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 holiday.
Please note: This is not an exhaustive list. These are just the bolla-makers I’ve known in the past, and this article was not in the print edition. As a Reykjavík-based parent, though, these are the places I’d recommend. (A reminder that while you can buy bollur starting February 1, the official holiday is February 16 for 2026. )
From Sigurður Már, Bernhöftsbakari. Klapparstígur 3 (bernhoftsbakari.is)
1) When should orders be placed for bollur?
For Bolludagur itself, we strongly recommend placing orders several days in advance, especially for larger quantities. Walk-in customers are of course welcome on the day, but popular varieties tend to sell out quickly — often well before the afternoon.
2) What is unique about your bollur?
Our bollur are made entirely from scratch, following traditional Icelandic and Danish-influenced pastry craftsmanship that has been part of Bernhöftsbakarí since 1834. We use a light choux pastry, real whipped cream (not substitutes), and high-quality chocolate glaze. What truly makes them unique is the balance — they are indulgent, but never heavy — and the fact that the recipes and techniques have been passed down through generations of master bakers.
3) What is the price per bollur, and how many is the maximum a child should consume?
The price per bolla this year is 765 ISK.
As for how many a child should eat — that’s a classic Bolludagur question! Traditionally, children earn their bollur by playfully “spanking” their parents with decorated sticks on Bolludagur morning. One or two bollur is probably sensible… but tradition, excitement, and whipped cream often push that number higher. Bolludagur is very much a once-a-year exception by most bakeries. But we bake them all weekends.
4) Do you have a Bolludagur memory?
Growing up in a bakery, Bolludagur was always a highlight — both at home and later in the bakery. One of my strongest memories is the incredible atmosphere in the shop: the queues out the door, children with cream on their noses, grandparents buying “just one more,” and the sense that the whole city is sharing the same joyful ritual. Even after decades in the profession, Bolludagur still feels special every single year.
From Markus at Deig, Tryggvagata 14 (www.lekock.is)
1) When should orders be placed for bollur?
We are taking pre-orders for Bolludagur (16th) only and people can do that on our website www.lekock.is We will have bollur available daily from the 13th-16th in the bakery.
2) What is unique about your bollur?
Our bollur are unique because they are deep fried.
3) What is the price per bollur, and how many is the maximum a child should consume?
Our bollur are 890 ISK stk – there is no maximum for a child or any human for that matter.
4) Do you have a Bolludagur memory?
In Deig we have a bolla count written on the whiteboard so that all employees can keep track of how many bollur they have eaten over the bolla weejend. I win every year.
From Einar Hjörvar Benediktsson, BRIKK, Háteigsvegur 1 (www.brikk.is)
1) When should orders be placed for bollur?
For individuals, we recommend buying on the day itself (or even better on the Sunday before for a bollu-brunch). For companies or larger groups, orders should ideally be placed a few days in advance.
2) What is unique about your bollur?
We treat Bolludagur as a playground. Alongside a classic bolla, we also make a full lineup of more adventurous versions. This year, that includes flavors like coffee and salted caramel, raspberry and licorice, crème brûlée, biscoff, and even a fully vegan croissant bolla. It´s our favourite weekend of the year.
3) What is the price per bollur, and how many is the maximum a child should consume?
Each bolla is 850 ISK. As for the number of bollur a child should eat: 6-7 bollur. (Editor/ Parent note: That would be an alarming number of sweets.)
4) Do you have a Bolludagur memory?
As a child, Bolludagur meant chasing my parents around the house with a bolluvöndur, shouting “Bolla! Bolla!” and earning myself (way too many) bollur. Today it means something else entirely: three nights of nonstop work with the whole Brikk team, tired, slightly strung out, and laughing our way through it. It’s exhausting and genuinely fun, and it’s the moment each year when the bakery feels most alive.
From Sandholt Bakari Laugavegur 36 (sandholt.is)
1) When should orders be placed for bollur?
Bigger orders should be placed before February 11th so that we can prepare and order accordingly.
2) What is unique about your bollur?
We make everything from scratch with real ingredients – no pre made mixes or powders
we cook all our jams, creams and fondant – this year we were lucky enough to get some organic citrus fruit from Foodcoop for our jams
3) What is the price per bollur, and how many is the maximum a child should consume?
The classic bolla will be 850 ISK, the special ones will be a little more. For me, it’s all you can eat this one day a year. It’s also fun to try bollur from different places — there are so many flavours and options
4) Do you have a Bolludagur memory?
I can’t think of any special memory. For me the best is when Bolludagur is over and I get “Saltkjöt og baunir” on the day after at my mother in law.
From Benni at Plantan Kaffihús, Njálsgata 64, (https://www.plantankaffihus.is/)
1) When should orders be placed for bollur?
We are serving bollur on February 8th, 14th, 15th and 16th. We will stop orders 24hours in advance for the 8th and on the 13th for the official bolludagshelgi.
We do have a limited production capacity so to ensure that everyone that wants our bollur gets some we recommend ordering as soon as possible.
2) What is unique about your bollur?
Our truly unique factor is that all our Bollur are vegan! We also play around with flavours and combine classics with new trials every year
3) What is the price per bollur, and how many is the maximum a child should consume?
We have 2 prices, 895 ISK for the simple ones and 925 ISK for the more complicated ones with more expensive ingredients.
Depends on the child!! Below 10 should have some adult guiding them, so they don’t eat only flour and cream that day, but anyone over 10 should eat as many as they can swallow… only on bolludagur though!
4) Do you have a bolludagur memory (either at the store or from personal experience)?
All our bolludagur experiences at Plantan have been very fun. This is our fourth and we’re excited to do it once again. As a kid, I would always look forward to it as it’s a part of three days filled with joy – You would not only get the cream filled bollur but also fiskibollur and kjötbollur and in the memory everyone would be unusually happy on those three consecutive days Bolludagur, Sprengidagur and Öskudagur. These days bring necessary joy to a dark season that tends to come down pretty hard on people living in Iceland.
Our goal at Plantan is to give our customers the opportunity to relive those happy moments. We want to provide the nostalgia and joy that people remember from those days in their childhood but in a plant-based way!
For Grapevine food writer Shruthi Basappa’s take on the past few years of Bolludagur, and particularly special bollur to look out for, read her article here.
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