Tales of the Table · Tales of the Table
Kaffitár cafés (c. 1995–2026) – Lost Tables
Kaffitár was founded in 1990 by Aðalheiður Héðinsdóttir and her husband Eiríkur Hilmarsson, with its roastery in Reykjanesbær. The name plays on the Icelandic habit of asking for just "a tear" of coffee.
Kaffitár was founded in 1990 by Aðalheiður Héðinsdóttir and her husband Eiríkur Hilmarsson, with its roastery in Reykjanesbær. The name plays on the Icelandic habit of asking for just "a tear" of coffee. The company imported beans directly from farmers and opened its first café in Kringlan. In December 1997 it opened on Bankastræti, its first café in central Reykjavík, which drew regulars who came to read, write and meet. At one point there were seven Kaffitár cafés in the capital area, including one in the National Museum and one in Perlan. The last two, in Kringlan and at Reykjavík University, closed on 31 May 2026, ending 31 years of café service.
Kaffitár still roasts coffee in Reykjanesbær, but its cafés are gone. The Bankastræti café closed in 2021.
Sources: