Mokka Kaffi

Guðmundur Baldvinsson and his wife Guðný Guðjónsdóttir opened Mokka in 1958 after Guðmundur discovered espresso while studying art in Italy, installing Iceland's first espresso machine and serving the country's first Italian style coffee on a street that's since become one of downtown Reykjavík's main shopping stretches. The original leather booths and wood paneled interior have stayed essentially unchanged since, a rare case of a nearly seventy year old cafe still running exactly as it opened.

The walls double as a working gallery, with a new local or international artist's work hung each month and each piece available to buy, a tradition dating back to the cafe's earliest years as a gathering spot for Reykjavík's writers and artists. Espresso remains the draw, alongside house made waffles and hot chocolate that regulars order without needing to look at a menu.