What to eat and drink in Iceland – facts, advice, and tips & tricks you won’t find elsewhere – Part 5
What to eat and drink in Iceland can be found in this fifth part of the Iceland travelogue. The range is broad, from the strange taste and aroma of fish to hot dogs.
In the first, second, third, and fourth parts of this series, I shared key facts about Iceland, how to approach booking accommodations and car rentals, information about local currency, payment methods, observations about nature and attractions, and recommendations on what to do in Iceland.
I also offer tips on saving unnecessary expenses on food.
What to eat and drink and how to shop?
Restaurants and bars in Iceland are pricey. In general, everything is expensive there. A main course typically costs 40-50 BGN, soup or salad 20-30 BGN. A glass of alcohol is EUR 13-15 , sometimes up to EUR 20. If you want to indulge in dining out and try local specialties, I recommend making a reservation in advance.
The average bill for four people at a restaurant ranges between 250-700 EUR, comparable to dining at a Michelin-starred establishment, and that’s without splurging on alcohol.
Advice: For a more budget-friendly experience, consider shopping for groceries and cooking if your accommodations allow it. For daytime meals during tours, prepare sandwiches.
At supermarkets, a family dinner will cost EUR 50- 100, and you’ll have leftovers for sandwiches the next day. Some natural attractions have kiosks, small restaurants, or cafes, but there are often queues. Others don’t even have proper restrooms, but in general, there’s always a restroom at popular sites.
Supermarket chains with reasonable prices include Kronan and Bonus. We shopped at Kronan.
You can find everything there except alcohol, though they do sell beer with 2% alcohol, which I really enjoyed. Good local beers include Gull and Vik. There are many options for semi-prepared meals, making it easy to cook if you’re staying in an apartment or guesthouse instead of a hotel.
Tip & Trick: Tap water is drinkable and excellent. The hot water is even mineral, as I was told at Hotel Selfoss. Bring a bottle and refill it at special taps available in several spots, including the airport. Keep your airplane bottle or any other bottle and refill it wherever you like, but avoid natural sources, just in case.
What to taste while in Iceland?
- Fermented shark: One of the most exotic and peculiar things I’ve tried. It had a strong smell and was served in a tightly sealed jar in small pieces. It’s paired with Brennivin, a local vodka-like drink, to help mask the odor.
- Dried fish chips (Hardfiskur): It has a strong smell but is high in protein and very nutritious. Available at supermarkets.
- Lobster soup: Slightly spicy and very tasty. Highly recommended.
- Lamb or other local meat soup (Kjotsupa): A hearty meat soup.
- Roasted lamb: Often cooked medium-rare. Other options include beef, pork, chicken, and horse. Some traditional restaurants also serve puffin and whale, but I wouldn’t recommend these as they are rare species, and whales are intelligent animals. Some menus even offer dolphin, which I find unacceptable to eat.
- Fish and chips and other fish dishes.
- Pylsur: Icelandic hot dog made from a mix of lamb, beef, and sometimes fish or lobster.
- Icelandic ice cream: Excellent quality with a variety of flavors. I recommend trying Fox fusion, which lets you combine different types of ice cream with toppings like licorice or Icelandic Skittles.
- Kleinur: Icelandic doughnut, slightly sweet and fried.
- Svid: Lamb’s head. Some recommend it, but it’s not appetizing to me, and I don’t plan to try it.
Where to eat in Reykjavik and Selfoss?
In Reykjavik, try Fish Company, Islenski Barinn (Icelandic Bar) for traditional dishes, and Rok near the church. In Selfoss, I recommend the street food in the renovated city center near Hotel Selfoss, which features a Skyr Museum and a food corner.
To get a better idea, you can watch this video about Fish Company.
Duration: 1:18 minutes.
Some footage from restaurant Rok, near the church.
Alcohol in Iceland
Alcohol is expensive and not available in supermarkets. It’s sold in specialized stores and restaurants. In restaurants, a glass of beer or wine costs about EUR 13. You have two options: bring 1.5 liters of spirits per person in your luggage or buy from the duty-free shop at the airport.
The airport shop offers a good selection at reasonable prices. Moët & Chandon was 80 BGN, and wines range from 9 to 20 EUR.
Try Brennivin, a local drink made from grain mash with a hint of dill or caraway. It’s not too aromatic. I had a mini bottle on a whale-watching ship because I was very cold.
If you like vodka, try Reyka, which is made in Iceland. Iceland also has good 2% beer, which I enjoyed. Restaurants offer higher-alcohol options.
What to buy in Iceland?
If you have extra budget, wool clothing, waterproof items, or souvenirs are good ideas. Nordic-style jackets are plentiful, so if you’re planning trips to northern countries, consider buying one. For food, try sweets or licorice candies. Licorice is a gummy candy with a distinct flavor from licorice root and is good for sore throats. Icelandic chocolate is also excellent, often combined with licorice.
Films shot in Iceland?
Star Wars, Game of Thrones, James Bond, Batman, and other productions that require glaciers, snow, waterfalls, black beaches, and dramatic raw nature often choose Iceland as their location.
Planning a trip to Iceland is a serious task, and organizing an itinerary takes time. I’ll be happy to share our program to save you the effort. Look for it in upcoming posts.
How to book your stay?
I recommend that you check the packages that the hotel offers on their website because they are very affordable. But for your convenience, I have also put a box on booking.com. Compare the prices and choose an option.
Booking.com
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Do you ever wonder how some places differ so much from others in service, environment, and overall experience? This means you are also interested like me in The Experience Economy by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore. I constantly add to my collection reviews about those of them, which practice its principles, regardless of whether intentionally or accidentally. If you are curious to understand which they are, explore the category The Experience Economy.
If you need to rent a car, you can reserve it here, in the box of the largest booking platform, below.
