A search for a morning bite in Seyðisfjörður took my breakfast date and I to Hótel Aldan (Norðurgata 2), where a breakfast buffet is served daily for 1.650 ISK. The setting is idyllic, a gorgeous old wooden hotel with a charming country-style dining room, so there was no better place in our collective mind to start the day with a quiet cup of coffee and a some nice fare.
Now, I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels of varying star-counts in my time—as a matter of fact, I’ve called three hotels my temporary home in the month of July alone—so a hotel breakfast buffet has become standard fare for me. As such I can generally gauge what will be on offer based on the menu price of the buffet and, for 1.650 ISK, I would have bet my first born that a hot dish or two would be served up alongside the standard issue breads, meats and cheeses. I was wrong. The breakfast buffet at Hótel Aldan is as basic as it comes, for an above average price.
The spread comprised of two tables, one topped with platters of bread, deli meats and slices of gouda, and the second featuring a single platter of sliced fruits, a trio of cold cereals, plastic cartons of yogurt and a pitcher of milk. Our coffee order was brought to the table and is included in the price of the buffet.
My date dove right into the bread, meat and cheese while I prepared a bowl of Cheerios and muesli, over which I poured milk that turned out to be room temperature and not particularly appealing. The rolls were nice and fresh, at least, and were filling if not at all worth the hefty price tag.
The coffee was adequate—nothing spectacular—and my date’s tea order arrived as a nice assortment of teas to choose from along with sugar, honey and lemon.
The food wasn’t bad. It was just so very basic, and so appallingly overpriced that it left an unpleasant taste regardless. I do, however, understand they do a nice dinner. I’d go back for that.
What we think: Way too expensive
Flavour: Basic hotel continental breakfast
Ambiance: Charming and cosy
Service: Tired and unenthusiastic
Rating: 2.5/5
- Address: Hótel Aldan, Norðurgata 2, Seyðisfjörður
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