Updated October 2026
The best places to meet singles in Reykjavik are Kaffibarinn, Prikið, and KEX Hostel. Go on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening, when they are at their liveliest and it is easiest to start a conversation.
Reykjavik is small, and people can be reserved with strangers until the evening gets going. Many first conversations start online, and in a bar it often takes a drink or two before anyone says hello. The trick is to go where talking to strangers is part of the deal: tiny packed bars, shared tables, dance evenings and the hot tubs at the public pools.
These ten places are real and open, checked in October 2026, almost all within walking distance in the city centre, plus a neighbourhood pool in Vesturbær. They cover different budgets, ages and nights of the week, and all of them work if you go alone.
See who nearby is free this evening and send one message. No swiping. Free, 18+.
Bar and caféMiðborg (city centre)kr kr20s
A tiny red house that has been a café by day and a packed DJ bar by night since 1993, voted Best Bar to End the Night in the Grapevine's Best of Reykjavík 2026. It is so small and busy that talking to strangers is unavoidable.
Bergstaðastræti 1, 101 Reykjavík · Walk-in
Café and barMiðborg (Bankastræti)kr kr20s
The oldest café in Reykjavík, open every day since 1951, which changes character in the evening and backs the city's young underground music scene. Open until 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, so it is an easy stop on a night out downtown.
Bankastræti 12, 101 Reykjavík · Walk-in
Hostel bar and social spaceMiðborg (Skúlagata, by the sea)kr kr20s
A hostel and hotel on the seafront whose bar and restaurant work as a social space for guests and locals alike. Travellers arrive every day, so people are used to chatting with whoever sits next to them.
Skúlagata 28, 101 Reykjavík · Walk-in
Whiskey and rock barMiðborg (Laugavegur)kr krAll ages
A rock bar on the main shopping street with more than 170 whiskies, live rock and blues and a resident DJ, open until 01:00 Sunday to Thursday and 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. The crowd is mixed in age, and live music gives you something to talk about.
Laugavegur 30, 101 Reykjavík · Walk-in
Themed barMiðborg (Laugavegur)kr kr20s
A playful bar themed on The Big Lebowski, with White Russians, live music on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 22:00 and DJs on Fridays and Saturdays from 21:00. It stays open until 04:30 at weekends, and the minimum age is 20 after 22:00.
Laugavegur 20a, 101 Reykjavík · Takes bookings
Bar and queer bar with dance floorMiðborg (Laugavegur and Klapparstígur)kr kr20s
One house on the corner of Laugavegur and Klapparstígur with two worlds: a vinyl café bar on the ground floor and Kíkí, the queer bar with a dance floor, on the two floors above. Friendly, open to everyone and a fun place to dance with new people.
Laugavegur 22, Reykjavík · Walk-in
Bar and restaurantMiðborg (Vegamótastígur)kr kr30s
A drop-in bar and restaurant just off Laugavegur playing rock, soul, funk and disco, with happy hour every day from 15:00 to 18:00 and its own beers. No booking for small groups, so it is easy to wander in and join the after-work crowd.
Vegamótastígur 4, 101 Reykjavík · Walk-in
Food hallGrandi (old harbour)krAll ages
A food hall in the old harbour with views over the boats, open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, where several small kitchens share one big room. Shared tables make it easy to start a conversation over lunch or an early dinner.
Grandagarður 16, 101 Reykjavík · Walk-in
Public swimming pool with hot tubsVesturbærkrAll ages
One of the city's most popular neighbourhood pools and a long-standing social meeting place, with five hot tubs, a cold tub, a steam bath and saunas. Chatting in the hot tubs is a very Icelandic way to meet people; open weekdays 6:30 to 22:00 and weekends 9:00 to 22:00.
Hofsvallagata, 107 Reykjavík · Walk-in
Tango eveningMiðborg (Tjörnin)kr40+
Every Monday from 18:00 to 20:00 the tango club holds a relaxed practice dance in Iðnó, the historic house by the pond, with a free short class from 17:30. You do not need a partner, and the club even helps you find one.
Vonarstræti 3, 101 Reykjavík · Walk-in
Popular places to meet people in Reykjavik include Kaffibarinn (bar and café), Prikið (café and bar), and KEX Hostel (hostel bar and social space). All of them are easy to visit alone or with friends.
Pick an indoor spot such as Reykjavík Roasters or Hafnarhús (Reykjavík Art Museum). Both work well for a first date in any weather.
Open YesTonite and see who in Reykjavik is going out tonight. Say hi, agree on a time and meet at one of the places on this page.
Checked October 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so call or check the website before you go.
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