Top restaurants in Iceland

Dining out in Iceland has undergone tremendous changes in the past 20 years. Many young Icelandic chefs have sought training abroad, then returned home to apply their new-found gourmet knowledge to traditional ingredients. The restaurant scene has been hit by a great wave of energy, enthusiasm and experimentation, and dining out in Reykjavík is consequently a real treat. 

Iceland takes utmost pride in its fresh fish and lamb, but there is also a growing local-food movement with a strong emphasis on seasonal, organic ingredients. Langoustines from Höfn; reindeer and pink-footed geese from the eastern highlands; shrimp from the north; seabirds’ eggs taken from cliffs around the country in spring; and crowberries, blueberries and wild mushrooms picked in early autumn all feature on Iceland’s menus and are worth savouring.

Prices are not low in Iceland’s better restaurants – but you are paying for excellent meals made with high-quality ingredients. In Reykjavík, many restaurants also offer good-value fixed-price tourist menus or buffets in summer, which include a soup or starter followed by a fish or meat main course and coffee. Prices are lower at lunch. Children under six usually eat for free and 6–12 year olds pay half price. It is rare, though, to find these sorts of special offers outside the capital, where good-quality dining is anyway thinner on the ground (mainly because the countryside’s tiny hamlets and villages can’t support great numbers of restaurants).

Top restaurants in Iceland