Should you book a Reykjavík food tour for your upcoming Iceland vacation? When my husband, Solomon, and I were planning our honeymoon trip to Iceland, he suggested doing a food tour on the first night of our itinerary. I’m so glad he did because it ended up being an incredibly fun and informative way to start our vacation! In this Iceland food tour review, I’ll detail our experience and everything you need to know before scheduling one.
Should You Book a Reykjavík Food Tour?
What to Expect
As Solomon and I researched things to do in Reykjavík, food tours quickly emerged as a popular option. We decided to book one through Wake Up Reykjavík for our first evening in Iceland. Tours start at 17,900 ISK (around $148) per person and last about three hours. We scheduled ours for 5pm, which was perfect timing since we normally eat dinner back home around 6-7pm.
There were 14 people total on our food tour, which is Wake Up Reykjavík’s max group size. It felt like an appropriate amount so that we weren’t walking around the city in a massive group. After meeting up with our guide, Bryn (a native Icelander), we set off on the tour. We had five scheduled stops—though we had to skip one, more on that later—and ended up walking a little over a mile.
Stop #1 – Fjallkonan
Our first stop was Fjallkonan, a chic eatery located on Ingólfstorg Square in the heart of downtown. I loved the cozy, intimate vibes here, and Bryn had some fun facts to share about the history of the restaurant’s building as well. At Fjallkonan, we tried two dishes: cured Arctic char on a chickpea blini with Arctic char eggs and yuzu mayo, and Icelandic slow-cooked lamb on flatkaka (traditional flatbread) with carrot puree and horseradish. Solomon and I thought both were delicious!
Stop #2 – Messinn
After the small bites at Fjallkonan, we headed over to Messinn. This spot is known for its seafood, which did not disappoint. We tried another dish featuring Arctic char, this time baked in honey, butter, and lemon, with cherry tomatoes and almonds.
We also sampled plokkfiskur, which consists of cod and potatoes in Béarnaise sauce. This meal was a top highlight of the food tour for me. Bryn explained that plokkfiskur is a popular comfort food in Iceland, and I can definitely see why.
Stop #3 – Íslenski Barinn
The third stop on our Reykjavík food tour was Íslenski Barinn, a laid-back bar and restaurant with familiar Icelandic favorites. Here, we had bowls of traditional Icelandic lamb soup with either a “beer of the moment” (Viking Gylltur) or Appelsín, an orange-flavored soda.
Bryn also gave us the option to sample a piece of fermented shark (Iceland’s national dish) chased with a shot of Brennivín. Solomon and I had heard horror stories of how awful the shark and liquor combo tasted, so we, of course, had to find out for ourselves. While it wasn’t good by any means, it wasn’t as bad as we were expecting, and I’m grateful we had the opportunity to try it.
Stop #4 – Café Loki
Café Loki was the final stop of our food tour, and one of my favorites. We were served cups of rye bread ice cream topped with whipped cream and caramelized rhubarb syrup. It sounds like an odd combination, but it was insanely good. I wish we had rye bread ice cream here in the States! Bryn entertained us with some local tidbits and folklore stories while we enjoyed our sweet treats.
Honorary Stop #5 – Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
Technically, we were supposed to make five stops on the Reykjavík food tour, but the line at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur ended up being a bit too long on the day of. Instead, we received vouchers to come back for a free hot dog. This worked out perfectly for me and Solomon because we swung by the next day for lunch before hitting the road for Akureyri.
Iceland is famous for its hot dogs, which are typically made with lamb and served with ketchup, mustard, remoulade, and both deep-fried and raw onions. They’re quite different from American-style hot dogs, but I actually ended up preferring the Icelandic version. Solomon and I loved them so much that we recreated the hot dogs later in our trip when we stayed at an Airbnb that had a grill available!
Overall, Solomon and I had a fantastic experience on our Reykjavík food tour. We gained a lot of knowledge about Icelandic cuisine and customs that we used throughout the rest of our trip, and sampled some delicious foods along the way. A few folks in our tour group even had dietary restrictions, but were still able to enjoy something at each place we visited. Bryn was an excellent tour guide, keeping everyone engaged and interested, answering questions, and providing local recommendations.
You must be open to trying new things to make the most of your food tour. It isn’t a cheap activity, but I think it’s well worth it if you’re an adventurous eater. Solomon and I left with full bellies since we tasted everything that was offered. Also, make sure to wear comfortable shoes since you’ll be doing a fair amount of walking (which also helps prevent you from feeling uncomfortably stuffed).
I highly recommend scheduling an Iceland food tour if you have time on your trip!
Check out my other Iceland travel guides:
Top 7 Snæfellsnes Peninsula Things to Do | 1-Day Snæfellsnes Peninsula Itinerary
Wandering the Gap 
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