6 Unmissable Reykjavík Bites

The places our food writer dreams about…

We’ve told you where to eat, now we’ll tell you what to eat. And don’t worry—we’ve forgone the usual sheep heads and twisted donuts and are instead serving up six Reykjavík bites we keep coming back to.

Pretzel Croissant @ Braud & Co. Photo by Art Bicnick

The Pretzel Croissant at Brauð og Co.
You don’t need to be in love with pretzels or croissants to love this hybrid, found at one of Reykjavík’s stand-out bakeries. Here, elements of Germany’s shiny, knotted invention have been merged with France’s national pastry to produce something wholly different. First, you get hit with the almost-bitter malt flavour of the pretzel before being embraced by the buttery goodness of the croissant. You’ll thank us later.

Ice Cream Sandwich @ Skúbb. Photo by Art Bicnick

An Ice Cream Sandwich at Skúbb
The Grapevine’s love for Skúbb is no secret and it’s no big conspiracy; they simply make the best ice cream in the country. Vibrant flavours, natural colours, creamy texture—they are consistently wonderful. The parlour rotates their flavours quickly so it’s difficult to guarantee the availability of a specific flavour (also: don’t make me Sophie’s Choice this thing). All we ask is you slap your flavour of choice between two of their rich, freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies.

Lemon Poppy Seed Donut @ DEIG. Photo by Art Bicnick

The Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnut at Deig
Like at Skúbb, it’s hard to make any promises about availability due to Deig’s love of innovation and surprising flavours. The good news is that you’ll rarely see a misstep there as all of their stuff is amazing. Stop by, and Deig’ll fix you up with a chocolate cake cruller, crème brûlée doughnut or some other fried delight. But if you get a chance to taste their glazed, almost cakey, lemon poppy seed doughnut—leap on it like a werewolf.

Beetroot and Feta @ Fjallkonan. Photo by Art Bicnick

Beetroot and Feta at Fjallkonan
It’s worth mentioning again that, at the time of writing, Fjallkonan is serving up one of Reykjavík’s most pleasant wholesomely, vegetarian, Ottolenghi-fied dishes in town. Roasted beets are decked with whipped feta and a sprinkling of pomegranates, chunks of crispy Parmigiano and toasted pistachios before getting a drizzle of elderflower vinaigrette. Earthy, nutty, creamy, tart, salty, umami—this one has it all.

Slo-Cooced Cod @ Food Cellar. Photo by Art Bicnick

The Slow-cooked Cod at Matarkjallarinn
Matarkjallarinn has a range of more inventive dishes and on the face of it, the slow-cooked cod may not seem that exciting. But although it may not be shattering culinary conventions, it’s the mouthwatering execution that keeps us coming back. The cod is given a short cure before being cooked painstakingly slow until the texture becomes lobsterlike. This is then bathed in a langoustine hollandaise and shipped with crispy green asparagus and near-transparent slices of smoked-lamb “parm.”

Aunt Rosie Coctail @ Luna Flórens. Photo by Art Bicnick

Aunt Rosie Cocktail at Luna Flórens
Luna Flórens is where Stevie Nicks would go for a dignified cocktail before slamming down a shipping container’s worth of disco powder. It’s got that cool aunty vibe complete with magic crystals and “healthy” cocktails—and as an added bonus, said cocktails are among the best in town. Go with your gut on this one but we have a real soft spot for the Aunt Rosie: a pink basil and citrus-infused gin boosted with pomegranate and topped with prosecco. It doesn’t hurt that none of their cocktails break the 2,000 ISK mark (which in Iceland counts as very affordable).