Reykjavik: Guided Foodie Walking Tour with 6 Tastings
Learn about the culture of Reykjavik and Iceland through its tasty food on a guided walking tour. Visit 5 different Icelandic eateries as you explore the Icelandic cap...
40 upscale places in Reykjavik, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Reykjavik: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Reykjavik food.
Austur-Indiafjelagid ★ 4.6
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.
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.
Tip: Voted the Grapevine's best seafood for over a decade. The downstairs room under the bridge is the one to book.
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.
Tip: Lunch is the value sitting and the room is small, so arrive early or expect a wait at dinner.
Mat Bar ★ 4.5
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.
Tip: Seven-time Best of Reykjavik medal winner. Open kitchen, intimate room, book ahead.
OTO ★ 4.5
101 · Hverfisgata 44, 101 Reykjavik
OTO on Hverfisgata is a Michelin Guide listed Italian-Japanese kitchen in Reykjavik, serving a kaiseki-shaped tasting menu that is a hard table to book.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday from 17:30. The room is small and loud; book ahead online.
Skal ★ 4.4
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
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
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.
Tip: From the brothers behind Spain's Sagardi Group. Tapas-and-wine pace, evenings only into late.
Matur og Drykkur ★ 4.4
101-grandi · Grandagardur 2, 101 Reykjavik
Matur og Drykkur revives old Icelandic recipes in a former salt-fish factory at Grandi, named for a classic cookbook and Michelin Guide listed in Reykjavik.
Tip: It shares the building with the Saga Museum down at the old harbour. Open Wednesday to Sunday for dinner.
Sumac ★ 4.4
101 · Laugavegur 28, 101 Reykjavik
Sumac Grill + Drinks brings North African and Lebanese flavours to Icelandic produce on Laugavegur in Reykjavik, the sister venue that hides the Ox counter.
Tip: Sister to the Michelin-starred Ox, which sits behind it. Cocktails here are among the city's best.
Vinstukan Tiu Sopar ★ 4.4
101 · Laugavegur 27, 101 Reykjavik
Vinstukan Tiu Sopar on Laugavegur pours zippy natural wines with halibut and warm halloumi, one of Reykjavik's leading low-intervention wine bars.
Tip: Strong vegetarian small plates alongside the funky natural list. Book ahead, the room is compact.
Hosilo ★ 4.3
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
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
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
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.
Kaffibarinn ★ 4.3
101 · Bergstadastraeti 1, 101 Reykjavik
Kaffibarinn on Bergstadastraeti has anchored Reykjavik nightlife since 1993, a cafe by day that turns into the city's most packed DJ bar by midnight.
Tip: Part-owned over the years by Damon Albarn. Queues form after 23:00 at weekends, so arrive early.
Slippbarinn ★ 4.3
101 · Myrargata 2, 101 Reykjavik
Slippbarinn on Myrargata was Reykjavik's first cocktail bar, a harbourside room at the Marina hotel mixing inventive drinks with a long daily happy hour.
Tip: The rotating Cocktail of the Month is the order. Happy hour runs 15:00-18:00 every day by the harbour.
Rontgen ★ 4.3
101 · Hverfisgata 12, 101 Reykjavik
Rontgen on Hverfisgata is a two-floor wine, beer and cocktail bar above Dill, a Reykjavik room of candles, art and compiled low-intervention wines that won.
Tip: Bar menu from Hosilo runs Tuesday to Saturday until 21:00. Happy hour weekdays 16:00-20:00.
Port 9 ★ 4.3
101 · Veghusastigur 7-9, 101 Reykjavik
Port 9 on Veghusastigur is Iceland's oldest dedicated wine bar, a dim side-street Reykjavik room of emerald sofas pouring over fifty wines old and new.
Tip: Opened in 2016 on a quiet lane off Laugavegur. Come for a quiet glass rather than a loud night.
Hornid ★ 4.2
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
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
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.
Brut ★ 4.2
101 · Posthusstraeti 2, 101 Reykjavik
Brut sits inside the Radisson Blu 1919 on Posthusstraeti in Reykjavik, a Michelin Guide listed seafood room where a former Dill cook keeps the fish simple.
Tip: Opened in 2021 in one of the city's grandest old buildings. Good wine list, lively at weekends.
Konsulat Wine Room ★ 4.2
101 · Hafnarstraeti 17-19, 101 Reykjavik
Konsulat Wine Room on Hafnarstraeti pairs selected wine flights with matched food in a Nordic library setting, a polished Reykjavik wine bar in a hotel.
Tip: The by-country flights, often Italian, are the way in. Quiet and grown-up rather than a party spot.
Brut Wine Bar ★ 4.2
101 · Posthusstraeti 2, 101 Reykjavik
Before dinner service, Brut on Posthusstraeti runs as a Reykjavik wine bar with an award-nominated list and Portuguese tinned seafood in the Radisson Blu.
Tip: The wine list runs to forty pages with playful categories Glass-pour list rotates monthly.
Skal Wine Bar ★ 4.2
101 · Njalsgata 1, 101 Reykjavik
Skal on Njalsgata doubles as a natural-wine bar, pouring low-intervention bottles alongside its seasonal Icelandic small plates in this corner of Reykjavik.
Tip: Drop in for natural wine and a snack without committing to the full menu. Closed early in the week.
Tapas Barinn ★ 4.1
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
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
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.
Apotek Kitchen + Bar ★ 4.1
101 · Austurstraeti 16, 101 Reykjavik
Apotek Kitchen + Bar fills the old first-pharmacy building on Austurstraeti in Reykjavik, cooking Icelandic-European small plates and an open Argentine grill.
Tip: The happy hour at the long bar is one of downtown's better deals. Open from 11:30 for lunch.
Uppi Wine Bar ★ 4.1
101 · Adalstraeti 12, 101 Reykjavik
Uppi sits above Fish Market on Adalstraeti, a casual Reykjavik wine bar running the same kitchen for sushi and small plates at a lighter price.
Tip: The relaxed way into the Fish Market kitchen without the full tasting commitment. Good for a quick stop.
Pablo Discobar ★ 4.1
101 · Veltusund 1, 101 Reykjavik
Pablo Discobar on Veltusund pours tropical, mezcal-forward cocktails over two loud floors, a 70s-and-80s disco Reykjavik party bar with a huge mirrored.
Tip: Open from 17:00 daily, until 03:00 Friday and Saturday. Happy hour 16:00-18:00; karaoke later.
Skuli Craft Bar ★ 4.1
101 · Adalstraeti 9, 101 Reykjavik
Skuli Craft Bar on Adalstraeti pours fourteen mostly Icelandic taps plus bottles, a focused Reykjavik beer bar named for an 18th-century town father.
Tip: Most taps are local, so it is a fast way to taste the Icelandic scene. Happy hour early in the evening.
Microbar ★ 4.1
101 · Laugavegur 86, 101 Reykjavik
Microbar on Laugavegur pours ten rotating taps and dozens of bottles, a Reykjavik craft-beer bar run by the founder of Gaedingur, Iceland's first craft.
Tip: Happy hour daily 15:00-18:00. Five-beer and ten-beer flights are the way to taste the Icelandic scene.
Kiki Queer Bar ★ 4.1
101 · Laugavegur 22, 101 Reykjavik
Kiki Queer Bar on Laugavegur is Reykjavik's main LGBTQ club, two colourful floors of pop and dance that fill up at weekends with a mixed, welcoming crowd.
Tip: The entrance is on the Klapparstigur side. Friday and Saturday are the big nights for the dance floor.
Kex Hostel Bar ★ 4.1
101 · Skulagata 28, 101 Reykjavik
The bar at Kex Hostel fills a former biscuit factory on Skulagata, a Reykjavik gastropub and live-music room with harbour views and a steady gig calendar.
Tip: Concerts and jam sessions run most weeks in the old factory hall. The kitchen does proper gastropub plates.
Petersen Svitan ★ 4.1
101 · Ingolfsstraeti 2a, 101 Reykjavik
Petersen Svitan crowns the historic Gamla Bio cinema on Ingolfsstraeti, a Reykjavik rooftop bar with a two-level terrace and 360-degree views over the centre.
Tip: The upper terrace has the wide views over Vesturbaer. Best on a rare still, sunny Reykjavik evening.
Apero Vinbar ★ 4.1
101 · Laugavegur 20b, 101 Reykjavik
Apero Vinbar sits above Laugavegur 20b, a small Reykjavik wine bar matching boutique European pours with canneles and scallops in a tucked-away room.
Tip: Upstairs and easy to miss, with blind tastings on request. The savoury-sweet snacks set it apart.
Public House Gastropub ★ 4.0
101 · Laugavegur 24, 101 Reykjavik
Public House on Laugavegur runs a Japanese-leaning gastropub of shareable small plates and cocktails, one of central Reykjavik's busier mid-range tables.
Tip: Happy hour at the bar is one of the better downtown deals. Loud and lively most nights.
Saeta Svinid ★ 4.0
101 · Hafnarstraeti 1-3, 101 Reykjavik
Saeta Svinid, the Sweet Pig, on Hafnarstraeti is a casual Reykjavik gastropub of burgers, lamb and small plates at fair prices, with a long daily happy hour.
Tip: Happy hour runs 15:00-18:00 daily, and karaoke and bingo nights keep it lively.
Book food experiences in Reykjavik
Reykjavik: Icelandic Food Tour
Experience traditional Icelandic food, and learn about real-deal Icelandic cuisine on this exciting tour.
Reykjavik: Beer and Booze Tour
Join a beer walking tour to explore three of the finest bars in Reykjavik. Sample 10 of Iceland’s delicious craft beers, most of which you can only find in Iceland.
Golden Circle & Lunch at Friðheimar Tomato Farm - with photos
Explore natural Icelandic wonders in the Golden Circle on this geothermal journey and visit the famous Friðheimar Tomato Farm, where we stop for late lunch.