25 Best Restaurants in Reykjavik

How We Pick

Reykjavik’s dining scene is small, inventive, and expensive — a fishing nation of 400,000 people that has decided to take its cuisine as seriously as its music. Our selections reward kitchens that engage with what Iceland actually produces: lamb that grazes on moss and seaweed, fish from cold North Atlantic water, geothermal greenhouse vegetables, skyr, and rye baked the old way. We look for rooms that know whether they are a special-occasion tasting counter or a convivial neighborhood bistro, and excel at that one thing. Consistency across a short, tourist-heavy season matters, as does value in a city where a main course can resemble a car payment.

The Ranked List

The summit is Dill, the dining room that put Icelandic fine dining on the world map with its foraged, fermented, New Nordic tasting menus. Apotek Restaurant, set in a striking corner building at Austurstræti 16 in the 101 heart of town, delivers a polished menu built on Icelandic seafood and game in one of the city’s handsomest rooms. Matur og Drykkur — food and drink — reimagines traditional Icelandic ingredients through a contemporary lens, serving updated classics like fish soup and lamb in a relaxed, design-led space by the water’s edge. Höfnin, a harborfront institution, is where refined Icelandic comfort food meets maritime views, with lamb, fish, and shellfish plates overlooking the working boats. Grillmarkaðurinn centers fire and domestic sourcing, and Fish Company works its way through the North Atlantic’s inventory. Skál! and ÓX push the experimental end, and the hot-dog stand Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur anchors the list’s foot.

Dishes to Order

Order Icelandic. Lamb is the national protein and the best reason to eat here — order it wherever it appears, ideally slow-cooked. The fish is superb by default: langoustine, Arctic char, cod cheeks, and haddock in lobster butter. Plokkfiskur, the fish-and-potato stew, is comfort itself; matur og drykkur’s fish soup is its refined cousin. Skyr, the cultured dairy, appears at breakfast and in desserts with crowberries and bilberries. Rye bread ice cream — dark, malty, and made from geothermally baked bread — has become the signature sweet. Fermented shark with a shot of brennivín is the initiation ritual: try it once, ideally with witnesses. And the hot dog with everything — “eina með öllu” — crispy onion, raw onion, remoulade, mustard, and ketchup — remains the best-value meal in the country by an order of magnitude.

Practical Tips

Book the tasting-menu rooms a month ahead for summer, less in the darker months; Apotek and the harborfront rooms take walk-ins off-peak. Accept that Reykjavik is expensive and budget accordingly — mains at serious restaurants cluster high, and alcohol adds heavily to any bill; happy-hour culture, running roughly four to seven, is the city’s release valve. Lunch menus and soup lunches offer the same kitchens at friendlier numbers. Tipping is not expected in Iceland. Many kitchens close early by southern-European standards, and Sunday openings shrink.

FAQ

What is the best restaurant in Reykjavik? For a splurge, Dill for the country’s defining tasting menu. For a reliably excellent dinner in a beautiful room, Apotek; for modern Icelandic tradition, Matur og Drykkur; for harbor views and comfort food, Höfnin.

Is food in Reykjavik really that expensive? Yes — groceries and restaurant meals alike run high, since nearly everything else is imported or produced at scale. Counter it with lunch specials, soup houses, happy hours, and the hot-dog stand, which subsidizes the entire national diet.

Do I need reservations? For Dill and the tasting counters, weeks ahead in summer. For Apotek, Höfnin, and the mid-tier, a few days ahead suffices in high season and same-day off it. Walk-ins work at cafés, pubs, and the soup kitchens.

What Icelandic food should I actually try? Lamb, langoustine, Arctic char, skyr, rye bread ice cream, and a hot dog with everything. Fermented shark is optional and once is plenty — it is a rite rather than a pleasure.

Where do locals eat in Reykjavik? The neighborhood bistros east of the old town, the soup and burger houses on Laugavegur’s side streets, and each other’s homes — Icelanders entertain at home more than they dine out.