Best Of Reykjavík 2019: Best Grocery Store

Icelandic style and design has escalated in scope over recent years, with an ensuing explosion of local stores. While high prices mean that you probably aren’t going to be going on a shopping spree in Reykjavík, there are plenty of unique products to be found that are worth your hard-earned cash. From obscure rarities by long-broken-up Icelandic bands to the perfect vintage hand-knitted lópapeysa, here’s your essential guide to shopping in Reykjavík. Remember to make responsible financial decisions. Good luck out there.

Best Grocery Store

Krónan Grandi

Fiskislóð 15-21

For the third year in a row, Krónan has proven that it is the best grocery store in town. “If you’re looking for fruits, vegetables, or fish, Krónan at Grandi is unequivocally the best,” the panel determined. They also praised its selection of vegan and international products, which, all emphasised, you just can’t find anywhere else. “Other places might have vegan and vegetarian products, but nowhere is it as cheap as at Krónan,” one panel member—a vegetarian—emphasised. For downtown rats without cars, Krónan might seem like a bit of a trek, but the panel urged that the prices and selection are so far beyond that of downtown grocery spots, it is absolutely worth it.

Runner-Up:

Melabúðin

Hagamel 39, Vesturbær

Foodies need look no further than Vesturbær’s Melabúðin, where the shelves are packed with artisanal deli meats, fresh figs, rare cheeses and all sorts of unexpected, hard-to-find treats (bloody mary fans: get your celery salt here). “When I have an event, I go to Melabúðin,” one panellist said. “Everything there feels special.”

Runner-Up:

Frú Lauga

Laugalækur 6, Laugadalur

Just outside of the 101 bubble in nearby Laugardalur, Frú Lauga is the only exclusively local and organic shop in Reykjavík. With a greenhouse on the premises, it’s also the only place you can buy fruits and herbs that might have been picked earlier that day from a plant right beside you.

Previous Winners

2017-2018: Krónan
2016: Bónus

Other Shopping Categories

Best Design Store

Best Grocery Store

Best Fashion Boutique

Best Record Store

Best Bookstore

Hidden Gem

Best Clothing Store

Best Homeware Shop

Best Jewellery Shop

Best Secondhand Shop

Best Place To Buy A Wool Sweater

Best Goddamn Store

You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Reykjavík 2019 magazine—an essential guide to having fun in Reykjavík—here, posted worldwide. We also have a Special Offer double-pack that also includes our Best Of Iceland magazine, about places to eat, see, swim, shop and stay, all around the country, here.