The fish pan is a Reykjavik restaurant signature: the catch of the day, usually cod, char or trout, pan-fried in butter and served sizzling in a cast-iron skillet with potatoes and vegetables.
While not an ancient dish, the fiskipanna became a Reykjavik institution through the seafood restaurant Messinn, which built its reputation on serving the day's catch in a hot cast-iron pan. It plays to Iceland's great strength, fish landed hours earlier, cooked simply in butter so the freshness carries. The format spread across the city's seafood rooms and is now one of the most ordered dishes for visitors wanting Icelandic fish without a tasting-menu commitment.
3 editor picks for Fiskipanna (Icelandic fish pan) in Reykjavik, ranked by editorial score. All Reykjavik signature dishes · Fiskipanna (Icelandic fish pan) across every city.
Fish Company ★ 4.6
101-grandi · Vesturgata 2a, Grofartorg, 101 Reykjavik
Fish Company, Fiskfelagid in Icelandic, cooks Reykjavik's most awarded seafood in the 1884 Zimsen house, a five-course menu of local fish landed that day.
Messinn ★ 4.5
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.
Kopar ★ 4.3
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.