Anna Jóna has been closed.

This website is to honor all the hard work we put into creating a unique place, in the heart of Reykjavík, for a beautiful soul.

A letter from Halli

I created this place in memory of my mom, Anna Jóna Jónsdóttir. She was an artist and costume designer.

And, as many moms, she was the best mom in the world.

She was warm, kind and giving. Incredibly funny and creative. She could make anything out of nothing. She was soft and tender. Courageous and strong. I grew up across the street from where you are now. This was one of our favorite buildings.

She taught me to see the beauty in everything. To look for the joy, even in moments of pain. I lost her when I was 11 years old. It’s been over 35 years and I still think about her every day. And everything she gave me.

My hope is that this place helped you feel safe and cared for. That our food and drinks tasted like they were made just for you, by someone who cares about you.

That you created new memories here with your friends and family, or just by yourself. And maybe you’ll look back, many years from now and remember those moments.

Thank you for giving us your time. We know it’s precious.

Design

It was made to feel like a dream. A place you’ve never seen before, but somehow familiar. Every detail was important. It was soft, colorful, and alive.

Modern restaurant interior with round table, wooden chairs, and pendant lights, decorated with plants.

Modern café interior with a long counter, bar stools, pendant lights, and an espresso machine. Features minimalist decor with plants and shelves holding cups and accessories.

Modern bar interior with curved counter, wooden stools, pendant lights, and arch shelves displaying bottles.

Modern living room with a pink sofa, colorful cushions, wooden coffee table, blue chairs, and a large pendant light. The wall features dark red vertical panels, and there are indoor plants and framed pictures for decoration.

Modern dining room with wooden tables and chairs, decorative shelving, potted plants, and geometric floor tiles.

Modern restaurant interior with pink and wooden furniture, circular booths, small tables, chairs, tiled floor, and large windows with sheer curtains.

Modern bar setup with illuminated shelving.
Three arches with glassware and bottles.
Rows of chairs facing a lit-up counter.
Hanging lights and ambient lighting.

Modern restaurant interior with round booths, pink seating, potted plants, and pendant lighting.

Including purdy bathrooms.

Including purdy bathrooms.

Interior scene with an arched doorway featuring a red wall, a wall-mounted light fixture glowing softly, and a green plant to the right.

Minimalist bathroom with yellow tiles, a wall-mounted sink, oval mirror, and a wall-mounted toilet.

Modern bathroom with pink tiles, oval mirror, wall-mounted sink, and round lights.

Minimalist bathroom with green tile walls, a wall-mounted toilet, a small rectangular sink, an oval mirror, and simple lighting.

Mickey Mouse silhouette with hands raised

I love movies. I love everything about them. The plots, the twists, escaping in to another world. Cinematography, lighting, editing.

But mostly I love the shared experience of going to a theater and watching a movie with others. So we built a small theater called the Blue Room to celebrate those moments.

Interior of a theater or cinema with an arched wooden doorway leading to a hallway. The hallway has soft lighting, a blue carpet, and wall sconces. Yellow curtains are visible at the end of the hallway, suggesting a theatrical setting.

Small cinema with blue seats, yellow curtains, and dim lighting.

Empty small movie theater with blue upholstered seats and walls, dim overhead lighting, wall sconces, and a wooden door at the back.

Food and drinks

Our food was French grandma cooking. If your French grandma was an amazing chef. It was rustic, abundant and filled with flavor, color, and love.

Dining

Hand pouring sauce over sliced steak on a plate, with wine glass and side dishes in the background.

Table setting with a pot pie in a skillet, roasted carrots, a casserole dish, a glass of red wine, a pitcher, and a cocktail with ice and fruit.

Baked pasta with cheese in a skillet, roasted carrots on a plate with green sauce, a pastry in a pan, beverages, flower, and cutlery on a table.

Roasted chicken thigh with vegetable stew on a plate, accompanied by a glass of orange drink and a side dish of glazed carrots.

Christmas menu

❤️

Christmas menu ❤️

Lobster ravioli with cherry tomatoes on a green plate with a fork and knife, surrounded by festive decorations on a green background.

Plate of sherry trifle with a spoon, garnished with red berries on a peach background with holiday-themed decorations.

Assorted colorful macarons on pink background with festive illustrations and text "Homemade Macarons."

Plate of sliced duck breast with sauce and mushrooms on a green background with festive decorations.

“One of the top 20 restaurants in Reykjavík””

Green bowl with yogurt, granola, citrus slices, and mint leaves, with a spoon. Beside, a playful arrangement of toy blocks and a salt or pepper shaker on a table.

Breakfast scene with a croque madame sandwich topped with a fried egg on a white plate with red trim, a breakfast sandwich on a bun in a blue bowl, and a gold fork and knife on a pink napkin beside the plate.

Person cutting into a dish in a skillet with a fork and knife, next to a glass of beer on a table with a pink napkin.

Table setting with two plates of food, one with cheesy pasta rolls and the other with a small rectangular piece of lasagna. A child's hand is holding a colorful toy, and there's a fork beside the orange plate.

Two children seated at a table, each holding a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. A plate with a slice of cheesecake and mixed berries is on the table in front of them.

Drinks

Pink cocktail in a tall glass with peach slices on a white table

Blue cocktail in a coupe glass with foam and edible flowers on top, placed on a table.

Three cocktails on a bar counter with varied garnishes: a green drink with basil, a red drink with blueberries, and a yellow drink with a citrus slice.

Cocktail in a coupe glass with an orange peel garnish on a white table

Custom beer and signature cocktail

A glass of orange beer and a pink cocktail garnished with a yellow flower on a table with coasters labeled "Anna Jóna."

Branding

I wanted everything we made to feel like part of a whole, while still being unique. From the logo to the menus, the plates and the cutlery, our ads and our uniforms. Starting with our signature pattern based on the main floor tiles.

Person wearing a pink shirt and beige apron pouring wine into clear glasses on a table.

Pink patterned envelope with gold wax seal on wooden table, next to a pink napkin and glassware.

Close-up of a menu titled 'BRÖNS' in bright yellow text on a turquoise background, accompanied by a dessert on a white plate topped with nuts and mint. A pink napkin with a fork is placed beside the menu, and a glass of white wine is to the right.

Pink and white geometric patterned display folder. Left side open showing dark fabric samples. Right side closed with printed information.

Promo poster for Anna Jóna's happy hour featuring two cocktails. The first, 'Cool as a Cucumber,' contains Hendricks Gin, cucumber, pepper, and egg white. The second, 'Orange You Glad?' includes grapefruit vodka, orange syrup, lime juice, and lemonade. Each cocktail is priced at 1,990 kr. Happy hour is from 3pm to 7pm.

Person with pink hair in glamorous outfit holding a bingo card and cocktail, sitting at a bar, overlaid text "bingó happy hour Anna Jóns."

An overhead view of plates with various dishes labeled in Icelandic: graflax, andarbringa, graskerssúpa, sherry trifle, and rósakál. The background is pink with decorative elements and text indicating a 5-course meal for 9990 kr. There are drinks and festive graphics, suggesting a holiday theme.

An arrangement of various festive dishes displayed in a Christmas tree shape on a light pink background. The top features the phrase "Jól á Önnu Jónu" in large letters.

Good times

We had some great times at Anna Jóna. At its best we filled the place with life, laughs and love. We’ve closed but the memories live on.

Crowded cafe interior with people socializing, modern decor, pendant lighting, and patterned floor tiles.

Group of people sitting at a restaurant table

Woman wearing glasses and a pearl necklace, talking in a crowded indoor setting.

Two people posing, woman with silver gloves and patterned dress next to man wearing a beanie and patterned shirt, smiling indoors.

A woman wearing a white fur hat smiles next to a large, intricate feathered costume or headpiece. The setting appears to be indoors with low lighting.

A group of people smiling at an indoor event, with a woman in a colorful striped sweater and a man in a dark jacket in the foreground.

People socializing in a brightly lit indoor space, with a counter displaying dishes and drinks, and plants as decor. Several individuals are conversing, holding drinks, and a bouquet of flowers is on the counter.

A man and woman sitting at a table with a drink and people in the background.

Bar scene with people at a counter, backlit shelving with bottles and glassware, pendant lights overhead.

Two people at a social gathering holding wine glasses indoors.

Woman singing passionately with a microphone under bright pink lighting in a theater-like setting, audience in background.

Thank you

Creating this place was incredibly hard, for many reasons, and closing it after all that work was devastating, but ultimately exactly what I needed to do.

I want to end with gratitude. To all the people who made this possible. To our guests, staff, designers, construction workers, and everyone else. Time is the most valuable thing we all have.

And I’m so grateful you gave your time to my dream.

Halli

Silhouette of a woman in a circular red background