Reykjavík Roasters' original cafe sits on Kárastígur, a small central street just below Hallgrímskirkja and a short walk from the main downtown shopping spine. The room is compact and lived-in: second-hand furniture, a counter set back from the door, retail shelves of beans and brew kit, tables that fill quickly, and the steady sound of milk steaming under a visitor-and-regulars rhythm.
Kárastígur opened in 2008 as Kaffismiðja Íslands before becoming Reykjavík Roasters in 2013. That history sits alongside a working roastery counter, retail beans, and brewed-to-order coffee rather than a display-led cafe format.
Coffee style
Start here if you want Reykjavík coffee at its most defined. The Kárastígur menu covers espresso, milk drinks, batch-style filter coffee, AeroPress, Kalita pour-over for one or two, cold brew, and retail bags from the roastery. The style leans specialty rather than comfort-dark: clean filter, lighter single-origin options, and espresso that can read brighter than a typical tourist-cafe flat white.
What people go for
People come for the coffee first, then often leave with beans. Pastries, cakes, yogurt, porridge, and sourdough with toppings give the counter enough breakfast range without turning the room into brunch. Order a pour-over if you have time; order espresso or a flat white if the room is full and you are moving on.
The feel
The tradeoff is space. Kárastígur is atmospheric, central, and busy; it is better for one serious cup, a short sit-down, or beans before a walk than for spreading out all morning. Brautarholt has the stronger seating case, and Freyjugata has the art-house calm, but the original is the one to shortlist for first-time visitors because the coffee, location, and local history meet in one room.
Why Reykjavík Roasters is shortlisted by Filter Notes
Reykjavík Roasters is shortlisted because it gives the city its most legible roaster-cafe: house-roasted beans, espresso, batch brew, pour-over, brew gear, and a real role in Reykjavík's modern coffee culture. Cross town for the original Kárastígur room, filter or espresso, and beans to take home; know before going that seating is limited and current hours deserve a same-day check.