DIY Food Tour to the Best Restaurants in Reykjavik

The best restaurants in Reykjavik should not be missed, and what better way to try them all, then a food tour? While you can sign up for a food tour somewhere online, if for whatever reason (money, time, tickets are sold out) you want to DIY, you’ve come to the right place! We spent so much of our Iceland road trip (check out the itinerary here) planning for everywhere BUT Reykjavik, that when we got to the city and Googled what to do, food tour was at the top of the list. But, unfortunately, the tickets were sold out. Fortunately, we made ourselves a DIY food tour that was just as good, if not better. And, we’re sharing it with you.

What to Eat in Reykjavik

What is Icelandic Food?

Before we get into the food tour and the best restaurants in Reykjavik, let’s first cover what you should try and eat while you’re in Reykjavik (or even Iceland as a whole). And, before we get into that, what in the fjerjerjavik is “Icelandic” food anyways?

The most important foods in Icelandic cuisine are lamb, dairy, and fish. At grocery stores, you’ll be sure to find skyr – basically a creamier, higher protein version of Greek yogurt. Fish and seafood are huge, especially towards the coast. Probably one of the most unique foods you can try is kæstur hákarl, or fermented shark. Personally, we didn’t try it ourselves because after reading about it, we learned it tastes absolutely disgusting. But, you can decide for yourself.

Lastly, Iceland is FAMOUS for its hotdogs. You have to try at least one hot dog from a gas station on any road trip (provided you eat meat). And, if you’re in Reykjavik, you definitely have to stop by the famous hot dog stand. Made famous by none other than Bill Clinton.

Top Dishes to Try in Reykjavik

Going along with the theme of lamb, dairy, and fish, we put together a list of the best dishes to try while you’re in Reykjavik:

• Arctic Char: fish similar to trout and salmon
• Plokkfiskur: Icelandic fish stew
• Lamb: slow cooked
• Graflax: cured salmon
• Kæstur hákarl: fermented shark (if you dare!)
• Hot dogs!
• Skyr: try skyr cheese cake as a dessert or skyr for breakfast
• Icelandic rye bread: traditionally baked in a pot or steamed in a traditional wooden pot buried in the heat of the ground near a geyser

Best Restaurants in Reykjavik

Protip: did you know we pin all of our travel locations on Google Maps for your convenience (check out our Travel Maps page)? We’ve included our complete map of Iceland below, where you can toggle off all types of locations except for food, and zoom in on Reykavik to see all our recommendations:

Messinn Seafood Restaurant

The Messinn restaurant is one of THE BEST restaurants in Reykjavik, and maybe all of Iceland. The interior is well decorated, and the menu features authentic Icelandic food, all cooked to juicy, flavorful, soft, perfection. If you go during non-peak hours, like a 2pm lunch, you’ll have no problem getting seated. Otherwise, we recommend a reservation. There is also a location in Selfoss!

From the menu, we recommend the plokkfiskur (Icelandic fish stew) and arctic char for the full Icelandic experience. But, everything on this menu is delicious. We also highly recommend the lobster soup.

Fjallkonan

Our second favorite, and again one of the best restaurants in Reykjavik, was Fjallkonan. Again, beautiful, dimly-lit, dark-wood, and velvet decorations. The interior feels high-class, the food is exquisite and perfectly cooked. We enjoyed the ambiance, food, and service very much here.

From the menu, we recommend the lamb flatbread and the halibut with the beer hollandiaise. Both are pictured above. There are other lamb options, as well as arctic char and other fish dishes that would be equally delicious and “Icelandic.”

Íslenski barinn

Íslenski barinn is where you go to eat fermented shark. However, they have plenty of other Icelandic specials on the menu. Including but not limited to, salmon on Icelandic rye bread, lamb on Icelandic flat bread, traditional Icelandic meat stew, hotdogs, and more. You could spend six courses here for a full “taste of Iceland” if you wanted!

Cafe Loki

Cafe Loki (or Kaffie Loki) is one of the best restaurants in Reykjavik, or best cafes, for two reasons. One, it’s delicious. Two, it’s right across from the famous Hallgrímskirkja church, with amazing views off the front balcony.

Off the menu, we recommend the Icelandic plate loki, for a variety of fishes and lamb on the traditional Icelandic rye bread, and the skyr cake (pictured above) with rhubarb. Both of these dishes give you the perfect taste of so many of Iceland’s traditional dishes and foods. They also have lamb dishes and the traditional lamb meat stew. You may also want to check out their rye bread ice cream!

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

And, last but not least, the best restaurant in Reykjavik for an Icelandic hot dog, is none other than Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. This little hotdog stand was made famous by former US president Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton was visiting Iceland on a UNICEF conference and visited this hotdog stand so much, it gained a lot of popularity and was later named the best hotdog stand in all of Europe by The Guardian.

The line CAN get pretty long here, but the service is very fast! They also have a few locations around Iceland if you want to avoid the famous Reykjavik location.

DIY Reykjavik Food Tour

So, let’s say you want to get a taste for Icelandic food in one day in Reykjavik. What better way to taste it all and experience the best restaurants in Reykjavik, than a food tour? Here is how we would (and did) budget our time, stomach space, and money to hit all the best spots in Reykjavik and all the best food. This DIY food tour is best done as a group or with a partner, as it’s easier to share food so you don’t overfill for the day. But, if you walk to and from each place and get your steps in, you can tackle it solo as well.

• Breakfast: head to Cafe Loki and enjoy the skyr cake and Icelandic plate loki. Add a coffee if you please. This is perfectly located for you to check out Hallgrímskirkja church afterwards!
• Lunch: get reservations at Messinn, or plan on going during non-peak hours. Get the plokkfiskur (for 1 person) and arctic char (for 2).
• Afternoon snack or dinner appetizer: get a hotdog (or share) from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur.
• Dinner: get reservations at Fjallkonan and order the lamb flatbread (for 1 person) and halibut (for 2). If you need a little more food, check out the lamb charmoula and/or a dessert.

If you’re bold and want to try fermented shark, work that in as a early-afternoon snack, and be sure to opt for less portions and/or don’t eat your whole plate at the other restaurants!

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