Icelandic gastronomy long suffered from a reputation for austerity — built on survival dishes like hákarl (fermented shark) or svið (boiled sheep's head) — but it has undergone a spectacular renaissance over the past two decades that now makes it one of the most creative food scenes in Northern Europe.
Fish and seafood are the obvious foundation. Icelandic salmon and cod are among the world's best — caught in the cold, pure waters of the North Atlantic, they have firm flesh and a remarkably delicate flavour. Marinated herring, haddock, halibut and monkfish round out an exceptional offering. The Icelandic langoustine (humarsúpa, langoustine soup), particularly that fished at Höfn in the south-east, is a must-try. Nordic prawns, scallops and mussels complete the menu of seafood available in every coastal town.
Icelandic lamb is legendary. Icelandic sheep — a hardy breed brought by the Vikings — graze freely all summer in the highlands, feeding on wild herbs, heather and mosses that give the meat a unique flavour. Kjötsúpa (lamb soup with root vegetables) is the national comfort dish, served in every rural bistro for €15-20. Hangikjöt (smoked lamb, traditionally cured over dried sheep dung) is served in thin slices, often cold with bechamel sauce and peas.
Icelandic rye bread (rúgbrauð), baked for 24 hours in geothermal heat buried near Geysir and other thermal zones, is dense, sweet and deeply aromatic. It traditionally accompanies fresh butter and smoked salmon. Skyr, an Icelandic dairy product of Viking origin (a thick, tangy fresh cheese, very high in protein), has become a global bestseller as yogurt — but it is in Iceland that you eat it at its most authentic, plain or with wild berries.
The Reykjavik food scene is impressive: Michelin-starred restaurants (Dill, the country's first star), contemporary Nordic tables (Matur og Drykkur, Grillmarkaðurinn, Snaps), high-quality street food (the famous pylsur — hot dogs at Bæjarins Beztu in the centre, one of the world's best according to Bill Clinton, who became their accidental brand ambassador). On the drinks side, Egils and Einstök are the local reference beers; brennivín (potato spirit flavoured with caraway, nicknamed 'black death') is the traditional digestif.
As for the radical, marginal dishes — hákarl (fermented shark with ammonia smell), svið (boiled sheep's head), súrmatur (ram testicles cured in whey) — they are now more folkloric than living, served mainly at the Þorrablót festival in February and in restaurants for tourists chasing thrills. Don't force yourself to try them: real contemporary Icelandic taste is elsewhere.
Read also
- Reykjavik and the Southwest — The capital, the Reykjanes peninsula and the Blue Lagoon: Iceland's urban and geothermal heart.
- The Golden Circle — Þingvellir (Viking parliament), Geysir and Gullfoss: the must-do day loop from Reykjavik.
- The South Coast — Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, Reynisfjara black-sand beach, Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon.
- The East Fjords — Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður and the wildest stretch of the Ring Road, between reindeer and whales.
- The North and Akureyri — Akureyri, Mývatn, Goðafoss waterfall and the whales of Húsavík: the volcanic, lake-strewn north.