Iceland attracts people from around the world for its diverse and otherworldly nature. But it’s also a foodie hotspot! Icelandic food is centered around fresh, locally sourced, and high-quality ingredients that are prepared simply. Iceland’s natural surroundings shape its cuisine. It benefits from the country’s rich and bountiful waters but is limited by Iceland’s harsh climate and isolation as an island.
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Rye bread
Rye bread (rúgbrauð) is a traditional Icelandic bread made from rye grains that is dark, dense, and subtly sweet. Hot spring bread (hverabrauð) is rye bread that’s traditionally baked in a pot underground near geothermal hot springs for 24 hours! Try rye bread topped with smoked salmon or lamb, dip it in soup, or spread it with locally made butter.
Photo Credit: Brauð & Co
Local Tips
Try Reykjavik artisan bakery Brauð & Co’s rye bread, and get one of their famous cinnamon buns too! For an Icelandic dessert with a twist, go for rye bread ice cream at Café Loki. It’s one of the oldest restaurants in Reykjavik. For a foodie experience around the Golden Circle, geothermal spa and bakery Laugarvatn Fontana offers hot spring bread excursions.
Icelandic lamb
Icelandic lamb has been free-roaming and grass-fed since the year 874 – and you can taste it. Slow-roasted lamb is offered at many restaurants, while lamb soup (kjötsúpa) is an Icelander favorite on a cold day. Reykjavik’s famous street food hot dogs (pylsur) are made from a mix of lamb, beef, and pork.
Mural by Lacey & Layla Art
Local Tips
Icelandic Street Food in Reykjavik is a casual and affordable spot for lamb soup. They offer free refills of soup and free waffles! For lamb ribeye or slow-roasted lamb shoulder, try Reykjavik Kitchen or Old Iceland, two of the capital’s best restaurants. Don’t miss Bæjarins Bestu Pylsur for Reykjavik street food. It’s been frequented for over 60 years by locals, world leaders, and celebrities alike for its hot dogs. Get “one with everything” for all the toppings.
Icelandic seafood
Fresh and locally caught seafood reigns supreme in Iceland. You’ll find it baked, fried, mashed, skewered, grilled, preserved, stewed, boiled, roasted, you name it. The most common fish from Iceland’s waters on the menu are cod, haddock, Atlantic salmon, and Arctic char.
One of Iceland’s most famous traditional fish dishes is fish stew (plokkfiskur). It’s made of white fish mixed with potatoes, onions, and béchamel. Icelandic langoustine (humar) is especially tender and delicious. In Höfn, Iceland’s unofficial langoustine capital, locals throw an annual lobster festival in late June. Lobster soup and fish and chips are also super popular dishes in Iceland!
Local Tips
101 Reykjavik Street Food has killer fish and chips and desserts like crème brûlée made with Skyr Icelandic yogurt. At Messinn, one of the city’s top seafood restaurants, people rave about the pan-fried arctic char. At Hlemmur Mathöll Food Hall, try the hand-dived Icelandic scallops at SKAL! with natural wine. At Sjávargrillið, people go wild for the lobster tacos, and Sægreifinn has world-famous lobster soup.
For more on Icelandic food, check out Iceland’s must-try desserts and top food experiences.
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