Iceland is a relatively expensive place to visit. It is a small, populated island that relies heavily on imported goods and raw materials. Although finding the best business takes some navigating and prior knowledge. If you’re on a budget or, hell, just broken, there’s still some food in the capital that balances delicious menu options with affordable prices. Discover the top restaurants downtown Reykjavik has.
The Coocoo’s Nest
The family behind this beautiful cafe and the deli, one of the first restaurants to open in the now rugged Grandi Port area, have roots in Iceland and California. Decorated with restored wood and bathed in light from a large window. Coocoo’s Nest provides a fun menu that varies from time of day and day of the week.
Flatey Pizza
Reykjavík’s pizza has long been a foul-smelling place until the new wave flat arrived at the scene in late 2017. Its unique wave flat came. The high-quality pies followed it a loyal following. This is one of the best restaurants downtown Reykjavik has.
Matur og Drykkur
Matur og Drykkur, which means “food and drink,” draws the name from an old cookbook. The cosy dining room has an old saltfish factory attached to the Saga Museum. The modern spins on classic Icelandic recipes; fried cod tongues are fried in beer tempura and turned into croquettes with foley blue cheese and rubber jam.
MAT BAR
It is located on the increasingly Hverfisgata street. This relative eater has moved away from its original Nordic-Italian concept. It now serves a collection of seasonal small plates that don’t fit into neat little boxes—grilled flatbread or tortillas with ricotta and lumpfish rows, as well as sesame celery. There is a fancy list of original cocktails and spritz.
Vínstúkan Tíu solar
Former Dill chef Ragnar Eiríksson and TV chef Ólafur Örn Ólafsson open this hip wine bar in a minimalist basement with Reykjavík’s main pull. The wines are primarily from natural or small producers. And there are almost always about a dozen open bottles supplied by the glass, although the line-up is constantly changing. To keep up with all this wine, choose from a selection of small plates and charcoal.
Dill
Chef Gunnar Gíslason is an early figure in Icelandic cuisine. In 2009, he opened the Deal, which made Reykjavik’s entire food scene enthralled by earning the country’s first Michelin star. After spending several years running and running Argon at New York’s Grand Central Station (which boasts its star). Gíslason returns with a new team and a new position.
It is hiding a spiral staircase along the city’s main shopping streets. The restaurant offers a 16-course menu that showcases the full potential of modern Icelandic cuisine with small producers (seaweed, organic barley growers) and seasonal ingredients (lumpfish roe, crowberries).
Brauð & Co.
Are you looking for the restaurants downtown Reykjavik has? Icelandic baker Ágúst Einþórsson, who learned the art of sour national food while working at some of the best bakeries in Copenhagen’s, changed the landscape of Reykjavík’s bread with Danish-style rugbrook (rye bread), made his sniff (cinnamon roll) and other bakes. Since opening in 2001, they have expanded rapidly around the city, including Hlemmur Mathöll food hall.
Skál!
Inside Hlemmur Mathöll, an old bus station has turned into a dining hall; you’ll find Skull. A collaboration between Björn Steinar Jónsson, founder of Saltverk, a salt company, Gísli Grímsson, a salt maker, and Gísli Matthías Auðunsson, a chef from Matthías Auðunsson of Slippurinn in Vestmannaeyjabær.
Bar stools wrap around counters and open kitchens. Which spread out a combination of small and split plates, such as the four Arctic Char tartar and the spicy pork cheeks living around the island with a subtle touch of stimulant and venous ingredients. The bar program is one of the best in the city, with Shadhi-driven cocktails, natural wines, and local craft beer and cedar.
Ending Thoughts
What are the best finding restaurants in Reykjavik? How is Icelandic food? Check out the top restaurants downtown Reykjavikoffers to go out for dinner and drinks in Reykjavik.