We were surprised to notice the great variety of restaurants available in Reykjavik and their high standards, with incredibly elaborated presentations suitable for fine dining environments. The secret of Reykjavik’s culinary scene is the perfect blend of local seafood and meat in a modern Nordic cuisine. We would advise you to dedicate some time to eat out while in Reykjavik because it can be a rewarding experience and an important part of your holiday. It is quite expensive though, but there are also cheaper options available if you travel on a budget
Below there are the top 5 restaurants where to eat in Reykjavik, mishaps included!
Tapas Barinn
One of the most interesting restaurants we have been to in Reykjavik was Tapas Barinn, a cosy Spanish restaurant recommended by the owner of the Airbnb apartment where we stayed. What on earth convinced us to have Spanish tapas in Iceland? The answer is simple: their renown Icelandic gourmet feast, a series of Icelandic inspired tapas featuring some of the best-known local ingredients.
The restaurant is located in a cellar, in the city centre and offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere. A friendly waiter greeted us at the entrance showing us to our table quickly, even though the place was already quite packed and the staff busy rushing plates from the kitchen to the tables.
Once seated, we had no hesitation in ordering the Icelandic gourmet feast. It was a great culinary experience as we had the chance to try some small portions of puffin and whale together with more familiar lamb, local fish and lobster.
While all the tapas were delicious, our favorite was the lobster tails with garlic cheese. Perfectly cooked and amazingly dressed it was the highlight of the dinner.
Do not underestimate this tapas menu because it is very filling and may force you to give up along the way. We found it ideal after a full day spent outdoor exploring, with little for lunch.
Lobster Tails at Tapas Barinn were our favorite 
Minkie Whale at Tapas Barinn 
Smoked Puffin with blueberry sauce at Tapas Barinn 
Tapas Barinn Arctic Char 
Icelandic Lamb tapas at Tapas Barinn
Read also: Golden circle day trip – What you shouldn’t miss!
Saeta Svinid Gastropub
During our stay in Reykjavik, we noticed that this gastropub was always packed with people and therefore we decided to give it at try. We were welcomed by friendly staff, background music and so much positive energy that we felt immediately in good mood, all tiredness from the intense day we had gone.
We sat at the last table available and quickly ordered food and drinks. We opted for local ling fish and lamb steak, for which Sæta Svínið Gastropub is well known. On the side we ordered some freshly baked bread and butter, as we fell in love with the Icelandic sourdough.
In winter the pub is packed indoor, but during the good season they also offer outdoor seating for a better experience. We were cold from the day out exploring therefore we enjoyed the indoor warmth even though at a certain point we felt the pub was too crowded.
We enjoyed the meal, which was abundant, filling and with healthy vegetables and left the pub satisfied and happy.
Saeta Svinid Lamb Steak 
Saeta Svinid Ling Fish
Icelandic Street Food
During your stay in Reykjavik you might be in the mood for some street food with fast and cheap meals options. In this case we recommend you to stop at Icelandic Street Food, where you can savour their famous lamb stew or shellfish soup. These are great in winter because they are warming and filling meals. They also come in a bread bowl if you like and they offer free refills!
The lamb stew is one of the local’s favorite, hence we ordered it in a bread bowl. We loved it. Mind that the bread is going to absorb a lot of broth leaving you with an almost dry stew. If you prefer a more liquid meal, they can give you the soup on the side so you can pour it in the bread bowl at your convenience.
The place is small, but don’t worry if you can’t find a seat, they have a sister pub a few meters away that welcomes customers from the street food restaurant. It was funny to see so many people walking around with a bread bowl filled with stew. We believe this to be one of the most affordable meals you can get in Reykjavik. They do not have an extensive menu, but people usually go there for the soup which is worth a try.
Icelandic Street Food Lamb Stew 
Icelandic Street Food Lamb stew in bread bowl
Fiskfélagið – The Fish Company
Fiskfélagið is a cosy restaurant in the basement of a historical building where recipes from across the globe are served, including many local specialties like lamb and seafood.
We were famished and we rushed to the restaurant as soon as we were back to Reykjavik from our day trip and found the restaurant almost empty because it was too early for dinner. The menu has plenty of great options; we ordered a shellfish soup, a fish trio and some salmon.
The staff offered us a complementary starter, an avocado mousse while waiting for the main courses.
The shellfish soup was great, we particularly liked the cardamom touch and ate it in silence as we were too busy enjoying it until the very last drop. When the main course came, we realized that the waitress misunderstood our order and brought us another kind of fish instead of the salmon requested. The staff handled the mishaps quickly and professionally, firstly apologizing for the mistake and then offering to prepare the right plate straight away. We decided to keep the one already served for the sake of avoiding wasting food and our gesture was appreciated by the restaurant manager that did not charge us for it and granted us a further generous discount for our next visit.
The fish trio was good, with char, cod and ling either grilled or fried and accompanied by vegetables and even though not really to our liking, the miso salmon was also well presented and tasty.
The Avocado Mousse at Fish Company 
Fish Trio at the Fish Company 
The Shellfish Soup at Fish Company was our favorite
SALT kitchen & Bar
It was a cold and windy night when we approached SALT kitchen & bar for a quick dinner before chasing the northern light on board of a yacht. We chose SALT because it looked cosy and warm, just like a friend’s place. It was a surprise to learn that the place was once used as fish net storage and fish processing plant!
Since we were in a hurry we ordered just a main course each and asked the waitress to do their best to have it delivered quickly. We received the grilled ling and salmon quick enough and we were pleased by the kitchen speed. While the ling with potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and cherry tomatoes was good, the salmon wasn’t thoroughly cooked and the chef decided to quickly grill another one.
We enjoyed our quick dinner even though we rushed too much and would recommend you to have ample time available to savour your meal at this restaurant.
It would be best to book a table before hand because when we arrived it was quite busy and only few tables were still available.
SALT Grilled Ling
