Reykjavik Restaurants and Dining

(Reykjavik, Capital Area, Iceland)



Picture of a popular eatery in the cityDining out in Reykjavik is usually both memorable and expensive. Many of the restaurants in Reykjavik offer the perfect excuse to come in out of the chilly weather and enjoy a hot meal and some Icelandic wine or beer.

The food served at the city's restaurants is generally filled with strong flavours and many eateries are now showing strong Asian influences in the dishes that they serve up.

Lunchtimes are busy and most dining venues open their doors from midday onwards, while at night, the adjacent bars soon fill up and some restaurants even get transformed into nightclubs and discos.


Another centrally located restaurant

What to Eat

Authentic Icelandic cuisine is not for everyone and some of this food is rather an acquired taste. Seafood is often a major ingredient on restaurant menus in Reykjavik, along with lamb, salmon and various strong cheeses. However, the whale, putrefied shark (hákarl) and puffin (lundi) are also likely to be encountered when dining in the city.

Where to Eat

If you are looking to eat out on a budget in Reykjavik, then your best options are the city's many simple snack bars and fast-food restaurants, although be warned, even a burger at McDonald's is likely to be more expensive than you would expect. Outdoor hotdog (pylsur) stalls are plentiful around Laekjartorg Square and offer tasty cheap eats to warm you up.

The Laekjargata area of Reykjavik is a reliable place to find good, honest food at a reasonable price and there are numerous tourist restaurants located here. The cheapest of these dining options tend to be more basic in appearance and style. Further afield and within the Greater Reykjavik area, many additional eateries are situated within the towns of Hafnarfjörour and Kópavogur.