We took a driving trip around Iceland in June, 2014, for 10 days, with an itinerary of our "must see" places each day but no specific plan for each meal. The result was an interesting sampling of the different options of feeding ourselves while going around that country. Along with the scenery and people, the eating experience left an indelible impression on me! Here's an attempt to record our "food itinerary" of that trip, along with my thoughts along the way.
General Impressions of Icelandic Food and Restaurants
-Eating in general is a simple affair and the cooking method is quite healthy, with oil and seasoning used sparingly so the original taste of the ingredients is preserved.
-Food is expensive (compared to the prices in the states) at any café or restaurant, regardless of portion.
-Food is served in small portions (except in some gas station fast food joints), regardless of price.
-Bread is invariably wonderful.
-Lamb is the common meat while beef is rarely served.
-There is minimal service in typical restaurants and cafés, where customers often order and pay at the counter, seat themselves, and get their own glasses of water. Tipping is not required and there is no sales tax added to the bill.
-The major supermarket chain “Bónus” does offer most of the items seen in American supermarkets (but in small quantities and few varieties). It is a good idea to stock up on snacks whenever there is a supermarket for a trip like ours where there were no fixed times or places for meals.
Our Food Experience During the 10-Day Trip
Day 1
Breakfast at Keflavik airport
The excellent croissant was the first taste of the high standard of Icelandic baked goods.
Lunch at the Noodle House (now a Thai restaurant) on Laugavegur in Reykjavik
We just wanted to have a bit near the hotel before heading out for the second half of the adventures that day. We heard about a Noodle House on a trendy street but found that it was now a Thai restaurant. The food was OK and neither of us remembered to take any picture of the restaurant or the food! Below is the view from the second floor window of the restaurant.
Dinner at the famous hot dog stand in Reykjavik
It was already 11pm when we got back into town for the night so our own hope for dinner was the hot dog stand we heard about. Thankfully it was indeed still open. The hot dog was a fraction of the size of a Costco hot dog but several times the price. It had a strong meaty taste (probably because of lamb meat in the mix) that was unlike any hot dog in the states. (Yes, there was still daylight at 11pm. In fact, it never gets dark in the month of June.)
Day 2
Breakfast at the hotel
The breakfast included in each hotel sty was remarkably consistent across all nine hotels during our trip. The core items include thin slices of ham, cheese, cucumbers, and tomatoes, along with hard-boiled eggs (sliced most of the time), a couple of fruit choices, and a couple of cereal and bread choices. Since we had essentially identical breakfasts on all 10 days, it will not be mentioned below for the rest of the itinerary.
General Impressions of Icelandic Food and Restaurants
-Eating in general is a simple affair and the cooking method is quite healthy, with oil and seasoning used sparingly so the original taste of the ingredients is preserved.
-Food is expensive (compared to the prices in the states) at any café or restaurant, regardless of portion.
-Food is served in small portions (except in some gas station fast food joints), regardless of price.
-Bread is invariably wonderful.
-Lamb is the common meat while beef is rarely served.
-There is minimal service in typical restaurants and cafés, where customers often order and pay at the counter, seat themselves, and get their own glasses of water. Tipping is not required and there is no sales tax added to the bill.
-The major supermarket chain “Bónus” does offer most of the items seen in American supermarkets (but in small quantities and few varieties). It is a good idea to stock up on snacks whenever there is a supermarket for a trip like ours where there were no fixed times or places for meals.
Our Food Experience During the 10-Day Trip
Day 1
Breakfast at Keflavik airport
The excellent croissant was the first taste of the high standard of Icelandic baked goods.
Lunch at the Noodle House (now a Thai restaurant) on Laugavegur in Reykjavik
We just wanted to have a bit near the hotel before heading out for the second half of the adventures that day. We heard about a Noodle House on a trendy street but found that it was now a Thai restaurant. The food was OK and neither of us remembered to take any picture of the restaurant or the food! Below is the view from the second floor window of the restaurant.
Dinner at the famous hot dog stand in Reykjavik
It was already 11pm when we got back into town for the night so our own hope for dinner was the hot dog stand we heard about. Thankfully it was indeed still open. The hot dog was a fraction of the size of a Costco hot dog but several times the price. It had a strong meaty taste (probably because of lamb meat in the mix) that was unlike any hot dog in the states. (Yes, there was still daylight at 11pm. In fact, it never gets dark in the month of June.)
Day 2
Breakfast at the hotel
The breakfast included in each hotel sty was remarkably consistent across all nine hotels during our trip. The core items include thin slices of ham, cheese, cucumbers, and tomatoes, along with hard-boiled eggs (sliced most of the time), a couple of fruit choices, and a couple of cereal and bread choices. Since we had essentially identical breakfasts on all 10 days, it will not be mentioned below for the rest of the itinerary.
Lunch at a cafe by Seljalandsfoss
The concession stands were only present at the most popular tourist spots
and most of the places we visited had no services of any kind, sometimes not
even restrooms (called WC or toilet).
We had simple sandwiches at this café after exploring the three wonderful
waterfalls here. By simple, I really mean simple: A roll with a few very thin
slices of meat, a few very thin slices of cheese, a couple lettuce leaves, and
a little bit of sauce. It was around USD$8 each.
Dinner at a restaurant
by Skógarfoss
We ate at the restaurant by the majestic Skógarfoss, both because we were tired
and hungry and because we didn’t want to be looking for food in the middle of
nowhere in the middle of the night. I had a slow-cooked port hock (leg) and Bob
had the famed Iceland cod for the first time on the trip. Both were excellent,
especially with the view and the sound of Skógarfoss.
I don’t think we even got bread with those two simple plates. Usually the
menu item would say “with bread” if bread actually comes with the order. My pork leg was slowed cooked with light seasoning and it was surprisingly good because the pork itself was fresh and delicious.
Day 3
Lunch at a cafe by the Sólheimajökull Glacier:
Dinner at cafe by the Vatnajökull
glacier lagoon
By the time we reached the lagoon of the largest European glacier on that
day, the tiny café by the lagoon was getting ready to close and offered no
fresh item anymore. So we bought two simple sandwiches and two donuts for dinner.
But the sight and sound of the glacier, the lagoon and the adjacent beach more
than compensated for the lack of a real meal.
Day 4
Day 4
Lunch at Hótel Framtíð by the little seaport Djupivogur
We had a very late lunch (4 pm) after we took the 3-hour boat tour of the
Papey island. We both had fish soup with bread, and then shared a plate of the
little losbters (langoustines).
Dinner was skipped that day because we had lunch really late. Later we just had some snacks that we had bought from the supermarket.
Day 5
Lunch in the car
We grabbed a couple sandwiches from the supermarket and ate in the car while we drove. Now we would get excited at the sight of the little pink piggy sign for the supermarket chain, Bónus. Most of the places we visited had no convenience store, not to mention supermarket.
Lunch in the car
We grabbed a couple sandwiches from the supermarket and ate in the car while we drove. Now we would get excited at the sight of the little pink piggy sign for the supermarket chain, Bónus. Most of the places we visited had no convenience store, not to mention supermarket.
Dinner at Gamlibaerinn
(The Old Farm) by Hotel Reynihlid near Lake Myvatn
We both had lamb soup and then shared a plate of grilled lamb leg meat.
The lamb meat in any Icelandic dish was simply delicious. Again, note that the
serving of meat (and everything else) was small.
Day 6
Lunch at Naustið Seafood
Restaurant in Husavik
After the whale-watching tour, we had fish soup and fish kabobs. Of
course the fish was superb and required minimal seasoning on the grill.
Afternoon Coffee at an unexpected place
At the parking lot of Dimmuborgir area (where volcanic rock formations were particularly interesting), we had a nice piece of carrot cake and good coffee.
Dinner at a hotel restaurant we passed by in the country side
The hotel was rather posh and the dining room was a bit more formal than all our other dining places. We started with an appetizer dish with smoked lamb, prosciutto, fruit, and vegetables, and then just hamburger and chicken sandwich from the "bar menu" since the other dishes were way too expensive. The chicken sandwich with flat bread was great but the hamburger was not very impressive.
At the parking lot of Dimmuborgir area (where volcanic rock formations were particularly interesting), we had a nice piece of carrot cake and good coffee.
Dinner at a hotel restaurant we passed by in the country side
The hotel was rather posh and the dining room was a bit more formal than all our other dining places. We started with an appetizer dish with smoked lamb, prosciutto, fruit, and vegetables, and then just hamburger and chicken sandwich from the "bar menu" since the other dishes were way too expensive. The chicken sandwich with flat bread was great but the hamburger was not very impressive.
Day 7
Lunch at the Tea Room
of Glaumbaer (a historic turf house complex)
This "tea room" building serves both as a historical exhibition and a real restaurant. There was only one dish on the menu and the dish of the day was “traditional” fish
soup with bread. The soup was very different from the fish soup we had by the
seaport previously and it was more filling because of the abundant vegetables
in the soup (and because refill was included in the price). The bread was very
very yummy.
Dinner at a hotel
restaurant we passed by in the country side
The hotel turned out to be rather high-end, sort of like a country club
setting in the states. The restaurant only served an expensive buffet that day
so we didn’t have a choice. The buffet was as usual very simple, with very few
dishes to select from. But it has an unusual selection of meat: Chicken, pork,
lamb, horse, and Minke whale. I just could not make myself try the latter two
choices…
Day 8
Lunch at a roadside hotel café on the Snaefellsnes peninsula
We again had fish soup with bread at a little inn by the road, after watching seals by the shore. The
soup had nothing but a few pieces of fish, different from the previous two
types we had. A cute collection of heart-shaped stones were displayed on the window sills by the tables.
Dinner at a no-name
restaurant in Anarstapi on the Snaefellsnes peninsula
We both had baked cod with light seasoning served on a bed of pine nuts
and Icelandic barley. It tasted so healthy and fresh!
After dinner, we drove on to the neighboring Hellnar and visited a tiny primitive coffee house right on the rocky shore for their famous cake.
Day 9
After dinner, we drove on to the neighboring Hellnar and visited a tiny primitive coffee house right on the rocky shore for their famous cake.
Day 9
Lunch at a gas station convenient store
We had the traditional
meat soup (the meat turned out to be lamb of course) with bread. The soup was
better than the one we had at a nice restaurant previously and it was really
filling. For the first time, I could not finish the soup even though it was my
whole lunch! Maybe because the bread was too good so I kept eating the bread.
Dinner at Sea Baron in Reykjavik
This was the place for fish kabobs! We ordered four types of fish: Salmon, Halibut, Red Fish, and Cod, and they were all so fresh and sweet. The dark ones on the shelf were minke whale. I heard that they have the best losbter soup but it was a good idea to save the appetite entirely for sampling different fish.
Day 10
Lunch at café Loki by the famous church in Reykjavik (Hallgrímskirkja)
I had meat soup again,
with lamb pate on bread. The soup was good, similar but not better than the
meat soup we had at the gas station the day before.
For dinner, we grabbed two
sandwiches from a gas station convenient store to bring on the plane back to
the states. And then we had roasted chicken and clam chowder at the Seattle airport. It was an unbelievable experience in Iceland, but it was also so nice to be back home in the states, especially with the realization that things come so much more easily and are relatively affordable here. Having seen the beautiful Iceland and the Icelandic way of life, I feel a need, more urgent than ever, to conserve resources, particularly in a country with abundant resources such as ours.
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