WORDS & PICTURES: Abi Prowse
This lighthearted, French-born coffee house is located in Reykjavik’s vibrant Hlemmur neighbourhood, just East of the old town centre. What sets Emilie & The Cool Kids apart from its other cafe counterparts – aside from its playful, whimsical name – is its selection of cookies and other sweet treats. As you step inside, you’re greeted immediately by a glinting glass cabinet, neat rows of desserts and biscuits tucked inside. While their cookies are large, soft, and melt-in-the-mouth, their enormous cinnamon rolls can’t be missed, either. If you can’t seem to make up your mind, the staff accompany your coffee with a small but delicious cookie sample, with creamy chunks of chocolate dotted through the dough.
Emilie & The Cool Kids is a small French chain, which prides itself on their inventive cookie recipes and range of unusual flavours. However, this coffee house also offers a range of savoury dishes, including bagels, brunches, and avocado on toast, making it one of the area’s most popular breakfast spots.
Its decor is as funky and fashionable as you would expect from a French-Scandi fusion: on its back wall, a neon pink sign flickers above plush velvet sofas. Palm trees are splashed across the wallpaper, with a series of quirky wall hangings leading through to jungle-themed, brass-plated bathrooms. Modernity, kitsch, and homeliness all seem to meld seamlessly here, retro music echoing from the speakers.
The perfect meeting place for families, friends, and cookie-lovers everywhere, Emilie & The Cool Kids entices you in from the street with their mouth-watering window displays and friendly, child-like branding. Piles of local newspapers and magazines are strewn across low tables, inviting guests to stay for more than just a fleeting visit. With all their baked goods handmade on-site, the sweet smells drifting from the open-plan kitchen will convince you to order just one more cup of coffee.
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