ICELAND · FOOD
Where I Ate in Iceland: The Good, the Great & the Overpriced
Ten days in Iceland gave me plenty to eat, from a Reykjavík food tour to restaurant dinners and quick stops between towns. Some meals were worth planning around. One expensive tasting menu left me wishing I’d spent the money elsewhere. Here’s what stood out.
BEST MEAL
Messinn
The fish dishes I would go back for.
BEST CASUAL MEAL
Íslenski Barinn
Comforting Icelandic food without the production.
MOST OVERPRICED
Fish Company
The tasting menu did not justify the price.
The Meals Worth Talking About
THE GREAT
Messinn
REYKJAVÍK · FISH DISHES · TOP PICK
Messinn was the clearest winner of the trip. I tried the honey-glazed Arctic char and the fish stew during my Reykjavík food tour, and both were simple, comforting, and full of flavor. The Arctic char was tender with just enough sweetness from the glaze, while the stew was rich without feeling heavy.
Nothing about the food felt unnecessarily complicated. It was Icelandic seafood allowed to be the star, and it worked. If I had returned to one restaurant for a complete meal, this would have been it.
THE GOOD
Íslenski Barinn
REYKJAVÍK · ICELANDIC COMFORT FOOD · WOULD RETURN
Íslenski Barinn first appeared as a stop on my Reykjavík food tour, where I tried the lamb stew. What brought me back for dinner was not one particular dish, but the cozy atmosphere and a menu varied enough to make choosing difficult in the best way.
On my second visit, I ordered the seafood soup and smoked salmon. The smoked salmon was perfect: delicate, not overly salty, and paired beautifully with the rye bread. I had tried Icelandic rye bread somewhere else and was not particularly impressed, but here it finally made sense. The soup was warm and satisfying, but the salmon with rye bread was the combination I kept thinking about afterward.
THE OVERPRICED
Fish Company
REYKJAVÍK · TASTING MENU · 14,000 ISK
Fish Company was beautiful and the tasting menu started strongly. The tuna crudo was excellent, the bread and butter with granola was surprisingly good, and the reindeer carpaccio was the best dish of the night.
Unfortunately, the pacing was slow and the later courses lost momentum. The beef cheek, fried potatoes, and beef cheek egg rolls were only okay, while the sushi felt oddly placed. The crème caramel finished the meal well, but at 14,000 ISK, a few excellent courses were not enough to make the full experience feel worth the price.
ONE MORNING, GOOD EATS
The Reykjavík Food Tour
BAKA BAKA
A taste of one of Reykjavík’s famous pastries.
MESSINN
Honey-glazed Arctic char and Plokkfiskur
ÍSLENSKI BARINN
Traditional lamb stew
BÆJARINS BEZTU PYLSUR
Reykjavík’s famous lamb hot dog with all the toppings.
CAFÉ LOKI
Icelandic rye-bread ice cream, far better than it sounds.
THE VERDICT
A fun way to try several popular Icelandic dishes without committing to full-size entrées. You also get to sample local beer and the infamous fermented shark.
Also Worth Eating
Black Crust Pizza
VÍK · QUICK ROAD-TRIP STOP
I ordered the langoustine pizza, and it was genuinely good. The dramatic black crust makes it memorable, although it tastes just like a regular pizza crust.
Skál!
REYKJAVÍK · MODERN ICELANDIC · CASUAL DINING
I chose the tasting menu, which was an easy way to experience several of the restaurant’s modern Icelandic dishes. The lamb was the standout and the course I remember most.
Icelandic Street Food
REYKJAVÍK · UNLIMITED SOUP
The unlimited refills allowed me to try all three soups instead of committing to only one. The tomato soup was my favorite, making this a simple and satisfying Reykjavík lunch.
The Road-Trip Reality
Of course, I ate more meals during ten days in Iceland than the ones outlined here. The others simply were not particularly memorable. Outside Reykjavík, lunch often came from gas stations or food trucks, while dinner was usually served at the hotel restaurant. Those meals will vary depending on your route, so consider this a list of the places and dishes that were actually worth remembering.
What to Eat in Iceland
Iceland has great food, but if you want a simple framework, make sure your trip includes:
Even Bill Clinton stopped for the famous lamb hot dog, although he ordered his with only mustard. Make better choices and get it with everything.