2 Best Restaurants in Rural Akureyri, Akureyri

In addition to superb coffee and homemade pastries, this excellent vintage hospital–theme café offers a dose of 1940s-style respite—as well as a hint of theater—in a lovely, detailed setting in the countryside. Run by actress Maria Pálsdóttir, the café doubles as an exhibition center dedicated to patients of “the Great White Plague” (tuberculosis).

Just a 20-minute drive south of Akureyri lies this idyllic dairy farm. While you can get some local meat and other wares here, the real draw is their homemade ice cream, which will have you swearing off the grocery store stuff. They, of course, have the basic flavors, but make sure to try their wackier ones—they're a true standout. Make sure to stop by their farm store as well. Opening hours can be sporadic, so it's worth it to check in advance—particularly if you're there in the off-season.