Where to Eat in Reykjavik: What We Ate and What We’d Try Next
We remember some meals from Iceland much better than others. It has been almost ten years, so there are places we ate that neither of us could name now if we tried, but a few things still come up whenever we talk about the trip: a roadside lunch on the Golden Circle, scallops Lisa still remembers, Dylan discovering skyr and a burger place we never even ate at.
For the places we can no longer name, we are not going to pretend otherwise. The second half of this guide is made up of restaurants we have researched for the return trip we keep trying to plan, along with recommendations that have come up from friends who have been more recently.
Where We Actually Ate
We did not build this trip around restaurants, so our food memories are a little scattered. We remember seafood, burgers, fries, grocery-store skyr and a couple of meals that were much better than we expected.
A Roadside Lunch on the Golden Circle
Somewhere along the Golden Circle drive we stopped at a small, unfussy place that felt like eating in someone's living room, everyone in the room seemed to know each other, and we were clearly the only tourists. We do not have the name anymore, but it is still one of the meals we remember most clearly from that driving day.
Sudur-Vik
Suðurvíkurvegur 1, Vík · sudurvik.is
After the black sand beach, we ate at Suður-Vík, a restaurant, café and bar in town. We remember it as a warm, casual place that was exactly what we needed after being outside most of the day.
A Grocery Store Discovery: Skyr
The best food find of the whole trip wasn't a restaurant. We stumbled into a Reykjavik grocery store years before skyr, the thick Icelandic yogurt, showed up on American shelves. Dylan ate it constantly. We tracked it down back home after the trip and still eat it today. If you love a good grocery store the way we do, Icelandic supermarkets are worth a browse just for this.
Kaffivagninn
Grandagarður 10 · kaffivagninn.is
One dinner we do remember clearly was at Kaffivagninn in the Old Harbour. Lisa had scallops and still talks about how good they were, while Dylan and I both went with burgers. It was one of the better dinners of the trip and one of the few restaurant names we still remember without having to dig through old photos and receipts.
Because it is right by the harbor, it also works well if you are already in this part of Reykjavik for a puffin or whale-watching tour.
Where We’d Eat Next Time
We have not eaten at these places ourselves. They are the restaurants that keep coming up when we research another Reykjavik trip, along with recommendations from people we trust who have been more recently.
Baejarins Beztu Pylsur
Tryggvagata 1 · bbp.is
This is Reykjavik's famous hot dog stand, the kind of place that shows up on nearly every “best of Reykjavik” list and has for decades. It's cheap by Icelandic standards, fast, and has been around for decades. And it is still one of the first casual food stops that comes up when we research Reykjavik.
Cafe Loki
Lokastígur 28 · loki.is
Cafe Loki keeps coming up because of its location right by Hallgrímskirkja and its focus on traditional Icelandic dishes. If we were already in this part of the city around lunchtime, this is one we would try.
Chuck Norris Grill
Address and website: Laugavegur 30, Reykjavik · chucknorrisgrill.is
We never actually ate here, but Dylan became obsessed with the Chuck Norris jokes plastered across the windows and walls, and it's become a permanent inside joke in our family. It's a burger place, casual, it made the list because Dylan talked about it for years afterward.
Fiskfelagid (The Fish Company)
Address and website: downtown Reykjavik · fiskfelagid.is
A more upscale seafood pick that comes up consistently in current Reykjavik dining round-ups. If we wanted one nicer seafood dinner in Reykjavik, this is the kind of place we would consider.
Practical Tips for Eating in Reykjavik
How many meals should you plan in Reykjavik?
If you are staying two or three nights, that is enough time to try a mix of casual food, seafood and one nicer dinner without making food the focus of the trip.
Is eating in Reykjavik expensive?
In our experience, yes. Even casual meals added up quickly, so food is something we would budget more carefully for on a return trip.
Do restaurants in Reykjavik require reservations?
For anything beyond casual, I would book ahead, especially in summer. Seafood restaurants and smaller places can fill up quickly.
What should you eat in Reykjavik?
If you eat seafood, Reykjavik is a good place to make it one of your meals. We had good fish, Lisa still remembers the scallops at Kaffivagninn and skyr was probably our favorite everyday food discovery from the trip.
Where should you stay in Reykjavik if you want to walk to dinner?
Downtown or the Old Harbour both put you within walking distance of plenty of restaurants. See our Where to Stay in Reykjavik guide for specific areas and hotel picks.
