Reykjavik Restaurants

Vegamot

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Restaurant

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We had dinner in this restaurant on our first evening in Reykjavik. We had not really got our bearings in the city, but were looking out for somewhere reasonably priced and this seemed to fit the bill. We actually came upon it quite by chance, as we were heading back to our apartment after an afternoon of sightseeing.The restaurant has a convenient location in the city centre. It is just off the main shopping street which runs all the way down to the harbour. Vegamot is on a street off this called Vegamotastigur. We chose it based on price, so had no idea what to expect when we stepped inside.It is actually more like a bar that serves food than a restaurant - but this was ...Read More

We had dinner in this restaurant on our first evening in Reykjavik. We had not really got our bearings in the city, but were looking out for somewhere reasonably priced and this seemed to fit the bill. We actually came upon it quite by chance, as we were heading back to our apartment after an afternoon of sightseeing.

The restaurant has a convenient location in the city centre. It is just off the main shopping street which runs all the way down to the harbour. Vegamot is on a street off this called Vegamotastigur. We chose it based on price, so had no idea what to expect when we stepped inside.

It is actually more like a bar that serves food than a restaurant - but this was good for us. We arrived around 7pm on a Sunday evening and found it was buzzing and very busy. We got the last available table in the downstairs area. It is on 2 levels, but is quite a small and cosy place.

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, attentive without overdoing it, I thought they were great. The menu was extensive with a lot of different dishes to choose from. They had salad dishes, sandwich type meals, pizzas, burgers, Mexican type food and some chef specialities. They also had a children's menu.

My husband chose lobster pizza. This was delicious. It came with lots of lobster meat, was nicely presented and he thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a nice thin crust and was a great pizza. I ordered from one of their special dishes, called "Hot Spot". It sounded spicy and interesting. It was chicken with butternut squash in a spicy sauce. I was rather disappointed with it to say the least. The plate was cold, there was a lot of water/moisture on the plate which looked a bit unappetising. The chicken was moist and tasty, but the whole dish was lukewarm, as if it had been sitting somewhere while they cooked the pizza. The squash was hard and crunchy and the sauce was not really that spicy.

Food served to other tables looked pretty good, my husband loved his dish, so maybe I just made a bad choice. The children's menu on paper did not look very exciting (but that is good for our picky 9 year old son). They had burger and chips, pizza, pasta with ham and tomato or fish and potatoes. Our son picked the pasta dish - it was just the right portion size, beautifully presented and tasted delicious, full of flavour, it would even have been suitable for an adult.

It said on the menu there were colouring books for children and DVD players as well. We did not need either of these entertainment options, but it is useful if you have younger children who find it a struggle with the whole restaurant experience.

Vegamot had a great selection of drinks - lots of different types of beers and wines.

We very much enjoyed the atmosphere, it was lively (maybe a little noisy at times) but seemed to be a gathering place for locals and young families. I don't think there were too many tourists while we were eating.

The decor is casual but cool and there was a little terrace outside with some tables, but it was far too cold to be outdoors that evening.

We had a bit of a mixed dining experience here - two good meals, one not so good, but I think maybe I was just unlucky. Overall the food seemed very nice, it is very reasonably priced for this part of the world and the atmosphere was so lovely, I would recommend coming to Vegamot. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 2, 2013

Vegamot
Vegamotastigur 4
Reykjavik, Iceland
5113040

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Restaurant Hofnin

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Restaurant | "Hofnin"

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We spent our second day in Iceland exploring and strolling through Reykjavik. We had a walk around the lovely harbour area, so our criteria for choosing a restaurant in the evening were that it should have a harbour view and that it should serve fish.We set off to the harbour area, looked at the menu outside Hofnin and looked no further! It was a superb stroke of luck, the restaurant was charming, the food was delicious and the views were wonderful. We had a lovely evening there.You can't miss this restaurant. It is right in the harbour area, painted a strange shade of green and is close to the whale watching ships. It is located in what was once a fishermen's hut, so that...Read More

We spent our second day in Iceland exploring and strolling through Reykjavik. We had a walk around the lovely harbour area, so our criteria for choosing a restaurant in the evening were that it should have a harbour view and that it should serve fish.

We set off to the harbour area, looked at the menu outside Hofnin and looked no further! It was a superb stroke of luck, the restaurant was charming, the food was delicious and the views were wonderful. We had a lovely evening there.

You can't miss this restaurant. It is right in the harbour area, painted a strange shade of green and is close to the whale watching ships. It is located in what was once a fishermen's hut, so that adds an element of charm. The views over the habour and towards Mount Esja in the distance are wonderful.

This is a traditional Icelandic restaurant, serving really high quality food made from the freshest ingredients. The menu was extensive, there were a lot of fish dishes including lobster, mussels, trout, plaice and more. If you are not keen on fish, there were a few meat dishes including Icelandic lamb.

The decor inside is quaint, cosy and very homely. It is a little bit old-fashioned in a modern way, if you get my meaning. It is a little rustic also, and much attention was made to the smallest of details. The atmosphere inside was chilled out - as soon as you went in, you instantly felt relaxed and calm.

We got the last free table, so had no choice over where we could sit. Try and get a seat by one of the two huge windows, if you can. That way you get an unsurpassed view as you eat. We did not get to sit by the window, but you do still get to enjoy the views.

My husband chose mussels for his main course. These came with a plate of mouth-watering, home-made chunky fries. The portion of mussels was huge - they looked glorious and the beer sauce over them was delicious. I had wanted a fish dish, but found myself unable to go past the Icelandic lamb. This was very innovatively presented, the flavours were amazing and I loved it. They do not have a children's menu, but instead will cook smaller portions of anything you want from the main menu - a great idea.

The price of our meal was very reasonable also, this is amongst the cheaper options for dining out in Reykjavik, but in no way is the quality of the food sacrificed.

My meal at Hofnin was one of the best I had in Iceland. The place looks unassuming from the outside, inside it is stylish, the food is tasty and innovative without being pretentious and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. This restaurant is excellent value and a must-visit in the city.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 3, 2013

Restaurant Hofnin
Geirsgata 7
Reykjavik 101

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Eldsmidjan

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Restaurant | "Eldsmidjan Pizza Place"

Volcano pizza Photo - Eldsmidjan, Reykjavik, Iceland

Quote:

We had spent the whole day driving around the delights of the Golden Circle. Due to a hire car breakdown and a long wait to be rescued, we didn't arrive back in Reykjavik until 10:30 at night - it was still bright daylight, so this helped the situation!We were so hungry, but there was nowhere to eat on the entire return journey from Gullfoss waterfall, when we got back to the city, this was the only restaurant in the vicinity of our apartment which was still open. We noticed this oddity early on in our stay, lots of restaurants in Reykjavik seemed to be closed by 9pm.My husband spotted Eldsmidjan, there was no other option, so we went inside. It would definitely not have bee...Read More

We had spent the whole day driving around the delights of the Golden Circle. Due to a hire car breakdown and a long wait to be rescued, we didn't arrive back in Reykjavik until 10:30 at night - it was still bright daylight, so this helped the situation!

We were so hungry, but there was nowhere to eat on the entire return journey from Gullfoss waterfall, when we got back to the city, this was the only restaurant in the vicinity of our apartment which was still open. We noticed this oddity early on in our stay, lots of restaurants in Reykjavik seemed to be closed by 9pm.

My husband spotted Eldsmidjan, there was no other option, so we went inside. It would definitely not have been my choice and had there been any other alternative, I would have gone there. It just shows, you should never judge the book by the cover! The restaurant didn't look bad, it just looked a bit bland and dull.

We were the only people in the place dining. There was one other person who was ordering a takeaway pizza. It was fairly bright inside, quiet and not a lot of atmosphere. We sat down, several members of staff walked past on numerous occasions without taking our order. We eventually had to grab someone and tell them we wanted food!

We ordered drinks and pizzas and awaited eagerly the food! The menu was actually very good. They had lots and lots of pizzas, some had combinations of ingredients that were very unusual and sounded really interesting. The pizzas came in 3 sizes with 16 inch being the largest. There were also salads on the menu and a wide selection of drinks.

We discovered, after about 20 minutes and having to actually go into the kitchen to get a member of staff, that the drinks were serve yourself. No-one thought to tell us that. The soft drinks also had unlimited refills, again no-one thought to tell us and it was not written down anywhere. We only had 1 drink each so we felt a bit short-changed in this area.

The pizzas came through at different times. My husband got his seafood pizza first. It was very good - piled high with different types of fish/seafood and he gave it a big thumbs up. When he was almost finished, my pizza appeared. I had chosen one called a Volcano Pizza. It looked just like a volcano - amazing, so creative and fun. It was also delicious. The filling was spicy, tasty and full of flavour. The base was crispy, thin crust and definitely one of the best pizzas I have ever had.

Our son was desperate for his pizza - they served his small margarita last of all! He devoured it in a few gulps and am not too sure he even tasted most of it!

The pizzas are oven baked, apparently the oven was made in Milan. They are truly delicious and it is almost worth the really bad service, you get such a great pizza in the end!

Food and drinks are extremely reasonably priced - this was the cheapest (but also one of the tastiest) meals we had in Iceland. It is just a shame this small, family-run place don't improve the service and customer focus. If they did, the restaurant would be unbeatable. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 6, 2013

Eldsmidjan
Bragagata 38a
Reykjavik
562-3838

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Restaurant 73

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel

Quote:

This restaurant is on Laugavegur - the main shopping street in Reykjavik. It was about 5 minutes walk from our apartment on the top end of the street, this was the only reason we chose it. It was a freezing cold, icy and windy evening, so proximity and no requirement to walk a long way were our top criteria.The restaurant looks very unassuming from the outside. Inside it is the same - quite plain, but with a lovely cozy atmosphere. It is quite small, there are not a large number of tables so it might be an idea to book. Also it closes fairly early during the week - around 9:00pm.It is a family owned place and we thought the staff were excellent - attentive without being ov...Read More

This restaurant is on Laugavegur - the main shopping street in Reykjavik. It was about 5 minutes walk from our apartment on the top end of the street, this was the only reason we chose it. It was a freezing cold, icy and windy evening, so proximity and no requirement to walk a long way were our top criteria.

The restaurant looks very unassuming from the outside. Inside it is the same - quite plain, but with a lovely cozy atmosphere. It is quite small, there are not a large number of tables so it might be an idea to book. Also it closes fairly early during the week - around 9:00pm.

It is a family owned place and we thought the staff were excellent - attentive without being over the top and very friendly. They took our drinks order straightaway and seemed to know when we needed something without us having to call them.

The menu is quite extensive, but plain hearty fare. They have salads, pasta dishes, nachos, steaks, fish dishes and their speciality - burgers. There were about 10 different types of burger, with the Epic being their speciality. I chose a Classic burger, my husband went for the Epic. The burgers were moist, succulent, juicy and just heaven on a plate. They are 100% Icelandic beef, cooked medium (so slightly pink in the middle) and just so delicious. They had a portion of chunky, homemade fries on the side. I loved this meal, it was probably the best burger I have ever had - anywhere.

There is a great children's menu as well - with chicken, fish, burgers and generally an excellent selection. Our 9 year old chose chicken strips with fries - this was all freshly cooked, proper chicken - nothing processed and he loved his meal too.

They also have a wonderful selection of Icelandic beers, both on tap and bottled. We sampled 2 different beers and were thoroughly impressed with those too.

Our meal was inexpensive and really, considering the quality of the ingredients, just outstanding value for money.

In fact, we enjoyed it so much, we went back again on our last evening in Iceland - something we never do, always wanting to try somewhere new. We even ordered exactly the same meals - so impressed were we first time around. That says it all. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 8, 2013

Restaurant 73
Laugavegur 73
Reykjavik
555-7373

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Cafe Paris

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Attraction

Minke whale Photo - Cafe Paris, Reykjavik, Iceland

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We were absolutely famished and desperate for food by the time we arrived at Cafe Paris. This was not our first choice of restaurant. We had set out, planning to eat in another place which apparently was a great favourite with the locals. We also saw it was recommended by the chefs Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey and was somewhere they enjoyed while in Reykjavik, so we wanted to give it a go.My husband had been keen to try puffin and I wanted to sample minke whale, so that was another set of criteria to take into account when choosing a restaurant for the evening. We set off to our original choice, it took a lot of walking and a lot of effort to find it, but when we did, it was full. W...Read More

We were absolutely famished and desperate for food by the time we arrived at Cafe Paris. This was not our first choice of restaurant. We had set out, planning to eat in another place which apparently was a great favourite with the locals. We also saw it was recommended by the chefs Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey and was somewhere they enjoyed while in Reykjavik, so we wanted to give it a go.

My husband had been keen to try puffin and I wanted to sample minke whale, so that was another set of criteria to take into account when choosing a restaurant for the evening. We set off to our original choice, it took a lot of walking and a lot of effort to find it, but when we did, it was full. We asked if they might have a table available later, they just replied "Go somewhere else!" So we did!

Cafe Paris was about the only restaurant we found which could accommodate our party of 3 at around 8:30ish. It is in the middle of the old town - a great location and not too far from the harbour. They have seats outside, which were all full, but it looked like a great spot to do some people watching.

The restaurant was quite big inside, bright and airy and extremely busy. If you want a relaxing dinner experience, this would probably not be the best place.

We were placed at a really small round table - not much space for the 3 of us, but we were glad to get in somewhere and managed.

The menu is extensive - burgers, steaks, fish dishes, pasta dishes and definitely something for everyone. They had a huge selection of cocktails as well. The children's menu was reasonable too.

It felt a bit chaotic in the restaurant, the staff all seemed very young but the service was average. We both ordered grilled minke whale in a pepper sauce - there was no puffin on the menu here. It was probably the most expensive main course we ordered in Iceland - around 5,500 ISK.

The food arrived extremely quickly - the whale was dark in colour and the whole dish was swimming in a very dark pepper sauce. It had a few vegetables and an enormous jacket potato with lots of cream and butter. I didn't think presentation was their strong point, it all looked a bit thrown together. The whale was fairly tough and chewy and had a bit of a strange taste and texture. I thought it resembled steak with a hint of seawater (sounds awful, but I did quite enjoy it). The sauce was extremely salty though, and I could have done without all the cream and butter on the potato. Our son's dish of chicken and chips from the children's menu was fine, but not the best dish he'd had either.

You pay at the bar when you are ready to leave, so don't need to hang around.

Overall, we did enjoy our meal here but - the place was so busy, so noisy and so chaotic and the turnover of people was so rapid that it was not the most pleasurable experience in my opinion. The food is expensive, tasted fine but was absolutely not the best we had eaten in Iceland. The staff are all young, a bit surly, not friendly at all. The location is lovely - that is probably the best thing about this restaurant. There are other cheaper, better, friendlier and more authentic restaurants in Reykjavik - avoid this and try one of those. Read Less

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on July 18, 2013

Cafe Paris
Austurstræti 14
Reykjavik, Iceland 101
+354 551-1020

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Great Lunch Spots

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Story/Tip

Soup in a roll Photo - Reykjavik, Iceland

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A few times during our week in Iceland, when we were out and about in the countryside, we brought picnics and lunched al-fresco. However, we also found some great places for inexpensive and tasty lunches in the city.Svarta Kaffi was one of the first great lunch spots we found in Reykjavik - we liked the atmosphere here so much, we visited again on our last full day in the city. It is very easy to find, right on the main shopping street of Laugavegi. It is a lovely little bar overlooking the street below - we found it a great place for people watching. If you get a seat by the window, you could sit for hours, sipping your drink and watching people pass on the street below. We were temp...Read More

A few times during our week in Iceland, when we were out and about in the countryside, we brought picnics and lunched al-fresco. However, we also found some great places for inexpensive and tasty lunches in the city.

Svarta Kaffi was one of the first great lunch spots we found in Reykjavik - we liked the atmosphere here so much, we visited again on our last full day in the city. It is very easy to find, right on the main shopping street of Laugavegi. It is a lovely little bar overlooking the street below - we found it a great place for people watching. If you get a seat by the window, you could sit for hours, sipping your drink and watching people pass on the street below. We were tempted in by the "soup in a roll" signs. This seems to be their speciality and was what most people were ordering. We had Indian meat soup served in the most enormous crusty bread roll. It was perfect on a cold, windy day - very warming and extremely filling - I had to leave most of my bread. The soup was not the best I have ever tasted, it was a little under seasoned for me, but my husband enjoyed his very much. They have a good selection of local beers and the atmosphere is so relaxed and friendly; the staff are so attentive and welcoming that I would recommend this place highly.

Harpa is the big new conference centre right by the harbour - you can't miss this building made entirely of glass. Inside, on the ground floor is a lovely cafe/snack place. It is modern with funky pink seats and low tables, but they have a wonderful selection of sandwiches, cakes, pastries and desserts. We had lunch there on a windy Saturday, it was very delicious.

Just across the road from Harpa is Baejarins Beztu - quite a contrast. This place is just a tiny red kiosk by the side of the road but is a local institution. Bill Clinton came here once when he was in Reykjavik - they are very proud of this and have a picture on the wall. This will definitely be the cheapest meal you will have in Iceland, but taste and flavour are in no way compromised. I am not the biggest hot dog fan but I was wowed too! Just ask for a hot-dog with everything, it comes with crunchy fried onions and a couple of different sauces and is delicious. The texture and flavour of the sausage were superb - this is a must visit place. It seemed to be open pretty much twenty four hours a day, any time we passed by there was always a line, but service is fast and you don't have to wait for long. There is only one small bench, so you will probably have to stand as you eat your hot dog - this doesn't matter, it is so tasty and delicious nobody minds!

Laundromat was our other top rated place. It is in the old town, not far from the harbour and is fantastic. The decor is funky, unusual and really cool - all bright colours and shelves and shelves of books - amazingly they are arranged not by author etc. but by colour. The atmosphere is laid-back and relaxed and the place was full of quirky, cool people. The food is lovely and the milkshakes are divine. They have free WiFi too. Downstairs there is a working launderette, so you could, if you wanted to, do your washing and have a coffee upstairs. They also have a young children's play area down in the basement. We loved this place, cool, fun and wonderful food - a fantastic combination.
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