Kaffi Vest

About Kaffi Vest

Kaffi Vest doesn’t need much introduction. When it opened in 2014, it was something of a pioneer, one of the first cool cafés to make a convincing case for life outside 101 Reykjavík. Situated in Vesturbær, a neighbourhood that manages to be both deeply local and quietly chic, it sits opposite the ever-busy Vesturbær pool and draws a crowd of regulars, artists, and the kind of culturally attuned, well-educated residents that give the area its distinct character.

Comfortably in its own rhythm, brunch here is not an event but a continuation of the morning. Always busy but never hurried, it is perhaps the closest thing to a French café in Reykjavík, embodying a quiet, old-world elegance: classic, unpretentious interiors, a chalkboard menu, an outdoor terrace, and none of the urgency that defines downtown spots.

“These are places you go to disappear a little, into a second coffee, into conversation, into the reassuring idea that Reykjavík still has corners that belong to the people who live in it.”

Open throughout the day for coffee, lunch, dinner and drinks, it is particularly beloved for a post-pool weekend brunch and, increasingly, a leisurely glass of wine. Brunch here is an à la carte affair, with a menu that changes weekly but reliably features favourites such as croque monsieur, shakshuka and Turkish eggs, alongside what might well be one of the most perfect omelettes in Reykjavík with a handful of varieties to choose from. Portions are generous, often accompanied by a crisp green salad lightly dressed in a French vinaigrette and thick slices of sourdough.

Coffee is excellent, matcha thoughtfully prepared, and the wine list favours the French, making a glass of Crémant de Bourgogne or a Pinot Noir feel not only appropriate, but almost necessary. It’s a place for friends, couples and families alike; lively, cosy, and the sort of spot where you could easily spend an entire afternoon. You might even spot an Icelandic star or two but here, nobody really bats an eye.

And that, perhaps, is its charm: a place that feels quietly in-the-know, without ever needing to show it.

If downtown brunch is about being seen, these are places you go to disappear a little, into a second coffee, into conversation, into the reassuring idea that Reykjavík still has corners that belong to the people who live in it.