emes

Would anybody know whether decaf tea and/or coffee is readily available in Iceland?
Do they permit BYO in restaurants?
thanks,
emes

richardsonsnm

Do they permit BYO in restaurants?

restaurants are businesses, why would you be allowed to bring in your own supplies?

taitai

When we went to Iceland last year it seemed as if pretty much anything we wanted was available everywhere we went although I never did seek out decaf (especially after those late Reykjavik nights!!!). I cannot imagine that you can BYO alcohol in the restaurants and bars there. One reason we were given for the crazy late hours of the night life in Iceland is that as alcohol is so expensive, many people meet at home and have several drinks there before heading out for the evening and paying the high prices for drinks. Perhaps you can behave like a local and do the same.

Taitai

Christina

I opened this without knowing it was for Iceland (I'm sure some folks will tell you it would have been better to put Iceland in the title so those who've been there a lot can notice it) -- but, in general, I would speculate that it's like every other country I've been to in Europe and the US regarding the BYO. It is allowed in restaurants that do not have a license to sell you drinks, but not otherwise. Some restaurants will allow BYO of a special bottle of wine (and it better be special) but then charge you something for a serving fee, which isn't trivial, although not as much as buying the wine there. After all, they are a business to sell you food and drink, not just provide a table.

I managed to find probably the only BYO restaurant in Paris once by mistake, and I was astonished, as the idea of a restaurant not being able to serve you wine was something that never occurred to me (in France). I like wine with dinner, and so the folks at the next table took pity on me and gave me a glass of the cheap Bordeaux they had brought. It was some long communal tables, a neighborhood joint in an out-of-the-way location, where everybody there knew you had to BYO except me, of course. Where I live in the US, it's the same types of rules -- you can BYO if they don't have a license. As a tourist, you'd never know which places are like that. I remember reading about the high cost of alcohol in Iceland, also, so it must be an important source of income for them.

The idea of having drinks before you go out or meeting to do this sounds pretty desperate to me in a bad way, as the focus is obviously on getting some alcohol into your system, rather than enjoying having wine with dinner (where it does enhance the meal and digestion) or the social aspects of a bar. It's not the same thing.

celticdreams

I was assuming the OP meant could he/she bring decaf tea or coffee to a restaurant.

Casual places might, if you ask for hot water and explain. I wouldn't do it in anything more upscale than a diner or similar.

janisj

most of us think of BYO to mean alcohol -- but you only mentioned decaf tea/coffe so I assume you mean to bring your own coffee and tea into restaurants. Restaurants that serve coffee will have decaf -- it isn't some exotic brew afterall.

tomassocroccante

In my days in the restaurant biz I can tell you that MANY customers brought along their own herbal or decaf teabags, and we never thought twice about graciously supplying the pot of hot water and cup they needed to enjoy their own brew: of course they were charged the same as if they drank our own tea. Neither we nor they complained, and I'm sure you will find that true almost anywhere. 99% of restaurants are interested in service, and this one is a no-brainer.

If you don't find what you want among their selection, simply order a hot water, and if necessary explain that you will pay for tea. You will find decaf coffee in western Europe almost as common as in the US. It will often be Sanka. rather than brewed.



Food, on the other hand, is touchier - you have a chef to deal with, as well as local laws about bringing in food. And alcohol, for those who are interested, is totally controlled by local ordinance: usually a place that sells alchohol doesn't invite any BYOB, including wine. BUT NOT ALWAYS. I once tended bar at a restaurant with a good wine list, but we did allow customers to bring their own - with a corking fee added to the check to compensate for service and the fact that we weren't selling wine, which is, as it turns out, where many restaurants actually make their profit - not food. In the case of that establishment, the BYOB policy may have helped them go out of business ...