Hofnin is a seafood restaurant in 101 Grandi, 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.
Signature dishes: Shellfish soup, Plokkfiskur
Must order: The shellfish soup, or plokkfiskur, the creamy Icelandic fish-and-potato stew.
Tip: Window tables look out on Mount Esja across the water. Popular, so book ahead in summer.
Address: Geirsgata 7c, 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.
Signature: Tandoori salmon, Regional curries
Order: The tandoori salmon, the dish that bridges Icelandic fish and a Delhi tandoor.
Tip: Reykjavik's oldest Indian kitchen and a repeat Best of Reykjavik winner. Dinner only, book a table.
Skal, a former Hlemmur food-hall favourite now on Njalsgata, plates inventive Icelandic small plates and natural wine, a past Bib Gourmand in Reykjavik.
Signature: Seasonal small plates, Natural wine
Order: Order several small plates to share, and let the staff steer the natural-wine list.
Tip: Relocated from Hlemmur Mathöll after seven years; chef Thomas Lorentzen is now a partner here.
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.
Signature: Moules frites, Fish of the day
Order: The moules frites, or the fish of the day off the chalkboard.
Tip: Brunch runs till 16:00 and the room fills fast at weekends. Walk-ins possible early; book for dinner.
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.
Signature: Fish pan, Pan-fried Arctic char
Order: A fish pan, the cast-iron skillet of butter-fried catch with potatoes.
Tip: Lunch is the value sitting and the room is small, so arrive early or expect a wait at dinner.
Hosilo on Hverfisgata runs a weekly-changing globe-trotting menu of small plates, a Michelin Guide listed Reykjavik room for vegans and carnivores alike.
Signature: Lamb tartare, Butternut squash ravioli
Order: Whatever the rotating menu offers; the lamb tartare is a recurring standout.
Tip: The kitchen rewrites the menu every week, so no two visits match. Book ahead, the room is small.
ROK faces Hallgrimskirkja from a turf-roofed house on Frakkastigur, a Reykjavik small-plates kitchen built for sharing Icelandic ingredients at lunch.
Signature: Small plates, Mussels
Order: Build a meal from several small plates; the mussels and lamb are reliable.
Tip: The terrace under the church is the seat to ask for in summer. Open from 11:30 for lunch.
