The counters in Reykjavik worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Reykjavik worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Sandholt has baked on Laugavegur since 1920, a fourth-generation Reykjavik bakery whose long-fermented sourdough and croissants set the city's standard.
Tip: The all-day breakfast in the cafe section pairs the bread with eggs and cheese. Arrive early for croissants.
Worth the queue: Sourdough loaf
Braud and Co works a graffiti-painted house on Frakkastigur, a Reykjavik bakery whose warm cinnamon rolls and sourdough draw a near-constant queue.
Order: A cinnamon roll pulled warm from the oven; ask what just came out.
Tip: You can watch the bakers through the open kitchen. Multiple branches, but Frakkastigur is the original.
Worth the queue: Cinnamon roll
Bernhoftsbakari, founded 1834, is Iceland's oldest business, a Reykjavik bakery now run by the fifth generation and stocked with snudur and kleinur.
Order: A snudur, the Icelandic cinnamon bun, or a twisted kleina doughnut.
Tip: Iceland's oldest continuously operating business, on Klapparstigur. The traditional pastries are the draw.
Worth the queue: Snudur cinnamon bun
Deig near the Old Harbour on Tryggvagata is a Reykjavik bakery of doughnuts, bagels and bagel sandwiches, sharing its room with the Le Kock burger counter.
Order: A filled doughnut, or a bagel sandwich for a heartier breakfast.
Tip: Run by chef Markus Gudnason and open early. Good for a quick takeaway bagel near the harbour.
Worth the queue: Filled doughnut
Brikk on Hateigsvegur near Hlemmur reinvents the Icelandic snudur in a Reykjavik bakery, with salt-caramel and Nutella versions plus sourdough sandwiches.
Order: A salt-caramel snudur, the bun that built the bakery's reputation.
Tip: Started in Hafnarfjordur in 2017 and grew from there. The over-the-top snudur are the signature.
Worth the queue: Salt-caramel snudur
Hygge on Baronsstigur is a small Danish-inspired micro-bakery in central Reykjavik, baking sourdough and laminated pastries from scratch with seasonal ingredients.
Tip: Opened 2022, with a sibling site at Seljavegur 2 by Grandi. Cardamom knots and filled croissants sell out by mid-morning.
Worth the queue: Cardamom knot
Bjornsbakari on Hringbraut has baked since 1900, a long-running Reykjavik neighbourhood bakery turning out kleinur, snudur and daily bread for locals.
Tip: More local than touristy, out toward Vesturbaer. Good for traditional pastries without the downtown queues.
Worth the queue: Kleina doughnut
The Braud and Co branch at Hlemmur on Laugavegur brings the bakery's cinnamon rolls and sourdough to the food-hall end of a busy Reykjavik street.
Tip: A shorter wait than the Frakkastigur original, beside the Hlemmur food hall. Same recipes throughout.
Worth the queue: Sourdough loaf
The patisserie counter at Sandholt on Laugavegur turns out croissants, eclairs and seasonal cakes, the laminated side of Reykjavik's oldest family bakery.
Order: A butter croissant, or whatever seasonal tart fills the cabinet that day.
Tip: The same room as the bakery and cafe, so everything is fresh. Cakes can be ordered ahead for occasions.
Worth the queue: Croissant
The Austurstraeti outpost of Braud and Co puts the bakery's cinnamon rolls and sourdough right in the centre of Reykjavik, between the downtown sights.
Tip: The most central of the branches, handy off Ingolfstorg. Grab a roll and eat it on the square.
Worth the queue: Cinnamon roll