Don't judge me, but I couldn't bring myself to eat a hot dog, even in Iceland. Iceland is known not only for its unreal scenery, but also for its thriving food scene. One thing to know about this destination: everything is expensive, like the eye-popping six-dollar water bottles at the Golden Circle rest stops. Don't worry, because I have several food recommendations for this incredibly beautiful and increasingly popular tourist destination so you don't waste your precious money and time on mediocre eats.
Sandholt Bakery + Cafe
Landing at Keflavik Airport at 5am Iceland time, 1am New York time was not a pretty sight. Despite being overtired, we pushed through, dropped our luggage at the hotel, and located our first stop by 8am. Located on the main shopping street and tucked inside a trendy hotel, Sandholt has been named the best bakery in Reykjavik for several years running, for good reason.
Landing at Keflavik Airport at 5am Iceland time, 1am New York time was not a pretty sight. Despite being overtired, we pushed through, dropped our luggage at the hotel, and located our first stop by 8am. Located on the main shopping street and tucked inside a trendy hotel, Sandholt has been named the best bakery in Reykjavik for several years running, for good reason.
Rows and rows of golden danishes, croissants, and other pastries were arranged on the chic marble counters, and loaves of sourdough and rye bread lined the walls. We straggled into the cafe area, where they serve breakfast and lunch menus, and quickly ordered plates of quiche served with side salads and the heavenly sourdough toast to revive us before our walking tour.
I couldn't resist picking up a cinnamon roll before we left and snapping a touristy picture of it in front of the nearby iconic church Hallgrímskirkja. The pastry wasn't as dense or sweet as your typical American cinnamon roll, and was the perfect flaky snack on our walking tour later in the day.
Bryggjan Brugghus Bistro & Brewery
This is definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing restaurants I've ever seen, with waterfront views and a cozy, rustic interior with wide windows facing the sea.
A live jazz band was set up in one of the dark corners, while a long bar ran in an L near the dining area. As it is a microbrewery, several beer flights are available and several tables near us seemed to be drinking that option.
First, we were served fluffy white bread with amazing butter sprinkled with truffle salt. The menu was full of locally sourced ingredients, with several seafood options, as well as gastropub options such as burgers and fish and chips. My mom and I both went with the blackened salmon option shown above, while my aunt went with the burger and shoestring fries. The salmon was cooked perfectly and served on a bed of crispy baby potatoes and corn. All the food was carefully plated on beautiful blue-green plates.
Reykjavik Roasters
As I mentioned, our first day was LONG and we ended up walking eleven miles all over the city. That said, we needed a pick me up before we embarked on our afternoon walking tour, but didn't feel like a full meal because of our jetlag. We popped into the very hipster yet inviting coffeeshop Reykjavik Roasters to sit down over hot chocolate and try not to fall asleep. The coffee culture in Reykjavik is impressive for such a small city; this spot roasts their own beans, so the cafe smelled heavenly. There are a couple of locations; we chose the one right by Hallgrímskirkja and settled into the cozy windowseat.
Reykjavik Fish and Chips
At the end of our long first day, which by then we had been mostly awake for 36+ hours, we stumbled into this casual fish and chip restaurant that ended up being a great find. Iceland is known for its unique fish and chips: the fish is extra crispy and covered in a much lighter batter than your typical greasy British fish and chips. The fish, of which there are several choices, was all super fresh with few bones. Served in cute fake-newspaper lined baskets (a nod to when fish and chips were actually sold and wrapped in newspaper sheets), the meal was a perfect end to our long day.
Brauð & Co.
This acclaimed bakery is nestled in the winding street to the right of Hallgrímskirkja, the landmark church. Of course, we walked past right after eating pastries at Sandholt... I'm still annoyed we didn't get to try this bakery, because it smelled heavenly and was highly recommended by several people we met and by blogs. Its shelves were full of golden croissants, danishes, cinnamon rolls, and other pastries, as well as heavy rye bread, and one corner of the counter featured a glass wall so we could see a baker rolling out dough.
Hlemmur Mathöll
The indoor market trend that is ensuring every neighborhood in Manhattan is dominated by an overcrowded market or three popped up in Reykjavik but is of course, much more aesthetically pleasing in the European food hall tradition. The natural light-filled space had about ten vendors serving dishes such as Icelandic smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches on rye bread), tacos, bánh mí, and ice cream. Many have bar seating, and there are several hightops and picnic tables scattered within the middle and exterior of the hall. This is a great option if you or the people you are traveling with are picky eaters or have dietary restrictions, or just want to try a few different types of cuisine.
Rye Bread from Laugarvatn Fontana
This isn't a specific spot, but if you're sightseeing in Iceland, you're probably going to do the Golden Circle tour, either by bus or by rental car. Our tour stopped at the Fontana Wellness Spa, which were natural hot springs on the edge of Lake Laugarvatn. Before we used the pools, we watched a demo of how the spa makes their rye bread. They dig into the earth to locate the "natural ovens" of the springs, plop the plastic-wrapped pan of dough into the ground, and cover it up for about twenty-four hours. The next day, they dig up the bread, unpop it from the pan, and it has transformed into a dense rye loaf. We were all skeptical as to how bread baked in the ground would taste, but we all loved it. It was cake-like and crumbly, and perfect with salted butter. Definitely not a method I can attempt at home, so it was cool to see the process firsthand.
Ice Cream from Valdis
After our delicious meal at Bryggjan Brugghus, we walked over to this popular ice cream shop nearby and ordered cones of gelato. Some Icelandic flavors were served, such as the gray scoops of ubiquitous salted licorice. We recommend the salted caramel, Twix, and coffee flavors.
Tips
If you land early like we did, especially on a weekend morning, I recommend heading straight to Sandholt too. It's one of the few places that opens early--at 7am--in the city center. Not only will you feel better after you eat and try their amazing coffee, it's conveniently located in the middle of the "old" town, so you can head to a tourist office to book a tour, or take it slow like we did and walk around to the church, the main shopping area, and the beautiful opera house right on the water--all are within a five minute walk of Sandholt.
The rest stops in Iceland put America's to shame: they are so clean and well-designed, with several food options at each.
Iceland is extremely expensive; an entree in a casual-but-nice restaurant will run around $30 USD and water bottles at the Blue Lagoon and rest stops can cost $5-6. Iceland does grow a lot of its own vegetables in greenhouses, but between the high cost of living and the cost of importing many ingredients, food is extremely expensive compared to US cities.
Iceland is one of the most breathtaking places I have ever seen and I highly recommend it for a long weekend trip or a layover using Icelandair's free layover program.