Snug and homely, Stofan is the kind of place in which one can easily while away a few idle hours. A whole day even. Rather aptly, its name translates to "Living Room" in English.
Furnished with scuffed leather couches, vintage upholstered chairs, wooden cabinets and tables, and other antique-chic objects, such as a piano, framed paintings of pipe-smoking Nordic gents and old, wanderlust-inducing Icelandic maps, Stofan is among a clutch of alluring coffeehouses dotted around Reykjavik, Iceland's cute, caffeine-fuelled capital.
If you visit this North Atlantic island in summer – when there are 20 to 24 hours of daylight a day – you probably won't want to spend too much time inside, such is the natural splendour of the country's great outdoors. But during the chillier, darker months, quirky, characterful, Wi-Fi-enabled establishments such as Stofan are irresistible while you wait for the aurora borealis (northern lights) to cast their eerie, magical spell outside.
Inhaling the espressoed aroma conjured by Stofan's red-bearded and tattooed baristas, I descend to the cafe's wooden-beamed basement, where a blend of locals and tourists, aged from 20 to 60-something, are imbibing punchy lattes, munching paninis and calorific cakes, playing chess, tapping on laptops and tablets and chatting convivially in Icelandic and English.
On the sofa beside me, a horizontal young man in a typically Nordic woollen sweater snores ever so audibly, a copy of the Reykjavik Grapevine (a kind of Icelandic Time Out) flat on his belly. His mate, a bookish young Icelander in a beige corduroy jacket, leafs through a crime novel by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (who has been dubbed Iceland's answer to Stieg Larsson).
Maybe he's getting inspiration for his own story. Iceland is said to have a higher percentage of writers in its (320,000) population than any other country in the world and publishes more books per capita than anywhere else. Reykjavik was the first non-native English-speaking city to earn UNESCO City of Literature status.
I find more bookworms in Konsull Kaffihus, another "living-room-style" cafe that sits round the corner from Stofan beside Ingolfstorg (a stone square where Reykjavik's young skateboarders often congregate). Like Stofan, Konsull occupies one of the colourful late-19th century buildings that pepper the city's historic core (in fact, Stofan was originally here before moving to its present base two years ago).
Springing north from Ingolfstorg, on Austurstraeti, one of Reykjavik's key pedestrian thoroughfares, Laundromat Cafe is a trendy, family-friendly hangout. Bookshelves jam-packed with paperbacks edge the bar, walls showcase humorous slogans (Go Ahead & Breastfeed – We Like Babies and Boobs!) and photographs of laundromats from across the globe, while in the basement there are washing machines to do your laundry (as well as a children's play area).
Alternative spots for rubbing shoulders with coffee-loving Reykjavikians include Te & Kaffi (which has several branches scattered around town), Cafe Haiti (a Haitian-Icelandic enterprise by the Old Harbour) and Cafe Babalu (an eclectically decorated joint on sloping Skolavordustigur, a street also home to Mokka Kaffi, one of Reykavik's first coffee shops, opened in 1958).
Popular Cafe Loki has a great vantage point; opposite the rocket-shaped Hallgrimskirkja church, one of Reykjavik's most iconic sights. Nearby Reykjavik Roasters is a hipster favourite, with eye-catching decor such as a giant blue roasting machine, cold-brew paraphernalia and a vintage record player (on which Lou Reed's Transformer album is revolving when I visit). They serve fine coffee, too, including very decent flat whites on request.
There are two other things to note about Reykjavik's caffeine dens; one, most have outdoor terraces, which offer sun-kissed, people-watching opportunities in warmer weather; and, two, many have licences to sell alcohol, with early-evening "happy hours" and midnight closing times.
Indeed, as one Icelander says to me: "You want to know the difference between a cafe and a bar in Reykjavik? The time of day."
MORE INFORMATION
visiticeland.com.
GETTING THERE
British Airways has a return fare from Sydney to Keflavik (Iceland) via Singapore and London for $2040. Return flights from London to Keflavik with Iceland Air are priced about $400.
TOURING THERE
Priced from $3429 a person (based on double occupancy, excluding flights), Collette's eight-day Inspiring Iceland tour includes four nights in Reykjavik; see gocollette.com/en-au.
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