28 Best Restaurants in Iceland

Reykjavík’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, Dill offers a multicourse tasting menu that celebrates Icelandic ingredients through New Nordic cuisine. Chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason emphasizes sustainability, foraging, and preserving seasonal produce.

Located in a greenhouse within the Reykjavík Botanical Garden, Café Flóra, serves light bistro fare amid tropical plants and an idyllic pond. Much of what you'll find on the menu is grown in the gardens, and you can learn all about the sustainable practices of the kitchen.

This beautifully designed hotel restaurant is a convenient place for guests to dine, although you don't need to be a guest to eat here. While their main menu offers traditional first-rate Icelandic fare, they also have great burgers.

The large windows of this luxury country-lodge restaurant frame an engaging pastoral scene starring the bountiful Rangá (one of Iceland’s best fishing rivers) with Hekla (a famous sleeping volcano known as “the Gateway to Hell”) in the background. Here guests dine on a variety of locally sourced seasonal produce, and are often given the full VIP treatment from enthusiastic owner Friðrík, who takes great pride in everything from the presentation of the food to the minutiae of its preparation.

Sipping on a refreshing cocktail will add a spicy warmth to your cheeks while you take in this friendly spot's sights, sounds, and aromas, which intensify as the evening progresses. Each dish is carefully paired with wine and delivered with a detailed narrative by well-informed staff. Send your senses into overdrive with dishes like fruits de mer, charred salmon, or an assemblage of popular desserts

A stellar experience for the senses, the set menus at Moss Restaurant take diners on an Iceland-inspired food journey. Situated at the highest point of the Blue Lagoon, guests gaze through floor-to-ceiling windows upon the moonlike surroundings while enjoying delicious and diverse dishes made from seasonal produce gathered from the mountains, the rivers, the mossy fields, and the sea.

Every table at this bistro under the expansive glass dome of Perlan comes with a 360-degree view of Reykjavík. Perched atop the city's geothermal water distribution tanks on Öskjuhlíð Hill, the eatery's international menu emphasizes quick, fresh dishes like pizzas, fish-and-chips, pizza, and lamb soup.

At this boathouse on the water’s edge (built in 1890), you can enjoy gourmet dishes like fjord-fresh salmon and crispy reindeer meatballs. The interior is furnished with an impressive collection of maritime artifacts, and the soundtrack is of old Icelandic fishing songs. Upstairs the fishermen’s living quarters have been preserved exactly as they were found, undisturbed for almost a century.

The plokkfiskur (fish stew) at this local favorite is the perfect thing to warm you up on a cold night. The restaurant also hosts a Champagne happy hour that includes a bottle of bubbly, licorice, and cantaloupe every day between 4 and 7 pm.

Having graduated from its humble beginnings in Hlemmur Mathöll food hall, Skál! is now a destination in its own right, anchoring the corner of Njálsgata and Klapparstígur. The kitchen continues to turn out delightfully modern, inventive, and—most importantly—delicious small plates. This is a dining experience you'll remember long after your vacation ends.

Located in the oldest house in Selfoss, Tryggvaskáli takes you back a century to the sitting room of an upper-class family. Allow yourself to feel like the honorary guest at a dinner party; your hosts will offer excellent Icelandic and international farm-to-table dishes.

Those who appreciate dairy will love this place, which serves super-fresh whole milk and cream to go with your coffee and delicious (although ridiculously overpriced) home-baked cakes. The café has big windows with such satisfying views of the lush surroundings that you might be tempted to stay for the free refills (filter coffee only). There’s also a menu of farm–to–table dishes, a souvenir shop, and a viewing window into the cowshed.

The menu at Apotek is much the same as those at other upscale spots in Reykjavík—tons of fish, some sort of take on a tasting menu of traditional dishes (often with whale and puffin), and a few turf additions here and there—but the care and attention to detail is obvious here. The desserts alone are worth a visit, and can be enjoyed in the front lounge area with a tea or coffee for those seeking an afternoon treat while watching the hustle and bustle of the city. It's a great splurge for those looking to get in one last memorable meal before heading home.

The chef here is a supporter of the sustainable food movement and sources almost all supplies from local Icelandic farmers. All the veggies, salads, and berries are picked from the greenhouses next door. They serve breakfast and dinner and are open all day for light refreshments.

There’s a ramshackle appeal to this converted old fishing hut by the waterfront (its name translates to “the Bait Shack\"). Meals served under the low-beamed ceilings decorated with nautical salvage are tasty and the service is quick, but the real draw of this place is the epic views of the fjord. It's open only in summer, hosts live music and events, and gets lively until late on Friday and Saturday night. 

From lamb shanks to spaghetti, you never quite know what's going to show up on the menu at Englendingavík. The historic building is surrounded by equally aged architecture; it's almost like stepping back in time—a much cozier time.

You don’t have to be a hotel guest to dine here, and as the only place for miles where you can get a decent sit-down meal, you should book well in advance. The menu features lots of Icelandic dishes boasting the use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients from the so-called Skagafjörður food chest. The decor is modern and inviting.

Although Jörgensen Kitchen & Bar has a similar menu to other eateries around the city (burgers, fish-and-chips, cod, catch of the day, etc.), what's really intriguing about this restaurant is the private garden area. Dining in this dreamy oasis in the middle of the city's main shopping street is a real pleasure.

Though attached to a guesthouse, Kaffi Lækur is wildly popular with locals, who flock to the cozy, family-friendly café and restaurant for its fresh, farm-to-table menu. Don't miss the daily happy hour from 4 to 7 pm and 10 to 11 pm.

The atmosphere is the real crowd-pleaser here—especially if you're looking for a romantic restaurant with low lighting for date night or a hip dinner with perfectly fine food. Matarkjallarinn serves a more casual menu of burgers or a fish of the day at lunch before dimming the lights and letting the live pianist loose on the ivories to bring a touch of class to dinner, when a selection of steaks, seafood, and duck confit are on the menu. As the name suggests, the surroundings skew toward stone and offer the cozy kind of vibes only a cellar can provide. 

A renowned Reykjavík restaurant, Matur og Drykkur is celebrated for its inventive takes on traditional Icelandic cuisine. Situated in a historic saltfish factory, it offers seasonal tasting menus crafted from locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant has garnered acclaim for its creative dishes and commitment to honoring Icelandic culinary heritage.

Nestled between the greenery of Öskjuhlíð and Reykjavík's geothermal beach, Nauthóll serves fresh fish, burgers, soups, salads, and a selection of small plates all creatively prepared using fresh ingredients. Meals feel elevated in Nauthóll's sparse gallery-like interiors, which put the sweeping views over Nauthólsvík front-and-center.

Built in 1883, this appealing old wooden building once housed the town’s first co-op and was the heart and soul of the community. It’s now home to a lovely restaurant, where its historic presence is augmented by a lively crowd of locals and tourists getting their fill. The big menu is packed with popular classics, including tacos, street food, pizzas, burgers, and seafood. The catch of the day is always delicious.

Fine dining enhanced by glorious views over the marina and fjord create a memorable experience at this restaurant that focuses on fresh, local seafood (though offers meat options). Prices are admittedly high, but the quality makes up for it, and there's a good three-course prix-fixe menu.

If your ideal dinner consists of eating on a patio with a good beer in hand, you won't be disappointed by this lively gastropub. You can even mingle with the locals for a rousing game of bingo once a month. Be sure to greet the pig out front—she's usually dressed for the occasion.

This eatery blends Icelandic ingredients with Spanish flair in a cozy, dimly lit cellar. Think puffin with blueberry sauce, langoustines, or lamb—all washed down with a killer sangria. This is a great place to go with friends and share a selection of small plates or order a set menu for the table.