Reykjavík’s nightlife is as good as you’ve read, it just takes a little while to get warmed up. People tend to drink at home – hardly surprising given the price of booze – until midnight, when they go out and hit the bars and clubs. Hotspots change frequently, but a current queue-worthy hangout is Café Oliver (Laugavegur 20A, 552 2300, www.cafeoliver.is). Look for the London Underground sign above Kaffibarinn (Bergstadastræti 1, 551 1588); part-owned by Damon Albarn, this bohemian place attracts a lively crowd of Reykjavíkers. Pravda (Austurstraeti 22, 552 922, www.pravda.is) is an achingly cool – and young – joint. Hipper still is the wonderful Sirkus (Klapparstígur 31, no phone), where things get wilder as the smoke grows thicker.

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