Other restaurants in Iceland
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Icelandic Fish & Chips
A reader-recommended restaurant serving hearty portions of…well, have a guess! It’s good-value fare (for Iceland, at least), and the owners have put their own singular slant on it with a range of ‘Skyronnaises’ – skyr-based sauces (eg rosemary and green apple) that add an unusual zing to this most traditional of dishes.
reviewed
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Santa Maria
A genuine Mexican restaurant in the heart of town, Santa Maria is run by Ernesto, originally from Mexico City, who brought his mum to Iceland to train his chefs in cooking up authentic enchiladas, mole, chicken tortillas and the rest. Relaxed, and extraordinarily good value.
reviewed
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RUB 23
Pulling off ‘minimal chic’, trendy RUB lets patrons create their own marinades (or ‘rubs’) for their fresh fish and lamb. If you’re not so keen on turning your meal into a science project, then you can select from their sushi remix – Icelandic maki prepared with savoury Japanese ingredients. Then, for dessert (called ‘sweet rubs’) you can have a ‘chocolate three-way’. Is the bark a little bit bigger than the bite? Perhaps. But you have to give the place credit for thinking outside the bento box.
reviewed
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Fiskmarkaðurinn
Don’t let the weird dead-bony-fish logo put you off – this new restaurant excels in infusing Icelandic seafood with Far-Eastern flavours. Ingredients have a strong focus on local produce. For example, there’s the ‘Farmers’ Market’ menu, which takes specialities from around Iceland (lobsters from Höfn, salmon from the Þjórsá, halibut from Breiðafjörður) and introduces them to spicy chillis, papaya, mango, coconut, satay glazes and ponzu sauce.
reviewed
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Fiskfélagið
Built on top of part of the old harbour, this brand-new restaurant is one of the city’s cosiest, with its hotchpotch seating, candles and copper lamps. The menu is a truly ambitious sampling of world cuisines (and in spite of the restaurant’s name, the focus isn’t really on fish): begin with slow-cooked Spanish serrano ham, travel to South America for skate with black-bean purée, and finish with Tahitian banana and coconut cake!
reviewed
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Nýlenduvöruverslun Hemma & Valda
Hemmi and Valdi’s Colonial Store is a mismatched, beat-up, heavy-on-the-irony cafe. This relaxed place was set up by a couple of young dads to sell coffee, beer and, erm, baby clothes. There are huge windows perfect for street-gaping, comforting pottery mugs, a warm welcome for kids and a short menu of coffees and cakes. At night, this transmutes into a great little bar selling some of the cheapest booze in Reykjavík.
reviewed
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Café Loki
Ignore the garish signage slapped across the exterior of this cafe located close to Hallgrímskirkja, and you’ll discover it has a tasteful interior. Café Loki serves up very traditional dishes, from light snacks such as eggs and herring on homemade rye bread to Icelandic platters of sheep’s-head jelly and sharkmeat. The food is popular with curious tourists, and with the locals, too.
reviewed
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Gamla Rif
Swing by Gamla Rif for tasty coffee and cakes in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Rif, a harbour village that makes Ólafsvík look like the big city. The owners, two fishermen’s wives, have perfected a variety of traditional snacks and dispense local travel tips with a smile. They make a mean fish soup (from their husbands’ daily catch) if you’re feeling extra-peckish.
reviewed
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Einar með Öllu
Swing by this friendly pylsuvagninn (wiener wagon) for the best hot dogs in town. It’s a great spot to up your caloric intake, especially if you missed the ubiquitous pýlsur stands in Reykjavík. When you grab your grub to go, don’t forget to ask the cashier about the wagon’s punny name (it’s a great li’l play on words!)
reviewed
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Basil & Lime
Specialising in honest-to-blazes Italian food, this new restaurant makes its pasta from scratch daily – try the langoustine tagliatelle in a garlicky creamy sauce. The interior is rather nondescript and strangely dark, even in the daytime: pick good weather and devour the lunch special (a bargain) at one of the outdoor tables.
reviewed
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Domo
Part of Hótel Þingholt, this fine fusion-food restaurant mixes Far-Eastern flavours with high-quality Icelandic ingredients and French cooking styles. Dishes such as fruit-filled lamb served with artichokes and sweet potatoes are backed up by an extensive wine list. The sushi and sashimi menu is also available to take away.
reviewed
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Segurmo
This new restaurant is run by the people who owned the much-missed bar Sirkus, though it’s a little more grown-up than that wacky club. Even so, the menu’s emphasis on traditional Icelandic food still reveals a few unusual quirks. Minke whale with ratatouille, for example; or salt cod with banana and blue cheese sauce.
reviewed
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Súfistinn
This great cafe-bar is the most cheerful place to eat in town – ladies lunch, readers read, kids play chess, and half of Hafnarfjörður gathers to gossip about the other half. There’s a satisfying selection of salads, sarnies, burritos, crêpes, quiches and coffee on offer, and an all-new outside decking area.
reviewed
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Narfeyrarstofa
Well, the jig is up – everyone’s figured out that this atmospheric joint is the best place in town for a bite, including all the tour groups. It’s definitely worth sampling the delicious assortment of cakes and burgers; just don’t stop by during prime lunching hours ’cause you won’t get a table!
reviewed
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Café Nielsen
Occupying the midrange bracket between N1 eats and gourmet treats, the standard menu at Café Nielsen won’t blow you away, but you’ll probably end up eating here if you’re spending any amount of time in town. In summer there’s a pleasant leafy terrace and garden. The kitchen closes at 10pm sharp.
reviewed
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Nesbraud
At the crossroads on the way out of town, this small bakery is a good choice for a budget-friendly breakfast or lunch. Stock up on sugary confections like kleinur (traditional twisty doughnuts) or ástar-pungur (literally ‘love balls’; fried balls of dough and raisins).
reviewed
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Fimm Fiskar
The Five Fishes is housed in a chalet-style abode just up the street from Narfeyrarstofa, it’s main competition. New management has kicked things up a notch, offering a colourful assortment of fresh fish from the pier. Dishes are on the small side, but get decent reviews nonetheless.
reviewed
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Skaftfell Cultural Centre
This arty bistro-bar is the kinda place where you can chill out and doodle in your journal while Groove Armada wafts through the air. There’s free internet and you can choose from plenty of daily dish specials. If we lived in Seyðisfjörður, we’d probably come here everyday.
reviewed
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Kaffi Klettur
Kaffi Klettur is decorated in mock-old-fashioned style, with tapestries, old coffee mills and horse bridles. It has a wide selection of pizzas, burgers, crêpes, pasta and traditional fish and meat mains. It’s housed in a wooden lodge.
reviewed
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Systrakaffi
The most atmospheric place for a meal is this characterful little cafe-bar. It has a varied menu, which offers everything from sandwiches and burgers to big tilting bowls of salad, local trout and smoked-lamb mains using produce from nearby farms.
reviewed
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Café Karolína
Self-consciously cool and a favoured hangout with the young and trendy, Karolina is a relaxed place serving a limited selection of coffee and cakes. The deep leather sofas and mellow music make it easy to while away a few hours here.
reviewed
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Tilveran
On the main pedestrian street, this unassuming little restaurant specialises in seafood, with dishes such as tagliatelle with lobster. Lunch specials are good value, with soup, main and coffee/tea for Ikr1790.
reviewed
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Café Aroma
A satisfying surprise awaits on the upper floor of the shopping centre – this smart cafe has huge windows with stunning sea views. There’s a very popular salad bar (Ikr1290). It becomes a bar later on.
reviewed
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Snack Bar
The snack bar at the Shell petrol station does hot dogs and sandwiches, as well as cooked lunch/dinner mains – usually something filling and Icelandic, such as fish soup or meatballs.
reviewed
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Gentle Café
This ‘gourmet hut’ just by Garðarsbraut offers local foods such as dried haddock, marinated herring, dried reindeer and smoked trout. The outdoor terrace has great views over the harbour.
reviewed