Must-see restaurants in North Iceland

  • Fjallakaffi

    North Iceland

    Folks simply passing through Möðrudalur should stop at Fjallakaffi for coffee and homemade kleina (traditional twisted doughnut) or ástarpungur (love ball…

  • Kaupvangskaffi

    North Iceland

    It seems everyone passing through town stops here – and with excellent reason. Inside Kaupvangur, you'll find sofas to relax on, plus delicious coffee, a…

  • Sjávarborg

    North Iceland

    Hats off to this stylish restaurant above the Icelandic Seal Centre. Reserve ahead for a table by vast picture windows offering fjord views and a menu…

  • Kaffi Kú

    North Iceland

    Kaffi Kú (11km southeast of Akureyri) is a perfect pit stop in pastoral Eyjafjarðarsveit. Dine above a high-tech cowshed (you can watch the cows queue to…

  • Strikið

    Akureyri

    Huge windows with fjord views lend a magical glitz to this 5th-floor restaurant, and the cool cocktails help things along. The menu showcases prime…

  • Naustið

    North Iceland

    Buttercup-yellow Naustið wins wide praise for its super-fresh fish and a simple concept that's well executed: skewers of fish and vegetables, grilled to…

  • Kaupfélagið Raufarhöfn

    North Iceland

    Easily the brightest spark in town, this charming cafe and handicrafts gallery has bags of personality (driftwood, artworks, coffee pots). It's a welcome…

  • Berlin

    Akureyri

    Breakfast served all day? Hello Berlin! If you need a fix of bacon and eggs or avocado on toast, this cosy timber-lined cafe is your spot. Good coffee is…

  • Geitafell

    North Iceland

    Roughly 25km from Hvammstangi – 3km north of Illugastaðir – is the wonderfully unique Geitafell, a restaurant in a converted barn where fish soup is the…

  • Icelandair Hotel Akureyri

    Akureyri

    Suffering afternoon sluggishness? Get your sugar rush courtesy of the great-value high tea served every afternoon in the smart lounge of the Icelandair…

  • Noa Seafood Restaurant

    Akureyri

    Part gallery, part furniture store, part restaurant – ‘Noah’s Ark’ is certainly unique, and offers a simple food concept done well. The menu features a…

  • Báran

    North Iceland

    Behind the N1 is a harbourside restaurant – and it's a cool surprise to find a loungey area, wide-ranging menu, high-quality food and some excellent local…

  • Akureyri Fish Restaurant

    Akureyri

    The short blackboard at this bustling, casual place highlights piscatorial pleasures: fish and chips is the bestseller, or there's oven-baked salmon,…

  • Blaá Kannan

    Akureyri

    Prime people-watching is on offer at this much-loved cafe (the Blue Teapot, in the dark-blue Cafe Paris building) on the main drag. The interior is timber…

  • Rub23

    Akureyri

    This sleek, seafood-showcasing restaurant has a decidedly Japanese flavour, but also promotes its use of 'rubs' or marinades (along the lines of sweet…

  • Fish & Chips

    North Iceland

    Doing exactly what it says on the label, this small window-front on the harbour doles out good-value fish (usually cod) and chips, with a few picnic…

  • Café Hvalbakur

    North Iceland

    With a sun-trap terrace overlooking the waterfront, this friendly cafe – owned by North Sailing – has a big cabinet full of baguettes, wraps, muffins and…

  • Kaffi Ilmur

    Akureyri

    In a charming historical building painted butter yellow (and once a saddlery), this welcoming cafe offers a tasty range of bodacious breakfast and lunch…

  • Café Laut

    Akureyri

    What could be better than a designer cafe in a botanical garden? This cafe has gorgeous picture windows, good coffee, a big sun terrace and a lunchtime…

  • Greifinn

    Akureyri

    Family-friendly and always full to bursting, Greifinn is one of the most popular spots in town. The menu favours comfort food above all: ribs and wings,…

  • Skerjakolla

    North Iceland

    Skerjakolla is a sweet surprise: a decent grocery store, with a small and simple cafe serving pizza, sandwiches, coffee and cake. There's even a Vínbúðin…

  • Brynja

    Akureyri

    This legendary ice-cream shop is known across Iceland for one of the best ice creams in the country (it’s made with milk, not cream). It’s 500m downhill…

  • Hard Wok Cafe

    North Iceland

    The newest entry on Sauðárkrókur's food scene, this casual restaurant specialises in noodles and Asian fusion, but also offers popular pizza, fish-and…

  • Krían

    North Iceland

    The island's only restaurant (named after the Arctic tern, kría in Icelandic) is an agreeable place with an outdoor deck that enjoys views over the…

  • Serrano

    Akureyri

    Like your food fast, but fresher than you've been encountering at all those N1 grill-bars? Hit up Serrano for a delish burrito, made to order; you can…

  • Sauðárkróksbakarí

    North Iceland

    This main-street bakery is the heartbeat of the town. Stop in to stock up on supplies for your drive – everything from fresh-baked bread to soup to iced…

  • Kaffi Krókur

    North Iceland

    This restaurant has a welcoming yellow exterior and a crowd-pleasing menu. It’s known for its lobster and shrimp sandwich, burgers, pizza and lamb.

  • Indian Curry House

    Akureyri

    Add a little heat to a chilly evening with a flavourful curry from this family-run restaurant.

  • Baccalá Bar

    North Iceland

    Beside the whale-watching office in Hauganes, the local company Ektafiskur, known for its traditional bacalao (salted codfish), operates this fun, kitschy…

  • T-Bone Steakhouse

    Akureyri

    Wearing its carnivorous heart on its sleeve ('we bloody love steak' is on the menu, and the exterior signage), this steakhouse gets mixed reviews, but may…

  • Hamborgarafabrikkan

    Akureyri

    Iceland is one of few countries without McDonald's, but who needs them? Part of a small chain, the Hamburger Factory gives you a choice of 15 square-patty…

  • Gamli Baukur

    North Iceland

    Among shiny nautical relics, this timber-framed restaurant-bar serves high-quality food (spaghetti with shellfish, wild mushroom barley, organic lamb)…

  • Símstöðin

    Akureyri

    Cheerful, citrus-toned decor matches the fresh approach of this all-day cafe in the heart of town: smoothies, fresh-pressed juices and salads make it easy…

  • Lókal

    North Iceland

    Grab a quick bite or check your email in this little cafe where they homemake the fillings for their wraps (from chilli to stir-fry) and homebake their…

  • Salka Restaurant

    North Iceland

    Once home to Iceland’s first cooperative, this historical building houses an easy-breezy, crowd-pleasing restaurant serving a diverse menu: everything…

  • Ásbyrgi Store

    North Iceland

    This store on Rte 85, close to the visitor centre, has a selection of groceries, plus simple grill-bar options (soup, lamb, fish, burgers). There's also a…

  • Tourist Complex

    North Iceland

    Right beside Goðafoss is a complex with information, free wi-fi, a few groceries, a souvenir shop, public toilets, a petrol pump and a decent cafeteria…

  • Búðin

    North Iceland

    Small but well-stocked supermarket. If it's closed when you need it, it's usually just a matter of letting a local know and they'll arrange for it to be…

  • B&S Restaurant

    North Iceland

    The usual suspects – soup, salad, burgers, fish and pizza – greet diners on the picture menu at this decent, albeit overpriced, place neighbouring the N1,…

  • Staðarskáli N1

    North Iceland

    Petrol, bathrooms, wi-fi, a shop and a grill bar – stop in, as there's not much else along this stretch of Ring Road for a while (until Blönduós, if you…