17 restaurants worth the trip across Iceland, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Iceland guides.
Austur-Indiafjelagid ★ 4.6 · Reykjavik
101 · Hverfisgata 56, 101 Reykjavik
Austur-Indiafjelagid has cooked regional Indian food with Icelandic produce on Hverfisgata since 1994, the Grapevine's repeat pick for Reykjavik's best.
Tip: Reykjavik's oldest Indian kitchen and a repeat Best of Reykjavik winner. Dinner only, book a table.
Messinn ★ 4.5 · Reykjavik
101 · Laekjargata 6b, 101 Reykjavik
Messinn on Laekjargata built its name on the fish pan, fresh catch fried in butter and served sizzling in a cast-iron skillet to half of Reykjavik.
Tip: Lunch is the value sitting and the room is small, so arrive early or expect a wait at dinner.
Mat Bar ★ 4.5 · Reykjavik
101 · Hverfisgata 26, 101 Reykjavik
Mat Bar on Hverfisgata is a chef-driven Reykjavik kitchen blending Icelandic produce with Italian sensibility, a thirty-seat room of small sharing plates that the Grapevine ranks high.
Tip: Seven-time Best of Reykjavik medal winner. Open kitchen, intimate room, book ahead.
Skal ★ 4.4 · Reykjavik
101 · Njalsgata 1, 101 Reykjavik
Skal, a former Hlemmur food-hall favourite now on Njalsgata, plates inventive Icelandic small plates and natural wine, a past Bib Gourmand in Reykjavik.
Tip: Relocated from Hlemmur Mathöll after seven years; chef Thomas Lorentzen is now a partner here.
Snaps Bistro ★ 4.4 · Reykjavik
101 · Thorsgata 1, 101 Reykjavik
Snaps Bistro on Thorsgata is Reykjavik's enduring French-Danish bistro, a glassed-in room serving moules frites, onion soup and the day's fish to a crowd.
Tip: Brunch runs till 16:00 and the room fills fast at weekends. Walk-ins possible early; book for dinner.
Skreid ★ 4.4 · Reykjavik
101 · Laugavegur 4, 101 Reykjavik
Skreid on Laugavegur is a Basque tapas room from the Sagardi Group, a small Reykjavik counter pouring natural wine alongside pintxos and bacalao a few steps off the main shopping street.
Tip: From the brothers behind Spain's Sagardi Group. Tapas-and-wine pace, evenings only into late.
Hosilo ★ 4.3 · Reykjavik
101 · Hverfisgata 12, 101 Reykjavik
Hosilo on Hverfisgata runs a weekly-changing globe-trotting menu of small plates, a Michelin Guide listed Reykjavik room for vegans and carnivores alike.
Tip: The kitchen rewrites the menu every week, so no two visits match. Book ahead, the room is small.
ROK ★ 4.3 · Reykjavik
101 · Frakkastigur 26a, 101 Reykjavik
ROK faces Hallgrimskirkja from a turf-roofed house on Frakkastigur, a Reykjavik small-plates kitchen built for sharing Icelandic ingredients at lunch.
Tip: The terrace under the church is the seat to ask for in summer. Open from 11:30 for lunch.
Sjavargrillid ★ 4.3 · Reykjavik
101 · Skolavordustigur 14, 101 Reykjavik
Sjavargrillid, the Seafood Grill, plates grilled Icelandic fish and langoustine on Skolavordustigur, a colourful Reykjavik room with full a la carte choice.
Tip: A short walk down from Hallgrimskirkja. Good for a la carte when you want fish without a set menu.
Kopar ★ 4.3 · Reykjavik
101-grandi · Geirsgata 3, 101 Reykjavik
Kopar sits over the water at the Old Harbour on Geirsgata, a Reykjavik seafood room that leans on local langoustine and cod with vegan plates too.
Tip: Ask for a window table over the harbour. Lunch is the cheaper way into the same kitchen.
Hornid ★ 4.2 · Reykjavik
101 · Hafnarstraeti 15, 101 Reykjavik
Hornid opened in 1979 as Iceland's first Italian restaurant and still works a yellow corner house on Hafnarstraeti, making Reykjavik pizza and pasta to order.
Tip: Family-run for over forty years and open all day from 11:00. A dependable break from fish and lamb.
Sushi Social ★ 4.2 · Reykjavik
101 · Thingholtsstraeti 5, 101 Reykjavik
Sushi Social on Thingholtsstraeti blends sushi with a South American grill, a dim Reykjavik basement pouring cocktails alongside Nikkei-style rolls.
Tip: Dinner only from 17:00, with a strong happy hour early on. Book for weekends, it fills up.
Kol Restaurant ★ 4.2 · Reykjavik
101 · Skolavordustigur 40, 101 Reykjavik
Kol on Skolavordustigur grills modern Icelandic plates over charcoal a minute from Hallgrimskirkja, a polished Reykjavik room best known for its steaks.
Tip: The cocktail bar is a destination on its own. Lunch is the value sitting before the dinner rush.
Kaffivagninn ★ 4.2 · Reykjavik
101-grandi · Grandagardur 10, 101 Reykjavik
Kaffivagninn on Grandagardur has fed harbour workers since 1935, billed as Iceland's oldest restaurant, where the catch of the day is the meal in Reykjavik.
Tip: Started as a coffee cart on the docks in 1935. Open from 08:00 for breakfast by the water.
Tapas Barinn ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101 · Vesturgata 3b, 101 Reykjavik
Tapas Barinn on Vesturgata has run Spanish-style tapas on Icelandic ingredients since 2000, best known for its multi-course Icelandic Gourmet Feast.
Tip: The Gourmet Feast even includes adventurous bites like puffin and minke for the curious. Dinner only.
Forrettabarinn ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101 · Nylendugata 14, 101 Reykjavik
Forrettabarinn, the Starters Bar, on Nylendugata builds a meal entirely from small plates, a relaxed Reykjavik room near the harbour made for grazing.
Tip: Down in the old west-end harbour streets, away from the Laugavegur crush. Good shared-plate value.
Hofnin ★ 4.1 · Reykjavik
101-grandi · Geirsgata 7c, 101 Reykjavik
Hofnin, The Harbour, fills a 1930s house on Geirsgata with family-run Icelandic seafood, a Reykjavik room for shellfish soup and plokkfiskur by the marina.
Tip: Window tables look out on Mount Esja across the water. Popular, so book ahead in summer.