OUR FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS IN REYKJAVIK

MOKKA

Mokka has incredible historical significants in Reykjavik, being the first coffee house – and introducing espressos for the first time to Icelanders – we’ve been hooked ever since. The coffee shop opened its doors for the first time in 1958 – It took the locals some adjustment getting used to having a coffee house. To be honest, everyone thought it was a bizarre idea at first to buy coffee, rather than just making it yourself at home (for a lot less money.) But with time, the locals realized that having a place downtown to meet your friends or colleagues for a quick cup of coffee isn’t such a bad thing. Being the first coffee house in Iceland, Mokka has had plenty of time to perfect not only their coffee but also their pastries that us locals can’t get enough of.

Address: Skólavörðustígur 3a
Telephone: +354 552 1174
Visit Their Website
Open daily from 09:00AM-6.30 PM

REYKJAVIK ROASTERS

Reykjavik Roasters, or ‘Kaffismiða Íslands’ as it was originally named, opened it’s doors in 2008 and has been enhancing the local coffee culture ever since by making small, but essential, changes every day. They roast their coffee on location (hence the name) and they also buy their beans directly from the farmers of Colombia. This Coffeehouse is for serious coffee drinkers only – as it offers no decaf and very few types of teas. Their coffee is popular among the locals – and their venue is a bit small, resulting in a somewhat crowded but still pleasantly cozy atmosphere. Since you will most likely be sharing your table with another fellow coffee lover – this makes for a great place to meet locals or other travelers on their Iceland adventure.

Adress: Kárastígur 1
Telephone: 517-5535
Visit their Website
Opening hours: MON-FRI at 8AM-6PM and SAT-SUN at 9AM-5PM

PUFFIN COFFEE

This isn’t technically a coffee house, it’s a local Icelander serving freshly brewed coffee from his window. The ‘technically, not a coffee house’ is called Puffin Coffee, operated by Sverrir Rolf Sander who uses a typical espresso coffee machine to serve espresso, café Americano, café latté – with the occasional batch of sweets and pastries. Another cool addition to Puffin Coffee is that all of the profits go directly to charity. The opening hours can vary – since he is sometimes not at home, but when he is – all you have to do is knock on his window for a warm and toasty cup of coffee.

Puffin Coffee is located on Baldursgata 26 right here.

Update: Puffin Coffee has unfortunately closed their operation for now. I will be sure to keep you updated on when it opens back up!

CAFÉ BABALÚ

On your stroll towards our beloved Hallgrímskirkja, you will find yourself stumbling across this, by far most quirky and funky café in Reykjavik. I just love how both the outsides and the insides of this café reflects on this expression! You can find many peculiar but cozy knickknacks scattered across the coffee shops two floors – making the atmosphere of the place feeling very personal and home-like.

Café Babalú´s funny and friendly staff serve a wide selection of hot beverages, cakes, bread, soups and much more! It is a great place to hang for a couple of hours since they too serve refill coffee and have many selected board games to choose from!

If, you are visiting Café Babalú in the summertime – make sure to secure your spot on their cozy outdoor terrace!

Address: Skólavörðustígur 22, 101 Reykjavík
Telephone: +354 555 8845
Café Babalú on Facebook
Café Babalú´s Website
Opening Hours: 11 AM – 11 PM (earlier opening hours in the summer)

STOFAN CAFÉ

When translating Stofan it literally means “living room” – and the place is decorated like one’s living room with old and cozy furniture. It is possible both to sit and relax in comfy couches and lounge chairs, but also to sit by normal café tables. This is one of my favorite places to go for a coffee or even for a fun afternoon with friends! They have a wide selection of board games to play, books to read and free high-speed WiFi. The staff is always so friendly and with their welcoming approach and the places home-like atmosphere you are in for a treat drinking your nice cup of coffee … Maybe two, three or four cups of coffee …!

Did I mention they have refill coffee? This is one of the very few places in Reykjavik they serve refill coffee and therefore a big plus when being a huge coffee consumer! Thank God for Icelandic refill coffee culture!

They offer coffee made by trained baristas, good homemade cakes, homemade vegetarian soups, bagels, paninis and a selection of Icelandic beers on tap and in bottles. Also a variety of wines and whiskeys.

Happy hour is from 5 PM to 20 PM every day, were you can get a large beer for 750 ISK and a glass of the house wine for 950 kr.

Address: Vesturgata 3
Telephone: +3545671881
Visit Stofan Café on Facebook
Opening hours: 10 AM- 11 PM

Reykjavik Coffee Facts

Average price of latte: 450 ISK
Average price of coffee: 390 ISK
Most places offer free Wi-Fi
Only a few places offer free coffee refills
The only places that sell decaf coffee are: Te & Kaffi and Kaffitár

So start your day early, grab a warm cup of coffee and set out for your exciting day of adventure in Iceland!

Don't miss! The Reykjavik Food Walk

That's me on the right. Enjoying coffee & freshly baked dessert on our food tour.

For all my food lovers on their way to Reykjavik, I have to mention my Reykjavik Food tour. I've been a big foodie all of my life - and so has my best friend Dan. So in 2014, we created the Reykjavik Food Walk, a 3 hour walking food tour through downtown Reykjavik where we explore the very best local restaurants & cafés in Reykjavik.

Today, it's ranked as the #1 food&drink activity in Iceland on trip advisor with over 3.000+ 5 star reviews.

If you enjoy having fun and exploring a new city while enjoying incredible food - then this tour was created for you!

I hope this blog has come in handy and to see you on my Reykjavik Food adventure while in Reykjavik!

Click here to read more about the Reykjavik Food Walk.