Reykjavik Restaurant Recommendations

June 6, 2017 6:14 AM

We're leaving for vacation next Thursday and will be in Reykjavik for two days. Need a couple of restaurant recommendations for dinner for Friday and Saturday night (June 16 and 17). Casual is probably better than fancy. I am dairy-intolerant. The hot dogs are already in the plans as lunch.
posted by briank to Travel & Transportation (12 answers total)

I liked the Icelandic Bar (Islenski barinn) for a good casual choice when I was there. We actually ate there twice we liked it so much. It's basically a pub with some pretty good casual food (burgers, etc.) but you can also get some unique Icelandic fare served in jars. You can look at the menu online to see if it works for dairy-intolerant.
posted by crLLC at 6:52 AM on June 6, 2017

Right around the corner from Icelandic Bar is the 'pizza place with no name' - up one flight from ground level. Excellent pizza, reservations almost required. The floor above THAT is a Mikkeller beer bar. The two are separate but shared establishments - pay at one, move between the two at will.
posted by scolbath at 7:45 AM on June 6, 2017

This is nice casual noodle bar.

Hradlestin is a surprisingly good Indian restaurant - especially for lunch. (source - i'm Indian).
posted by busybee at 8:03 AM on June 6, 2017

I asked this question a few months ago and there are definitely restaurant and casual food places referenced. My friends had a great trip - so apparently MetaFilter doesn't lie.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 8:10 AM on June 6, 2017

3 Frakkar is amazing if you like seafood; recommended to me by a local.
posted by transient at 8:26 AM on June 6, 2017

I like Reykjavik Fish by the water. There's also another fish and chips right next to them. I haven't gone there but have also heard good things.

There's also a cheap asian noodle shop across from the Nudluskalin place if you want real casual.
posted by monologish at 8:35 AM on June 6, 2017

My wife and I had an excellent dinner at AALTO Bistro. It may be fancier than you want, but since you said "probably," I thought I'd throw it out there.
posted by brianogilvie at 10:28 AM on June 6, 2017

We had a good time at the super casual Hamburger Joint.
posted by teststrip at 10:55 AM on June 6, 2017

I like Icelandic Fish and Chips (though the little truck next to the water/close to Harpa is also good for fish and chips)

Also Tapas Barinn, which lets you sample some of the Icelandic fare like their lamb + puffin (also whale is on the menu, but can be substituted if you want to avoid that) with their "Icelandic Feast". It's a bit expensive--as all things in Iceland are--but I left feeling stuffed. If you want a nice meal but a casual atmosphere, this could fit the bill.
posted by sprezzy at 11:11 AM on June 6, 2017

It's not really an evening thing, but the best food experience of my life was on a Vikingsushi boat trip, where they take you on a tour of some bird colonies (really cool) and then dredge up scallops and sea urchins from the sea floor and spread them out on a table and you just go at them with knives and some condiments (which no one touched, as far as I could tell). All raw and still alive, just to be clear. It's obviously not for everyone, but oh my god.

If you're into raw/vegan/vegetarian then Glo is really great...
posted by Huck500 at 12:30 PM on June 6, 2017

Kaffi Vinyl is vegan and delicious! Also, very comfy and extremely casual.
posted by unknowncommand at 5:16 AM on June 7, 2017

Thanks for all the recommendations. I'll mark this as resolved.
posted by briank at 10:24 AM on June 12, 2017