Microbar Reykjavík

Verdict: A Low-Barrier Entry Point Into Reykjavik's Late-Night Bar Scene

Microbar sits on Laugavegur 86, the main artery of Reykjavik's nightlife strip, which tells you exactly what it is: a walk-in-friendly bar positioned for easy access rather than exclusivity. Booking difficulty is rated easy, and for a city where weekend nights run long and loud, that accessibility matters more than you might expect. If you are visiting Reykjavik and want a bar you can count on without planning three weeks ahead, Microbar is a sound choice for that role.

The address on Laugavegur places it within walking distance of most central accommodation and alongside a dense cluster of bars and restaurants. That concentration works in your favor: you can treat Microbar as an anchor point in a longer evening, moving between it and neighboring venues as the night develops. For the explorer visiting Reykjavik for the first time, the location alone removes a logistical headache.

Late-Night Viability

Reykjavik's nightlife is genuinely late by European standards. The city's bar scene tends to shift into higher gear well past midnight, particularly on weekends, and venues on Laugavegur bear the brunt of that foot traffic. Microbar's positioning on this stretch means it naturally fits into that rhythm. A bar with easy booking and a central address on the main nightlife corridor is, practically speaking, one of the more reliable options for a spontaneous evening stop or a second venue after dinner.

The trade-off is that easy entry and high foot traffic on a busy street rarely coexist with a quiet, contemplative atmosphere late in the evening. If you are after a slower-paced drink with room for conversation, the early evening window is your better move. By midnight on a Friday or Saturday, Laugavegur-adjacent bars typically carry the energy of a city that front-loads its week and then releases it all at once on weekends.

For context on how Reykjavik's bar scene compares internationally, Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu offers a useful point of contrast: a cocktail-focused, reservation-recommended room built for deliberate drinking. Microbar sits at the opposite end of that spectrum, which is neither a criticism nor a compliment — it is a category distinction that should drive your decision.

How It Fits Into a Reykjavik Trip

If you are building out a broader Reykjavik itinerary, use our full Reykjavik bars guide to map your evenings properly. Microbar works well as one stop among several rather than a destination in itself. Pair it with dinner from our Reykjavik restaurants guide and factor in the broader neighborhood from our Reykjavik hotels guide if you are still planning accommodation.

Other nearby reference points worth knowing: 12 Tónar offers a completely different register — more music-focused and lower volume. Kramber in Iceland and Prýði in Vestmannaeyjabær extend the picture if you are traveling beyond Reykjavik itself. And if a wine-forward evening sounds more appealing than a bar crawl, our Reykjavik wineries guide and experiences guide cover that angle.

How It Compares

See the comparison section below for how Microbar stacks up against Bodega, Bryggjuhúsið, and BakaBaka on value, ambiance, and booking ease.