In July and August 2024, Jill and I journeyed through Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice. We spent two days in Reykjavik and then sailed around the island on a 7-day cruise aboard the Windstar Star Pride. Iceland, a bucket list cruise, was everything we had hoped for and more!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our adventure.
This story, part of a series, is about our foodie tour in Reykjavik.
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our adventure.
This story, part of a series, is about our foodie tour in Reykjavik.
Me and my Icelandic dog
Reykjavik, Iceland (July 31, 2024) “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”
This is, of course, one of the iconic lines from the movie Casablanca, uttered by Rick Blaine when Ilsa appeared in his cafe.
I felt like saying the same when our tour guide, shortly after she introduced herself, said, “Please follow me to our first stop, Fjallkonan. I think you’ll love it.”
With over 300 restaurants in Reykjavik, what were the chances our first stop—or ANY of the five stops on our food tour—would be THE restaurant where Jill and I had our first meal in Iceland, just a handful of hours ago?
Love it? We did earlier…and I was sure we would again.
This is, of course, one of the iconic lines from the movie Casablanca, uttered by Rick Blaine when Ilsa appeared in his cafe.
I felt like saying the same when our tour guide, shortly after she introduced herself, said, “Please follow me to our first stop, Fjallkonan. I think you’ll love it.”
With over 300 restaurants in Reykjavik, what were the chances our first stop—or ANY of the five stops on our food tour—would be THE restaurant where Jill and I had our first meal in Iceland, just a handful of hours ago?
Love it? We did earlier…and I was sure we would again.
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Discover Reykjavik’s foodie scene and sample delicious Icelandic cuisine on this walking tour. Visit a variety of Reykjavik eateries from restaurants to food trucks and sample a selection of traditional dishes and street food favorites including Icelandic cheeses, lamb, homemade ice cream, and the famous Icelandic hot dogs.
Viator.com
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This tour WAS a great adventure in eating—a wonderful (and delicious!) introduction to Icelandic cuisine, from mainstream fare to national delicacies, each flavorful dish prepared with high-quality and mostly locally-sourced ingredients.
Is your mouth watering? Well then, follow me!
Is your mouth watering? Well then, follow me!
“Hi! My name is Jenny, and I’ll be your guide for the next three hours on one of my favorite tours.”
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Jill and I met Jenny—a young lady with a BIG personality—and 12 fellow foodies at Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center, a slick looking building with a shimmering glass façade “inspired by the basalt landscape of Iceland.” I LOVED the modernist architect—the sharp angles, flat roofs, clean lines, and a section of the building that seemed to defy gravity! (Click on the pic for a closer look at Harpa.)
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“I go to college in New York City,” Jenny shared. “It’s an acting school, and my goal is to be a voice over actor.”
Ahh, I thought. Now I understand the big personality! Jenny, a native Icelander, was off for the summer, but within a month or so she would be back in NYC to continue her studies. |
“We have five stops on our tour, where you’ll have the opportunity to sample six to eight dishes, including a couple of local specialties,” Jenny said. “One thing I can assure you of—you won’t leave my tour hungry!”
She was right about that!
We followed Jenny across Geirsgata—Geirs Street, named for a 19th century merchant—to Strandgata and on to Fjallkonan, where we sampled two appetizers.
The hostess smiled at Jill and me when she seated us and said, “Welcome back! It’s nice to see you again.”
Yep, she was our hostess at lunch…and she remembered us. Nice!
She was right about that!
We followed Jenny across Geirsgata—Geirs Street, named for a 19th century merchant—to Strandgata and on to Fjallkonan, where we sampled two appetizers.
The hostess smiled at Jill and me when she seated us and said, “Welcome back! It’s nice to see you again.”
Yep, she was our hostess at lunch…and she remembered us. Nice!
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“The chef has prepared two starters for you,” Jenny began. “The first is lightly cured Arctic char served on a chickpea blini with an elderflower dressing. And the second is grilled lamb served with zucchini, pine nuts, and green chermoula.”
Our starters—small bites—were served on a black slate dish. And while there was nothing fancy or fussy about the presentation, the textures and flavors were out of this world! “I could make a meal with a few more of each,” I whispered to Jill. The beer, by the way, was Snorri Icelandic Ale, an herb and spice beer brewed in Reykjavik by Borg Brugghús. |
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“Are you ready for your entrée?” Jenny asked. “If so, follow me.”
No one stayed behind.
We strolled along Austurstræti (‘East Street’)—it was lined with stores, cafes, and restaurants—to Lækjargata (‘Stream Street,’ as there was once a stream that ran along the street).
“The restaurant we’re going to, Messinn, is just around the corner,” Jenny said as we walked.
No one stayed behind.
We strolled along Austurstræti (‘East Street’)—it was lined with stores, cafes, and restaurants—to Lækjargata (‘Stream Street,’ as there was once a stream that ran along the street).
“The restaurant we’re going to, Messinn, is just around the corner,” Jenny said as we walked.
Messinn, which opened its doors in 2016, is a seafood restaurant whose specialty is the fiskipönnur (‘fish pan’).
You probably wonder, as I did, what a fish pan is. From the restaurant’s website, fiskipönnur is “freshly cooked fish straight from the kitchen, along with butter-fried potatoes and melt-in-your-mouth vegetables—perfect for sharing.”
What’s not to like, right? Right!
As an aside, ‘messinn’ is the Icelandic word for “the food hall on ships that serves the sailors and fishermen.” This explained the restaurant’s décor, which, with its long tables and ornaments, resembled the interior of a ship.
Soon after we were seated, a waiter delivered the first of many fish pans—two pans for four people, eight pans for our group—and freshly baked bread. The fish included Arctic char, salmon, and cod cooked in an oil broth with seasonings and butter. It was sooo flavorful!
You probably wonder, as I did, what a fish pan is. From the restaurant’s website, fiskipönnur is “freshly cooked fish straight from the kitchen, along with butter-fried potatoes and melt-in-your-mouth vegetables—perfect for sharing.”
What’s not to like, right? Right!
As an aside, ‘messinn’ is the Icelandic word for “the food hall on ships that serves the sailors and fishermen.” This explained the restaurant’s décor, which, with its long tables and ornaments, resembled the interior of a ship.
Soon after we were seated, a waiter delivered the first of many fish pans—two pans for four people, eight pans for our group—and freshly baked bread. The fish included Arctic char, salmon, and cod cooked in an oil broth with seasonings and butter. It was sooo flavorful!
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By the way, that’s my plate on the right, filled with something of everything. Jenny was right—I wouldn’t leave her tour hungry!
We backtracked from Messinn to—of all places—a hot dog stand named Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, which translates to The City’s Best Hot Dog. This stand, opened in 1937, was one of four in Reykjavik.
‘City’s Best’ sounded like quite a boast until Jenny said, “These tiny red and white stands, popular with locals as well as tourists, sell one thousand hot dogs on a busy day. And here’s a fun fact: Bill Clinton bought a hot dog at this stand when he attended a UNICEF conference in August 2004.”
Imagine that! I thought.
“What makes these hot dogs special?” I asked.
“They are made primarily from Icelandic lamb—free range, grass fed, hormone free Icelandic lamb purchased exclusively from a meat co-op owned by farmers in southern and western Iceland.”
My mouth was watering!
Imagine that! I thought.
“What makes these hot dogs special?” I asked.
“They are made primarily from Icelandic lamb—free range, grass fed, hormone free Icelandic lamb purchased exclusively from a meat co-op owned by farmers in southern and western Iceland.”
My mouth was watering!
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“The signature hot dog—the one most Icelanders order—is known as einu með öllu," Jenny said. "It means, one with everything—raw onions, fried onions, ketchup, sweet brown mustard, regular mustard, and remoulade. But you can order yours with any condiments you’d like.”
I was game for everything but raw onions—suffice it to say, they don’t agree with me. For the record, I read that Clinton ordered his with regular mustard only. The casing was natural—that is, it was made from intestine—which was why my hot dog ‘popped’ when I bit into it. |
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It was delicious—better than any hot dog I’ve had in the States!
“I’m full,” Jill said.
“Buckle up, because we still have two stops to go,” I replied.
It was less than a quarter mile to Islenski Barinn—The Icelandic Bar. There I tasted a national dish—a true cultural experience—which required a leap of faith on my part, a belief I would not die from what I was about to eat.
“I’m full,” Jill said.
“Buckle up, because we still have two stops to go,” I replied.
It was less than a quarter mile to Islenski Barinn—The Icelandic Bar. There I tasted a national dish—a true cultural experience—which required a leap of faith on my part, a belief I would not die from what I was about to eat.
“I have a special treat for you, a dish called Hákarl. It is perhaps our most famous delicacy,” Jenny said with a smile. “It is made with sleeper shark cured with a particular fermentation process and hung to dry for four or five months.”
(Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain said it’s “the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasing thing” he’s ever eaten.)
“The fermentation process includes ammonia, so Hákarl has a strong ammonia-rich smell. It’s an acquired taste, and some people have been known to gag when they smell or taste it.”
(Celebrity chef and restauranteur Gordon Ramsay exclaimed “Bloody hell!” before he spat it out.)
“You’ll all get a cup of fish soup, so you don’t have to try the Hákarl if you don’t want to.”
Jill looked at me and I looked at her.
“You’re gonna do it, aren’t you?”
Jill knows me well, so I knew this was more a statement than a question. Still, I winked and replied, “You betcha!”
“Well then, so will I,” she said.
A handful of others from our group joined in.
“Traditionally, Hákarl goes hand in hand with a shot of Brennivín, considered to be Iceland’s signature distilled beverage,” Jenny said.
(The word Brennivín, I read, translated to ‘burning wine’—and at least one writer called it “the Black Death.” Clearly, a shot of Brennivín would not ease the taste of Hákarl!)
The shot wasn’t included in the price of our tour, but I thought, What the heck—when in Iceland, do as Icelanders do…so I popped for a shot of Brennivín for me and one for Jill.
Our waitress brought small containers of Hákarl—a handful of cubes in each container—and shots of Brennivin, which she placed in front of six brave souls.
(Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain said it’s “the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasing thing” he’s ever eaten.)
“The fermentation process includes ammonia, so Hákarl has a strong ammonia-rich smell. It’s an acquired taste, and some people have been known to gag when they smell or taste it.”
(Celebrity chef and restauranteur Gordon Ramsay exclaimed “Bloody hell!” before he spat it out.)
“You’ll all get a cup of fish soup, so you don’t have to try the Hákarl if you don’t want to.”
Jill looked at me and I looked at her.
“You’re gonna do it, aren’t you?”
Jill knows me well, so I knew this was more a statement than a question. Still, I winked and replied, “You betcha!”
“Well then, so will I,” she said.
A handful of others from our group joined in.
“Traditionally, Hákarl goes hand in hand with a shot of Brennivín, considered to be Iceland’s signature distilled beverage,” Jenny said.
(The word Brennivín, I read, translated to ‘burning wine’—and at least one writer called it “the Black Death.” Clearly, a shot of Brennivín would not ease the taste of Hákarl!)
The shot wasn’t included in the price of our tour, but I thought, What the heck—when in Iceland, do as Icelanders do…so I popped for a shot of Brennivín for me and one for Jill.
Our waitress brought small containers of Hákarl—a handful of cubes in each container—and shots of Brennivin, which she placed in front of six brave souls.
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And then Jenny gave us the fine points of eating Hákarl and drinking Brennivín.
“First, pick up a piece of Hákarl with a toothpick. I will then count to three, and on three put the Hákarl in your mouth and chew it...but don’t swallow. Say Skál—Cheers—and then toss back the shot of Brennivín. Swallow everything together.”
The six of us looked at one another, and then at Jenny.
“I know, it’s a lot to remember, but here we go. One, two, three.”
I did it—as did the others—but I must say I agreed with Bourdain and Ramsay. The Hákarl was disgusting and terrible and bloody awful, and the Brennivín may have made it worse. Blech!
“Anyone for seconds?” Jenny asked with a wry smile on her face.
This was a one-and-done tasting for me…and for everyone else.
“We have one more stop, and that is at Café Loki, a family owned and operated restaurant that specializes in classic Icelandic home style food. But don’t worry, we’re going there for dessert.”
“First, pick up a piece of Hákarl with a toothpick. I will then count to three, and on three put the Hákarl in your mouth and chew it...but don’t swallow. Say Skál—Cheers—and then toss back the shot of Brennivín. Swallow everything together.”
The six of us looked at one another, and then at Jenny.
“I know, it’s a lot to remember, but here we go. One, two, three.”
I did it—as did the others—but I must say I agreed with Bourdain and Ramsay. The Hákarl was disgusting and terrible and bloody awful, and the Brennivín may have made it worse. Blech!
“Anyone for seconds?” Jenny asked with a wry smile on her face.
This was a one-and-done tasting for me…and for everyone else.
“We have one more stop, and that is at Café Loki, a family owned and operated restaurant that specializes in classic Icelandic home style food. But don’t worry, we’re going there for dessert.”
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We reached Café Loki via Skólavörðustígur, a scenic street lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes…and a mouthful of a name if I ever heard one!
A portion of the street was painted in a rainbow of colors, making it visually appealing…and the perfect spot for this group photo. “The café was named for a god in Norse mythology—Loki—who was often described as a ‘trickster’ because he loved to prank his fellow gods and opponents,” Jenny said. “But don’t worry—the owners assured me there won’t be any pranks tonight." |
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“Many of the entrees include a slice or two of rúgbrauð—a dark, dense rye bread,” Jenny said after we were seated. “It’s made in-house, and everyone loves it.”
Loki made a unique ice cream from rúgbrauð, and this would be our dessert. Ice cream made with rye bread, I thought. Now that IS unusual. I didn’t learn Loki’s secret recipe, but from the internet I discovered that traditional Icelandic rye bread ice cream includes crumbled rye bread, vanilla ice cream, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt, and carraway seeds. Loki served this treat topped with cream and rhubarb syrup. It was refreshing…and unlike any ice cream I had ever tasted! |
I can remember my last great meal—it was two weeks ago, a surf and turf dinner on board the Crystal Serenity with Debra, my wife—but I cannot recall my last great feast. Now, I have a wonderful memory of a veritable feast, from mouth-watering appetizers to a unique and delicious dessert, that I am certain to carry with me for many years to come.
Loki was located a few minutes from Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church and one of the tallest buildings (244 feet) in Iceland. I saw it earlier this day on our tour Walk with a Viking, but it was closed to the public for a funeral. As we made our way to Loki, I noticed it had since opened.
“Jill, I’m going to have a look at the inside of the church. Care to join me?”
“Thanks…but I think I'll head back to the hotel.”
So, I went on my own.
“Jill, I’m going to have a look at the inside of the church. Care to join me?”
“Thanks…but I think I'll head back to the hotel.”
So, I went on my own.
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Lutheranism is the predominate faith in Iceland, and Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran parish church. Given its design—said to “resemble the trap rocks, mountains, and glaciers of Iceland’s landscape”—and height, it is one of the city’s most recognized landmark.
It took 41 years to build the church; construction started in 1945 and was completed in 1986. The interior was rather traditional, and as a Lutheran church, not nearly as ornate as Catholic cathedrals. But I loved the long vertical lines that reached from floor to ceiling, the German-built organ with nearly 5,300 pipes, and the cylindrical shape above the altar that “has been described as evoking a Viking war helmet. |
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I LOVE to visit churches when I travel, and so I was glad to be able to explore Hallgrímskirkja.
This was a loooooong day—a day that included red eye flights from the States and two tours. Needless to say, Jill and I were bushed, and so it wasn’t long after I got back to our room that we were sound asleep.
I look forward to sharing our second day in Reykjavik with you—our Golden Circle Tour—in my next story.
I look forward to sharing our second day in Reykjavik with you—our Golden Circle Tour—in my next story.