Air-dried haddock, cod or wolffish torn into strips and eaten by hand, lavishly buttered. The Icelandic equivalent of crisps: high-protein, savoury, the daily snack of fishermen and walkers.
Hardfiskur (literally hard fish) is one of Iceland's oldest preserved foods; cold North Atlantic wind dries the fillets in racks called hjallar within days. Documents from the 14th century list dried fish as currency. Today it is the country's most popular savoury snack, with Kolaportid's Saturday flea market stalls and supermarkets selling it in vacuum-packed packets.
3 editor picks for Hardfiskur (Dried Fish with Butter) in Reykjavik, ranked by editorial score. All Reykjavik signature dishes · Hardfiskur (Dried Fish with Butter) across every city.
Saegreifinn ★ 4.4
101-grandi · Geirsgata 4a, 101 Reykjavik
Saegreifinn, the Sea Baron, on Geirsgata serves a langoustine soup many call the world's best, plus grilled fish skewers in a tiny harbour shack in Reykjavik.
Kolaportid ★ 4.2
101 · Tryggvagata 19, 101 Reykjavik
Kolaportid fills the old customs house on Tryggvagata each weekend, Reykjavik's flea market where food stalls sell fermented shark, dried fish and rye bread.
Cafe Loki ★ 4.2
101 · Lokastigur 28, 101 Reykjavik
Cafe Loki faces Hallgrimskirkja from Lokastigur, a Reykjavik cafe built on traditional Icelandic plates of dark rye bread, mashed fish and rye ice cream.