4][5]

The interior is divided across two floors. The ground floor houses the main bar and a small dance area, while the upper floor provides a quieter sitting lounge. The décor has been described as intimate and eclectic, with dim lighting, candles, and vintage furnishings.[2][4]

The venue operates as a dual-concept establishment. During daytime hours it functions as a relaxed café serving coffee and beer, while on weekend evenings it transforms into a nightlife venue with DJ sets spanning electronic, house, indie, and classic genres.[2][3][5] At weekends, furniture is moved aside to create a makeshift dance floor, and the bar regularly stays open until the early morning hours.[4][5] The bar has a well-known policy discouraging photography inside the venue.[3]

Reception

Kaffibarinn has been featured in numerous international travel guides and publications. Lonely Planet describes it as one of Reykjavík's coolest bars, noting that at weekends visitors might need "either a famous face or a battering ram to get in."[15] Frommer's highlights its cultural cachet while noting that the clientele primarily consists of artists, musicians, filmmakers, and tourists.[12] AFAR Magazine characterises the venue as one of Reykjavík's quintessential nightspots.[5]

The bar attracts a mix of local residents, members of the creative community, and international visitors. Travel writers have noted that while the ratio of tourists to locals has shifted over the years, this has not diminished the bar's standing in Reykjavík's nightlife hierarchy.[2][11]

Kaffibarinn has been recognised multiple times in the Reykjavík Grapevine's annual "Best of Reykjavík" awards, winning "Best Bar to End the Night" in 2023 and again in 2026. The publication's panel noted the bar's combination of late hours, consistent crowds, and quality DJ sets as distinguishing factors.[16]

See also

References

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