It's been several months since we got back from Iceland, and I am still committed to sharing details / documenting the experience for my own memories.
The first time I visited Reykjavik in 2017, it was for maybe 24 hours, and I didn't get a chance to really explore the food scene. This time around, I really wanted to try some different restaurants. I went through Tripadvisor extensively, combing the restaurant lists and looking for what would be the "best." Here were our favorites:
For breakfast type items:
- We liked Braud and Co for their laminated dough pastries. We loved the one with vanilla and hazelnut which was very special (I forget the name), but they also had an excellent pretzel croissant and a classic chocolate croissant.
- We liked Deig for the fresh creme brulee doughnut, which is torched right in front of your eyes. They also have solid bagels and hot bagel sandwiches for a reasonable price, though they didn't seem all that different from any other bagel place in the US.
- Skip the waffles at Mokka Kaffi. They're not bad, but also nothing special. We have a waffle maker at home, and it makes the same quality (if not better) waffles.
- Get coffee from somewhere that isn't your hotel. We liked Reykjavik Roasters and Kaktus Espressobar. Also it seemed that alternative milks had no upcharge at these places which was nice! Espresso at both places was very smooth. I often like my coffee with sugar, but found that I didn't need it in either case.
For lunch or dinner:
- Fiskfelagid would be my absolute top pick. I liked it so much that we ate there twice in the same day, before leaving the city. Their reindeer carpaccio with flash frozen foie gras was a discovery for me. It was like seeing the sun for the first time after a grey and wet winter. It was delicious and creamy and smooth, balanced with acid from some blueberry compote and crunch from roasted hazelnuts. It was a perfect dish. The second most impressive item we had there was the Fish of the Day. This included 3 different types of fish, all prepared in different styles with their own accoutrements/garnishes. We had roasted ling, pan seared perch, and slow cooked cod. It really displayed the kitchen's skills and technique. Finally the lobster soup was also really good and different from other version we'd tried, thanks to the creative addition of chestnuts, apples, and cardamom. And of course, the sushi was very fresh and tasty (as expected from a fish restaurant). I should note that the free starter they served us - salmon tartar - also impressed us with the flavor (yuzu mayonnaise) and texture balance (crunchy toasted hazelnuts and crisp cucumbers). They have baby chairs.
- Reykjavik Kitchen was also an excellent meal, and we considered going back for a repeat meal as well. Our two main dishes impressed us both. The gorgonzola and lovage sauce was a discovery and went well with the perfectly cooked Ling Fish. The lamb ribeye was also perfectly medium rare, and the pumpkin/potato gratin had a lovely sweetness. This was also the first time I've had charred lettuce and I was surprised how good it was. The skyr creme brulee didn't blow us away, but it wasn't bad. Service was very, very friendly. They have baby chairs, but tiny bathrooms without space for a changing area.
- Matarkjallarinn was our splurge where we paid 11,400kr per person for the six course chef's choice ("secret menu" which really isn't a secret at all, since it's printed on the menu). It was all very good, but also somehow instantly forgettable. The restaurant is also very very dark inside at night (the lights are very low). Note that you can get 15% off with a coupon from an Icelandic tourism website, and we had it and forgot to use it. Blah!
- Hisptur was our first meal in town for a late lunch, and we liked exploring that slightly off-the-main-path area. The food was fairly salty, but also creative and tasty. We liked their fish soup and their bread is great.
For dessert:
- We thought Omnom Chocolate / Ice Cream was worth the long walk on a rainy day. The ice cream sundaes have unique flavor combinations and they're very picture-worthy. There is a parking lot there if you have a car. Their combinations all include their chocolate bars in fun animal themed shapes. We got the Ledublakan, which has coffee chocolate fudge, a pretzel crumble, and yuzu cream. Their medium size was good for two people to enjoy. The large would have been too much for us. I wanted to come back a second time, but we ended up not having room in our daily itinerary. Also they were not doing tours (due to Covid19) at the time of our travel.
