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Brunch Beyond 101 Reykjavík: Austurbær Versus Vesturbær
Makona and Kaffi Vest are worth the detour The humble brunch is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of the modern age, whether it leans into pancakes, bacon and eggs, or something altogether lighter. The city of Reykjavík is particularly well stocked with places to indulge in…
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Lóla: Chef Sigurður Laufdal’s Latest Venture Is Proof Of Iceland’s Enduring Love For Italian Cuisine
Local chef opens a new contender on the corner of Tryggvagata The stately corner of Tryggvagata is an arresting moment that has seen many a restaurant come and go. In the past, it hosted Icelandic Fish and Chips; more recently, Anna Jóna,…
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Gróa: The Long Road To A Good Salad
In the last issue, I wrote a eulogy for Iceland’s vegan boom. Trend came, trend went, true believers survived. And then I kept thinking about vegetables. Why is eating vegetables so difficult in Iceland? Why is it so hard to buy good…
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After The Vegan Gold Rush: Who’s Left When The Prospectors Go Home
The best vegetarian and vegan restaurants are run by cults. I learned this growing up in Los Angeles where spiritual movements compete through their kitchens. Govinda locations run by the Hare Krishna feeding backpackers with affordable curries. Reliable Loving Hut locations led…
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Bolla, Bolla, Bolla!
Of cream puffs and customs new and old; you no longer have to smack an adult to get a cream bun Unlike Þorri and Bóndadagur in January, Bolludagur is an eagerly awaited festival in the country. The sight of cream buns must…
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Reykjavík Bakeries To Help You Celebrate Bolludagur
Our city has an outstanding bakery tradition that only gets better, and, this February, Bolludagur, or bun day, gives these Reykjavik businesses a chance to shine. I reached out to my favourite local bakeries and asked how to prepare for this all-important…
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A Year In Food: 2026 May Be Cagey, But Pivotal
When a wine-loving couple opened Apéro, Reykjavík discovered that it indeed nursed a penchant for a grown-up space serving effervescent cremants, champagnes and creative nibbles that far exceeded the ‘bar menu’ description. Indulgent grilled cheese sandwiches piled high with further adornments of…
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Honey Pie: Pizza 107’s Neighbourhood Charm Works Wonders
There’s a scene in the quintessential rom-com Along Came Polly where Philip Seymour Hoffman scoffs at Ben Stiller for dabbing his pizza with a napkin, thereby reducing the amount of grease. In response, Hoffman’s character folds the slice and pours Stiller’s unwanted…
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Beer Ban Years: Why Was Beer Banned For 74 Years?
And why was hard liquor allowed? It’s hard to believe now, with ale flowing from every tap and with beer being brewed in every township, but until 1989 you couldn’t walk into a bar in Iceland and ask for a beer to…
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Barbara: Not Just A Bar
Talking about serendipitous coincidences and Saint Barbara at the new place in Hafnarfjörður I knew Barbara was Hafnarfjörður’s new it spot, but I was still surprised to find the bar/coffeehouse/restaurant fully packed at 19:00 on a Wednesday evening. After braving the queue…
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On Icelandic Restaurants: Truth That’s Hard To Stomach
A few days ago, I sat in an unnamed restaurant. Around me were all the requisite references to lava moss, turf roof houses and columnar basalt that you’d expect. I was clutching a 17 EUR glass of cork taint, sighing at the…
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Slippurinn Is Bowing Out After 13 Seasons Of Unbridled Icelandic Flavours
“We’re not trying to be the best restaurant in the world. We’re trying to be the best restaurant we can be on a tiny island off the south coast of Iceland,” read the opening lines of Slippurinn: Recipes and Stories from Iceland,…
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Where To Find Matcha In Reykjavík
I tried to avoid the matcha trend for as long as I could, seriously. But there was a low point this summer when, from every corner of the internet, I was basically being screamed at: “Matcha! Matcha! Matcha!” I hate to admit…
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Changing Tastes At Fönix: Visiting Reykjavík’s Enduring Sichuan Outpost
Fönix is an unassuming 36-seat Chinese restaurant in the somewhat grey and concrete-heavy locale of Höfðinn. It sits on the middle floor of a three-storey strip mall next to one of Iceland’s biggest motorways, between a car workshop and a hunting supplies…
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That Greenhouse Place In Hafnarfjörður: New Nordic Cuisine With A View At Sól
Some restaurants are easier to remember than others. For whatever reason, I kept getting the name of this one wrong and thought it was called Gró, Gló or Gróður at various intervals. Nothing like a restaurant critic discussing a non-existent restaurant. I’m…
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Giant Noodles And Jiggly Cats: Biang Reykjavík Opens Its Doors
Western Chinese food has soared in popularity in recent years. From the numbing heat of Sichuan pepper and fiery Dan Dan noodles, to wide, hand-stretched biangbiang noodles and steaming hot pot, interest has never been higher. It’s part of a larger shift…
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Farmers Markets In Iceland: Are There Any?
Where to go if you urgently need an heirloom tomato, and Bónus has none Coming from a culture where a vegetable market is never more than a few streets away — where summers burst with fresh produce and flowers, and walking past…
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The Spice Is Right: Himalayan Spice Pulls No Punches
The Icelandic palate has been known to struggle with spicy food. It’s a common beef among 101 foodies that restaurants will tone down the heat for the local audience, for many of whom, a pinch of white pepper is reason enough to…
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Schrödinger’s Hot Dog: A Broke Boy’s Food Tour Of North Iceland
Over the last decade, Iceland has undergone many transformations — but few as striking as the evolution of its culinary landscape. Quality ingredients, innovative cooking, and delicious meals are now much easier to find — and not just in Reykjavik. One thing…
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Crust And Crumbs: Unpacking Iceland’s Bakery Culture
A closer look at the tensions between authentic tradition, modernist aesthetics and globalised bakery trends behind Iceland’s bakeries Icelanders love bakeries in a distinctly Icelandic fashion: from picking up kleinur at gas stations, crowding a mural-covered storefront for kanilsnúður (cinnamon bun), or…
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Food Truck Frenzy: All You Can Eat, Off The Street
Look, Reykjavík isn’t exactly a street food paradise. It’s also not the easiest city to walk around in and eat at the same time — thanks, harsh Atlantic winds. But when some food trucks pop up on a street corner or at…
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Charming Suburban Restaurant Channels 90s Italianate Nonna Vibes
Italians are not known for their generosity with the world’s freewheeling ways when it comes to their cuisine. Publish a recipe, open a restaurant or even so much as attempt throwing spaghetti at the wall (don’t) and an Italian is bound to…
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Better Late Than Never: Reykjavík Is Slowly Waking Up To The Culinary Delights Of Polish Cuisine
Chances are people rarely think of Polish cuisine in the upper echelons of the pantheon of global cuisines. Despite a visible presence across Europe and parts of the Americas, the cuisine suffers from the stereotypes of vodka and pierogies (s, intended. However,…