Best Of The Westfjords 2018: Best Café

The Westfjords lie entirely outside of the Ring Road’s island-encompassing loop, making them one of the more remote corners of Iceland. The roads are carved into an endless sequence of vast flat-topped mountains punctuated by tiny towns in narrow fjords, often with great pools and hot pots. At the northern edge lies the wild nature reserve of Hornstrandir, only accessible by boat or on foot. To get away from the bustle of the tourist trail, the Westfjords are always a good bet.

Best Café:

Simbahöllin

Fjarðargata 5, Þingeyri

Simbahöllin was unanimously agreed to be the best café in the Westfjords. Or, as one panellist argued, it is “the only real café in all the Westfjords.” It is located in a big, beautiful, bright green Norwegian timber-house with a terrace and a matching green bus converted into café seating. Serving Belgian waffles and housemade rhubarb jam, they also boast top-notch baked goods, snob-quality coffee, and dishes exotic to the Westfjords, like Moroccan-style chicken served in a tajine. The panel is prepared to fight you on this one.

Runner-Up:

Litli-Bær

Skötufjörður

Litli-Bær is a restored turf house on the Djúpið road, admired for its atmosphere and location. There’s something special about a waffle made inside a house basically made out of mud. It’s located near the local seal colony meaning you can eat your historical waffle as you watch the dog-mermaids (or seals or whatever you call them) frolic along the shore.

Runner-Up:

Gamla Bakaríið

Aðalstræti 24, Ísafjörður

Gamla Bakaríið deserves an honourable mention for being one of the oldest bakeries in all of Iceland, not just the Westfjords. It’s a great place to stop for breads, pastries, and baked goods. But they are especially famed for their kringlur: pretzel-like rolls flavored with cumin-seeds.

More Best Of Iceland Awards

South Iceland

West Iceland

The Westfjords

North Iceland

East Iceland

You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Iceland 2018 magazine—an essential guide to having fun in Iceland—here, posted worldwide. We also have a Special Offer double-pack that also includes our Best Of Reykjavík magazine, about places to eat, see, swim, visit, and shop in the country’s capital city, here.