Rustic Retreat in the Center of Reykjavik

Excitement builds as you ascend the spiral staircase and are greeted by the chefs in the open kitchen at this contemporary restaurant. Environmental considerations drive everything they do here and the team's pride in this is clear, with palpable enthusiasm emanating from the chefs as they present their dishes. The cooking isn’t showy or overcomplicated, but soars thanks to clever combinations and the team’s ability to elevate simple ingredients into something truly special. You’ll find the likes of free-range Icelandic pork cheek with warm spiced cream and belly with pine, cabbage and mushroo

This lively modern brasserie has ‘night-out-with-friends’ written all over it, and comes complete with on-trend concrete walls, burnished leather banquettes and an exposed charcoal grill whose enticing aromas will get the taste buds going. Icelandic ingredients are given a Middle Eastern twist, with influences ranging from North African to Lebanese. Highlights include the crispy duck cigars with raz el hanout and the fried halloumi with a sticky honey and orange sauce. Start with some cocktails; go for the meze sharing menus if you can’t decide; and if you haven’t booked, try your luck at the

The owners here appear to know all their customers and, such is the warm and laid-back atmosphere, you’ll find yourself wanting to become one of those regulars yourself. The name translates as ‘small room’, an apt description for this single-storey building sandwiched between two larger structures in a side street not far from the House of Collections. The market-led, weekly changing menu is appealingly concise, comprising a couple of starters and three main courses. Expect a daily catch and lots of heartening, flavour-packed dishes like peas on toast with shallots or Iberico secreto with peac

Well-made cocktails, a fun atmosphere, confident service and an intriguing fusion menu make OTO a great choice for a night out with friends. The kitchen blends Italian and Japanese cuisine, with the best example being the lobster cappelletti which comes with yuzu kosho. Other highlights include the succulent chicken thigh skewer with scallions and the cleverly made, eye-catching signature dessert that resembles a whole lemon. If you’re not one for sharing, go for the Kaiseki Experience for a comprehensive all-round experience, along with the imaginative wine pairing.

Enviably located between the harbour and the mountains, beside the Harpa Concert Hall, sits The Reykjavík EDITION hotel – and, nestled within it, this sleek, stylish restaurant. Unfussy breakfasts and lunches are followed by an evening tasting menu built around a core of Icelandic produce – such as 1,000-day aged Feykir cheese, Nordic salmon and North Icelandic lamb – while the à la carte offers extensive choice, from handmade lobster ravioli or Uruguayan ribeye seared on the Josper grill to skyr and white chocolate Basque cheesecake.

A stylish room, a welcoming service team, chefs on show in the open kitchen and an appealing Italian menu, all make this spot near the harbour an understandably popular destination, whatever the occasion. You can put yourself in the kitchen’s hands and go for the set five-course menu for the table or order your own dishes from the à la carte. Start with the focaccia and delicious whipped ricotta, then move on to an in-house pasta such as the Black Angus short rib tagliatelle, while for dessert, it has to be the tiramisu, which is spooned out at the table ‘Italian style’. They have a terrific l

2026 heralded a move to stylish new premises for this earnestly run and authentic restaurant, where the ersatz-industrial space is lightened with some whimsical flashes of art and glassware. The cookbook of the same name by influential food-writer Helga Sigurðardótti is the inspiration behind the culinary philosophy of updating traditional Icelandic recipes and celebrating local ingredients. The open kitchen calmly delivers a well-balanced set menu, which could include deliciously sweet scallops with crab and chervil or succulent lamb with buttermilk and crowberries.