Apotek Bar Iceland: Its Award-winning Cocktail May Surprise You

I love a bar with a little history, and this one has plenty of it.

The building used to be a pharmacy, known as an apotek, from 1930 to 1999. It was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, the same architect behind Hallgrímskirkja, one of the most recognizable landmarks in Reykjavik.

When the space was later transformed into a restaurant and bar, the designers kept a lot of that original character while layering in more modern touches.

It doesn’t feel overly polished or staged, just really well done.

It’s the kind of place where you end up staying longer than planned, partly for the drinks, but also because the space itself is just nice to be in.

My husband and I always try to grab seats at the bar. It’s just more fun watching everything come together in real time.

The bartenders at Apotek were super friendly, and we ended up lingering longer than planned just watching them work. There’s something about seeing each drink come together that makes you appreciate it more.

Later, I learned the bar is led by Jónmundur Þorsteinsson, which explains a lot.

He was named World Class Iceland Bartender of the Year in 2019 and has picked up a few other awards along the way. It definitely shows in the way the drinks are put together.

Everything felt thoughtful without being overcomplicated.

Now for the real question. What drink is actually worth ordering here?

Let me introduce you to the Dillagin.

This award-winning cocktail is made with dill-infused Beefeater gin, mango, lime, and sugar.

Dill isn’t something I usually get excited about. I pretty much only use it on deviled eggs, and that’s where it ends.

But this combination somehow works.

The dill comes through just enough without taking over, and it actually balances out the sweetness from the mango and the acidity from the lime really well.

It sounds like a strange mix, but it ended up being one of the more memorable drinks we had.

While looking through the menu, we landed on our next drink, the Hekla.

This one is made with Reyka vodka, grapefruit, green tea, and yuzu, which already sounded like something I’d like.

It ended up being super smooth, really refreshing, and very citrus-forward without feeling too sharp. Everything worked together in a way that felt balanced and easy to drink.

And it looked just as good as it tasted.

The last cocktail we tried came with a bit of a story.

The head bartender, Jónmundur Þorsteinsson, grew up in Laugardalur, Iceland. Not much grows easily in that kind of climate, but there were a few plants he remembers from childhood, and this drink is his way of bringing those flavors back.

The Laugardalur ended up being another standout.

It’s made with Beefeater London Dry Gin, lemon, yuzu, tarragon, and rhubarb, and somehow everything comes together in a way that feels really light and easy to drink.

It didn’t last very long.

What better way to end the night than with a shot of chilled Brennivín.

The bartenders introduced us to this local Icelandic spirit and said the best way to try it was ice cold. Its licorice or anise flavor comes from caraway, a hardy spice that can handle Iceland’s tough climate.

Brennivín definitely has a unique flavor.

Not something I’d go out of my way to order again, but it felt like one of those things you try at least once when working your way through what to eat & drink in Iceland.

I ended up grabbing a bottle at the airport to bring home and may try experimenting with it. I’ve heard it pairs well with tonic water or sweet vermouth, so we’ll see.

When I think of great cocktail cities, places like New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, London, Mexico City, and Hong Kong come to mind. Iceland usually isn’t on that list.

But Reykjavik’s cocktail scene completely surprised me, and Apotek was easily one of the highlights. If you’re in the city, grab a seat at the bar and let the bartenders make something based on what you like.

That’s usually when the best drinks happen.

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