What better way is there to experience a country than by eating their food? Exactly. I can’t think of one either. During our ten-day trip to Iceland, I was determined to get some good food despite our tight funds. To our surprise it wasn’t too hard. I’m sure we missed some fancy pants eateries, but if you’re on a budget and looking for where to eat in Iceland like we were, you can’t miss these seven places! These were Ashley and my picks for the best restaurants in Reykjavik and the Southwest of Iceland.
1. Café Loki – $$
Since it was located right across from Hallgrimskirkja (our center point) and one of the only places open early, we stopped here a couple of times for breakfast.
Note: most restaurants don’t open until late morning / early afternoon, so plan accordingly.
Our favorite light breakfast here is the cheese and marmalade bagel which is absolutely scrumptious. I would have never come up with that combination, but I’m sure glad they did! The hot chocolate with cream was perfect for me, while Ashley proclaimed that Café Loki had the best coffee of our whole trip “hands down.” I’m no coffee lover, but that’s a bold statement! The staff is very welcoming here, and while the murals inside are beautiful to look at, there is also a great view of Hallgrimskirkja out their large glass windows which was nice. For me, this was one of the best restaurants in Reykjavik.
Hours:
Every day from 0800 to 2200
Contact:
Lokastígur 28, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
+354 466 2828
2. Café Babalú – $
This quirky restaurant is our second favorite place for breakfast in Reykjavik. Right down the street from Café Loki, its bright, yellow-orange exterior makes it very easy to spot. Café Babalú is allegedly known for its cheesecake, but I think it should be known for their crepes and hot chocolate! This two level building has quite a homey feeling with mismatched furniture and all kinds of pictures / trinkets adorning the walls. The sweet crepe with strawberries makes my mouth water just by thinking about it to this day.
Hours:
Every day from 0830 to 2230
Contact:
22, Skólavörðustígur, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
+354 555 8845
3. Laundromat Café – $$
Walking into this restaurant is like going back in time to a fifties diner. You are greeted by a large bookshelf / counter containing all sorts of books color coded into a functional art piece. The red leather booths and chairs in contrast with the wood floors invite you to sit and mingle with the others around you that are eating, doing laundry, or both! Ashley and I chose a table next to a grand window that created the entire front wall of the restaurant so we could see the city. Their menus are beautiful and promote change in the world which was quite intriguing. What we didn’t know, is that it is the only laundromat in the entire country that isn’t inside of a hostel or campground!
Note: Unfortunately, as I began writing this I found out that in February 2018 the Reykjavik location closed.
A new restaurant has opened in its place however, called Egill Jacobsen : Kitchen & Bar, so I guess my next trip there I will have to try it out!
Hours:
CLOSED
Egill Jacobsen Hours:
Sunday from 1000 to 2300
Monday thru Wednesday from 0900 to 2300
Thursday / Friday from 0900 to 2400
Saturdays from 1000 to 2400
Contact:
Austurstræti 9, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
+354 587 7555
4. Reykjavik Roasters – $
Ok, so this one isn’t really “food,” but their pastries / snacks were quite yummy and Ashley claims it’s coffee is super awesome (you know, since I don’t drink hot bean water). Reykjavik Roasters is a on a corner and has great natural light coming in through their big windows. Since it’s fairly small, it can be a little claustrophobic if there are too many people in line. When it’s not full, they have a few comfy mismatched chairs and couches to sit on with a few small tables. Reykjavik Roasters imports their coffee from farms around the world and are conscious about their environmental impact which is a huge bonus for me. The reason I added this place onto this list instead of just a coffee list, is because of their delicious lemon avocado toast and bountiful pastries. Fresh croissants, bread with cheese and jam (apparently this is quite popular!), and even chia pudding are a few things on their menu.
Hours:
Weekdays from 0800 to 1730
Weekends from 0800 to 1700
Contact:
Kárastígur 1, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
+354 517 5535
5. Sæmundur í Sparifötunum at KEX Hostel – $$$
Ashley and I were recommended to Sæmundur by one of her friends that had visited Iceland before. This swanky gastro pub is located inside the KEX Hostel which is fairly tucked away and a little hard for us to find. However, at night it is full of people and music with kind of a “speakeasy” type vibe. The best part is that they focus on their Icelandic heritage by using locally produced and foraged ingredients in their foods. I had the Spicy “freedom” Burger with Sæmi-chips (quite pricey at ~ $21USD), and it was absolutely scrumptious. We sat, listened to music, talked, and then enjoyed some dessert before we left with full stomachs.
Hours:
Brunch on weekends from 1200 to 1700.
Lunch every weekday from 1130 to 1700.
Dinner every day from 1700 to 2200
Contact:
Skúlagata 28, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
+354.561.6060
6. Fridheimar Greenhouse – $$
This restaurant is everything tomatoes, and the most fascinating thing is that they grow their tomatoes all year long! It’s such a cool experience to eat surrounded by four varieties of tomato plants under one roof. We were told about this place by other travelers and just showed up during our Golden Circle road trip. Well we lucked out, because apparently you’re supposed to book a table in advance. The staff was incredibly kind to us and since every seat had already been reserved, they allowed us to get our fresh tomato soup and just wander around while we ate it, which wasn’t so bad! Fridheimar has quite a variety of main courses, and even desserts and drinks created with their tomatoes. My personal favorite part though, is dunking pieces of their homemade bread into my cup of soup. Literally the best bread and tomato soup I have EVER eaten in my entire life. Highly suggest a visit here, and don’t forget to grab an edible gift on your way out from their shop!
Hours:
Every day from 1200 to 1600
Contact:
Reykholti, Bláskógabyggð, IS-801 Selfoss
+354 486 8894
7. Te & Kaffi – $
This may be a chain coffee shop, but I decided to include it here and not confine it to just coffee for the same reasons as Reykjavik Roasters. Not only do they have a large variety of great coffee (and hot chocolate for me), but also a large selection of sweets and bagels for a simple breakfast or snack.
Hours:
Sunday from 1000 to 2200
Monday thru Saturday from 0900 to 2200
Contact:
Austurstræti 18, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
+354 555 1910
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Did you realize that you are sinning when you wrote this post, Amanda…lol..I mean, so many delicious items to gorge on that I am actually drooling over your captures of the coffee et al. Cheese and marmalade is quite a unique combo…need to try that. That Fridheimar Greenhouse grows its own tomatoes and dishes them out is quite interesting. A drool-worthy post 😀
Hahaha thank you!! I was drooling as I wrote it! Really enjoyed the food in Iceland and already can’t wait to go back for more!
Great guide on lovely coffee and snacks shops in Iceland. I am saving it for my future travels to Iceland. I would love to visit Sæmundur í Sparifötunum at KEX Hostel for its funky musical vibes. I like such type of cafes where food goes along with music and creates a very vibrant and positive atmosphere. I love tomatoes and add to every dish, so Fridheimar Greenhouse would be also in my list and would also looks out for 4 kind of tomatoes grown under their same roof.
Both are VERY good choices, and I hope you get to experience both of them on your visit to Iceland! 🙂
I didn’t realize that most restaurants in Iceland don’t open until late morning or early afternoon- thanks for the tip! I’m a coffee-holic so I would love to spend some time at Reykjavik Roasters. It looks like the perfect place for having coffee and eating pastries.
It was kind of annoying when we were trying to get up early for our two road trips, but we made it work! You’d really enjoy Reykjavik Roasters and I’ll be writing another post on coffee places soon, so keep your eyes peeled!
Have read a lot of articles about tripping in Iceland, but this is the first one that has food in it as well. The food looks yummy (maybe its the photos that did the trick 😝). Going to check out all of these for sure.
The food was definitely one of my favorite things about Iceland haha you definitely have to check them out sometime! 😛
I love this! These all sound such unique places, I want to go to them all! I really loved the sound of the Laundromat one, such a shame it’s closed. The tomato place looks amazing, I can only imagine how incredible that soup tasted. Definitely bookmarking this for our Iceland trip! Makes me want to go and find all the cool little coffee shops/eateries near me now 🙂
I was super disappointed reading that they had closed down! But you absolutely MUST check out Fridheimar. I could eat there every day for the rest of my life. haha 🙂
Thanks for these tips! Definitely saving for later when we make it there (hopefully soon!). I have read previously about how food is tricky in Iceland and super expensive, so these are great. I am not a coffee fan either, but love a great hot chocolate. Fridheimar Greenhouse also looks amazing!
I hope you get to go ASAP!! It’s absolutely amazing and if you want tips on visiting Iceland on a budget, check out this post! Lots of tips on how we cut the costs on our experience there 🙂 HIGHLY suggest Fridheimar! Seriously. So delicious.
Wow, so sad to hear that Laundromat Cafe is closed. That was one of my favorites places that I had eaten at while in Iceland. This is a great list and definitely want to go back and try some of the hot chocolate spots you mentioned. I don’t know how I didn’t get hot chocolate at least once there.
Right?! I definitely get hot chocolate in all the countries I go to. Just so delicious.
Oooh somehow I missed all of these when we visited Iceland!
Although I was sort of expecting you to list the famous hot dog place in Reykjavik. We didn’t know where it was, but it is so famous that we just asked random Icelandic people in bar, and they drew a map for us on a napkin!! As soon as we mentioned hot dogs, they knew where to send us!!
All of them?! I thought about the hot dog stand… but since I was more focused on “sit-down” places I figured nah. haha Although, it was definitely delicious!