Reykjavik
You're flying out of Reykjavik Airport, you have 90 minutes to kill, and you'd like to do better than a Pret. Good news: airport drinking has improved more in the last five years than the previous fifty. Pre-flight drinks at Reykjavik Airport range from chain reliability to surprisingly polished hotel-style bars in the airport hotels. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to drinking better at Reykjavik's airports.
City Centre · $$$
Apotek Restaurant Bar draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
a converted apothecary. The room is preserved early 1900s — marble counter · $$$
Apotek is a heritage Reykjavik cocktail bar in a converted apothecary. The room is preserved early 1900s — marble counter, antique apothecary cabinets, dim warm
City centre · $$
The Big Lebowski Bar is Reykjavik's most theatrical themed bar — built entirely around the 1998 Coen Brothers film. White Russians are the signature drink (24 v
City Centre · $$
Bjórskóli (Beer School) draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Want a real drink before flying? The fastest play is to get to airport hotels next door — most run polished bars that beat anything post-security. We list them at the bottom. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, see our shortlist of bars in Reykjavik proper at the end.
Plays for Reykjavik Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 176 cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond Reykjavik? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.