“Bravó is a place where you celebrate life with friends, lovers and family.”
It has been called the unofficial gay bar of Reykjavík and is already a hit with the Icelandic LGBT crowd. According to bar manager Ísar Logi Arnarsson Bravó, Laugavegur 22, is a place where you can expect the unexpected or everything ranging from experimental electro nights to colorful drag acts.
So Facebook has been buzzing about Bravó. What’s all the commotion about?
“A lot of people in Iceland are concerned and interested about what’s happening on Laugavegur 22 because of the history and its connection to various sub-groups and sub-cultures. It’s been a breeding ground for new music, fashion and lifestyle throughout the years. It was a breeding ground for bands such as Fm Belfast, Retro Stefson and many more. It was the first noticeable gay bar, a drum&bass venue, a place for house music. So now people are keeping their fingers crossed that the place will continue with this groundwork and keep its feet on the ground while keeping it’s head in the clouds. And to let everyone know right away, we will.”
Many are wondering whether Bravó is a gay venue?
“Bravó is and will always be frequented by gay people. We think this corner on Laugavegur has some huge gravity that pulls gays and lesbians in. As for instance, KiKi is a openly gay bar that focuses mainly on the LGBT crowd and their friends, we are a bar for everyone. We’ve been called the “unofficial gay bar of Reykjavík” and we’re quite happy with that. We supported “Draggkeppni Íslands” and “Hinsegin Dagar”, the two big gay events that were held in August. We participated during those events and celebrated with everyone.”
So what kind of a place is Bravó?
“Bravó is a place where you celebrate life with friends, lovers and family. Bravó has a kitchen, coffee and wines and spirits. We host various events for our guests and we have no barriers. We’ve already done some electro nights, some goth nights, pub quizzes and we would easily host some good drag acts and talented artists in jazz, funk, soul and more.”
You’ve been hosting popular MenOnly nights for the past years. First at Barbara and then Kjallarinn (which unfortunately both closed down). Will the MenOnly now take place at Bravó ?
“I sure hope it doesn’t mean the end of them. But we don’t plan to host them in Bravó in the near future. As our concept is to be open for everyone, it would alreadybe a way off that path to close the place for girls. But nothing is written in stone about this. We might make some random wild decisions in the future. I’m totally sure a place/venue for MenOnly nights will come sooner than later.”
Do you see Bravó as a place for gay events in the future?
“Yes we are going to make gay events, and just all kinds of events. We know people are all different. They like different music, different atmosphere so really any kind of event is also a gay event. But perhaps some events are more flamboyantly gay then others and I think all our guests would enjoy a good colorful show.”
Any other special events or parties in the next weeks?
“We’ll take part in Iceland Airwaves and you just name it. We’re going all the way by taking part in city events as well as making our own. We have so many talented artists that have so much to offer to fellow Icelanders and our guests from abroad. There is also always a time for a cocktail and heavy gossip.”
What kind of music will you be playing?
“There will be few limits on the music we’ll play. The music is there to entertain and sometimes educate the guests. Many people have come to me to ask what music I’m playing, so to keep the place interesting and fresh we’ll keep the music interesting and fresh. So everything ranging from experimental electronica to musical show tunes.”
Offers at the bar?
“Offers at the bar differ from time to time, but we have one brand of beer for a fixed happy hour price of 600 ISK. We offer some delicious shots for 600 ISK and have our “almost world-famous” in-house cocktail called “Yellow Chicken” for 800 ISK.”
Another thing, throughout the years there has been a free flow of guests moving between the ground floor and the upper floor of Laugarvegur 22. Now the door is closed. Do you guys intend to keep it that way?
“Bravó and KiKi are not owned by the same people. It’s two separated businesses, so the door between them will not be open.”
What can we expect this weekend?
“We are expecting our customers to come round and celebrate with us and show the visiting guests how well-behaved and glamorous we are. We expect Bravó to be a popular and nice place that you can rely on and take your friends there over and over again.” Tonight DJ Terrordisco (Sveinbjörn Pálsson) will play music at Bravó so prepare yourselfs for a fun night out.
Visit Bravó on Facebook.