When I first set foot in Iceland, I was expecting dramatic landscapes, gushing waterfalls, and the magical northern lights. What I didn’t expect, however, was how deeply I’d fall in love with the local food scene. Iceland may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think of culinary destinations, but after traveling across this Nordic island and sampling traditional dishes in cozy taverns, seaside restaurants, and modern bistros, I’m here to tell you: Iceland has flavor—bold, authentic, and unforgettable.
Here are the ten Icelandic dishes that completely surprised me with their richness, warmth, and depth, plus the places I tasted them and why you shouldn’t leave Iceland without trying them.
📍 Restaurant: Kaffivagninn, Reykjavik
💶 Average price: €20–25 per person
🍽️ Signature: Traditional Plokkfiskur with dark rye bread
📞 Reservations: Call +354 551 5932
This was my comfort dish in Iceland. Plokkfiskur is a creamy fish stew made with mashed potatoes, onions, and flaky white fish—usually cod or haddock. Kaffivagninn served a perfect rendition: hearty, balanced, and soul-warming. The dark rye bread it came with was slightly sweet and incredibly moist. I went back twice just for this dish, especially after long windy walks around the harbor.
2. Lamb Soup (Kjötsúpa)
📍 Restaurant: Matur og Drykkur, Reykjavik
💶 Average price: €30 per person
🍽️ Signature: Traditional Icelandic lamb soup with root vegetables
📞 Reservations: Call +354 571 8877 or use dining apps like The Fork
Icelandic lamb is free-range, grass-fed, and incredibly tender. The soup at Matur og Drykkur came piping hot in a cast iron bowl, loaded with soft lamb chunks and rustic vegetables like carrots, turnips, and potatoes. The broth was rich with just a touch of sweetness from the slow-cooked vegetables. Eating this in the restaurant’s warm, wood-beamed interior felt like being wrapped in a wool blanket.
3. Harðfiskur (Dried Fish Snacks)
📍 Where: Kolaportið Flea Market, Reykjavik
💶 Average price: €8–10 for a snack pack
🍽️ Pair with: Icelandic butter
It sounds simple, but trust me, this is the ultimate Icelandic snack. Dried fish—mostly cod or haddock—is chewy, savory, and surprisingly addictive, especially when paired with Icelandic butter. I bought a packet from a smiling old vendor at the flea market and munched on it during hikes. It’s a portable, protein-rich snack with a taste that grows on you.
4. Skyr (Icelandic Yogurt)
📍 Café Loki, Reykjavik (across from Hallgrímskirkja)
💶 Average price: €10–12 for a skyr platter with berries and honey
🍽️ Signature: Homemade skyr with wild berry compote
📞 Reservations: Walk-in friendly, or call +354 466 2828
Think Greek yogurt, but smoother, denser, and richer in protein. Skyr was my go-to breakfast, and the one I had at Café Loki was exceptional—topped with blueberries, rhubarb syrup, and crunchy granola. I could have sat there for hours enjoying the view of the church and this deceptively simple delight.
5. Hákarl (Fermented Shark)
📍 Restaurant: Íslenski Barinn, Reykjavik
💶 Average price: €18–22 for a tasting platter
🍽️ Signature: Hákarl served with a shot of Brennivín (Icelandic schnapps)
📞 Reservations: Call +354 578 0300
Now for the daredevil dish. Hákarl is fermented Greenland shark, famous for its pungent ammonia-like smell. Honestly? It’s intense. The texture is chewy, and the flavor is somewhere between blue cheese and seaweed, with a strong finish. I tried it as part of a tasting menu with Brennivín—it was definitely an experience. Would I eat it again? Probably not. Am I glad I did? Absolutely.
6. Arctic Char (Bleikja)
📍 Restaurant: Fiskfélagið (Fish Company), Reykjavik
💶 Average price: €45–55 per person (for a two-course meal)
🍽️ Signature: Pan-seared Arctic Char with dill emulsion and barley risotto
📞 Reservations: Required, call +354 552 5300
This was hands-down the best seafood dish I had in Iceland. Arctic char is like a hybrid of salmon and trout—tender and flavorful without being too oily. At Fiskfélagið, it was served with crispy skin, surrounded by a dill sauce so fragrant it made me pause. The presentation was elegant, but the flavor was warm and deeply satisfying.
7. Hot Dogs (Pylsur)
📍 Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, Reykjavik (near the harbor)
💶 Average price: €5 per hot dog
🍽️ Signature: “Eina með öllu” – one with everything (ketchup, mustard, remoulade, fried onions, raw onions)
📞 Reservations: Not required – street stall
It’s just a hot dog, right? Nope. Icelandic hot dogs are made with lamb, giving them a rich, gamey taste. Add in crispy fried onions, tangy sauces, and a warm, slightly sweet bun—and you’ve got one of the most iconic snacks in Reykjavik. I waited in line, ate one standing up, and immediately got back in line for another.
8. Rúgbrauð (Geothermal Baked Rye Bread)
📍 Laugarvatn Fontana Spa Café
💶 Average price: €10 for a bread + butter set
🍽️ Signature: Warm rúgbrauð baked underground using geothermal heat
📞 Reservations: Call +354 486 1400 for bread-tasting tours
Rúgbrauð is dense, sweet, and subtly earthy. At Fontana Spa, they bake it underground using natural geothermal heat, and when it’s finally unearthed, still steaming, and sliced open, it smells like caramel and soil. It’s served with slabs of Icelandic butter and smoked trout if you want. Honestly, it was better than cake.
9. Langoustine (Icelandic Lobster)
📍 Fjöruborðið, Stokkseyri (a small seaside town 45 min from Reykjavik)
💶 Average price: €50–60 per person for lobster feast
🍽️ Signature: Langoustine tails in garlic butter, served with salad and bread
📞 Reservations: Highly recommended, call +354 483 1550
If you love lobster, this is paradise. Icelandic langoustines are sweet, tender, and smaller than the ones you find elsewhere. I had mine drenched in butter and herbs, and every bite melted in my mouth. Paired with warm bread and views of the Atlantic outside the window, this meal was pure indulgence.
10. Icelandic Pancakes (Pönnukökur)
📍 Restaurant: Þrastalundur, near Selfoss
💶 Average price: €8–12 for pancakes with jam and cream
🍽️ Signature: Thin crepe-style pancakes with whipped cream and rhubarb jam
📞 Reservations: Call +354 483 5779
These Icelandic-style pancakes are soft, thin, and always rolled or folded. At Þrastalundur, they served them hot off the griddle with rhubarb jam and fresh whipped cream. It reminded me of Sunday afternoons at my grandmother’s house. The café itself sits by a river with snow-capped views—a perfect stop after exploring the Golden Circle.
What began as curiosity turned into a culinary journey I’ll never forget. Before I arrived, I didn’t associate Iceland with cuisine in any profound way—I was more focused on seeing volcanoes, hiking across lava fields, and chasing the northern lights. But as I traveled from Reykjavik to remote coastal towns, I discovered that Icelandic food tells a story just as breathtaking as its landscapes.
Icelandic cuisine is built on simplicity, freshness, and tradition. It’s not overly fussy, nor does it rely on extravagant ingredients. Instead, it reflects the island’s relationship with nature—a deep, respectful partnership with land and sea that has existed for centuries. You taste that history in every bite. The ingredients are local, seasonal, and often preserved using time-honored methods like fermenting, drying, and curing—practices born out of necessity in a land where winter dominates much of the year.
It’s a cuisine shaped by resilience. A harsh climate, geographic isolation, and limited resources forced Icelanders to be inventive, and the result is a food culture unlike any I’ve experienced. You won’t find Iceland trying to impress with international fusion or flashy presentation. What you’ll find instead is authenticity—and that, to me, is the most satisfying flavor of all.
Take something as humble as rúgbrauð, the dark rye bread baked using geothermal heat. It’s earthy, dense, and sweet, and it carries with it a sense of ritual and connection to the land. Or the lamb soup, which warmed me after a long day exploring windswept coastlines. The tenderness of the lamb and the fragrance of root vegetables reminded me that comfort food exists in every culture—even in the chilly north.
There’s something truly intimate about eating local dishes in their place of origin. Sitting in a small fishing village, eating buttery langoustine pulled from the icy Atlantic just hours before—it makes you pause, appreciate the present moment, and feel rooted in a place that was, just days ago, unfamiliar.
Even the more adventurous dishes, like hákarl (fermented shark), served their purpose—not just as a culinary challenge, but as a window into Iceland’s survivalist past. Tasting it, however jarring, was a reminder that food can also be history, memory, and identity all rolled into one.
So if you’re planning a trip to Iceland, don’t just come for the waterfalls and volcanoes—come hungry. Let your tastebuds guide you through fishing villages, cozy cafés, geothermal bakeries, and family-run restaurants. Say yes to dishes you’ve never heard of. Taste the wild lamb, the fresh Arctic char, the creamy skyr. Ask questions. Listen to the stories behind the recipes. Because every dish here, no matter how simple, has a tale to tell.
And me? I’m already dreaming of my next bite. Iceland didn’t just fill my camera roll—it filled my soul. And I know, deep down, I’ll be back for more.
