Where to eat in Iceland, 18 good and cheap restaurants throughout the country [2026]

Lunch time typical Icelandic

The most typical thing to eat in Iceland is cod in all its forms, hearty soups, lamb and different types of homemade bread such as rye. 

They are not bad at the dairy issue either, like the famous skyr, a type of high-protein yogurt that we love and that some restaurants prepare at home and that is very common in supermarkets. 

Also have a lot of butter tradition, They use it a lot for cooking and always accompany soups with bread and butter.

If we talk about desserts, not counting the skyr which is the top 1, they are crazy waffles, creamy ice creams and pönnukökur (thin rolled crepes) with cream and creamy ice creams.

Beyond the traditional, a lot of international food is also consumed in Iceland, especially pizzas, hamburgers and sandwiches, which along with soups are usually the best options to eat cheap in Iceland without cooking.

Strange dishes from Icelandic cuisine

Some dishes that we did not try but that exist and could be considered typical, or rather, traditional, of Icelandic cuisine are: the puffin, the fermented shark «hakarl "(you can even find it in Bonus supermarkets) and la whale. There are 3 dishes that generate a lot of ethical discussion today, we prefer to see the puffins y Whales in the wild rather than on our plate.

It is also common consumption of reindeer and Icelandic horse, especially in hamburgers. 

One last interesting fact: at Christmas it is traditional to eat wild goose or ptarmigan, but its carYou can't buy them; you only eat them if you hunt the animal yourself or a close family member. Iceland still maintains quite Viking traditions. We personally haven't tried them because we didn't know any hunters.

Restaurants GOOD y «CHEAP» in Iceland

In all of them you can pay by card and it is not common to leave a tip.

Remember to use cards no commissions and a good exchange rate , the TradeRepublic (it's our favorite!)

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Next to each of the cheap restaurants where you can eat in Iceland, I specify the city or area where it's located. Street food stalls may be closed during the winter or due to weather conditions, so I recommend checking.car the schedules on Google Maps.

Svarta Kaffið (Reykjavík)

If you are looking for a typical Icelandic dish to eat, you can go to Svarta Kaffið in Reykjavik. They only have two options on their daily menu, two types of soups (one of carone and a vegetable) served inside a breadIt's not the cheapest in town, but we found it delicious and a great way to try a traditional dish at a decent price. The soup and beer combo costs 3800 ISK, about €26.

The place is cozy and has plenty of tables inside, but it's very popular so depending on the time it might take a while.car expect.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (Reykjavík)

Throughout Iceland you will find quite a few hot dog stands, but without a doubt Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur is the most famous stall Thanks to Bill Clinton, who ate there. Each hot dog costs 770 ISK, about €5. There are small tables nearby where you can eat it right there. We didn't find the flavor or size anything out of the ordinary, but as a snack to stave off hunger, it's not bad at all.

101 Reykjavik Street Food (Reykjavík)

In the heart of the city, this place offers different options for 2250isk, about €15,50, such as lobster bisque, chicken noodles, traditional Icelandic soup or fish stew. It also has hot drinks and desserts from 590isk, about €4.

The place has several tables inside and some outside, but it is quite popular so it is possible that you will not find a seat and you will have to order the food to go.

Reykjavik Fish (Reykjavik)

A perfect place to sit down and rest and warm up after spending several hours exploring the area. city. It is right in front of the port, about 15 minutes away. FlyOver IcelandAlthough it's not one of the cheapest restaurants on the list, it's more than reasonably priced for Reykjavik, but drinks are expensive, so take note of this tip: in any Icelandic restaurant, tap water is free and is considered one of the best in the world. 

Their specialty cannot be other than fish, They make a great Arctic char fish & chips. for 23€ and Arctic char and mussel soup for 18€. You can also try Plokkari (a traditional fish stew) accompanied by rye bread for 20,50€. Definitely a high quality place to eat in Iceland.

Restaurants where you can eat cheaply in Iceland: Chain of carNesti retera

In a country where urban centers are scarce and where the majority of tourists rent a car to travel around the country the restaurants of carThe retera are often the protagonists.

Nesti is one of them, you will find it in practically all the N1 gas stations so I had to add it to the list of cheap restaurants to eat in Iceland. It is a good place to sit down, rest and eat before continuing on your way, although you cannot expect the best quality.

The most common are burgers for 2450isk (16,80€) which includes drinks and chips or salad. They also have soups for around 16€, fried chicken and similar snacks.

Grill 66 (All of Iceland)

The concept is very similar to Nesti, Grill 66, is another of the cheap restaurants where to eat in Iceland that is found throughout the territory, usually in the Olís gas stations. But in this case they only have burgers. They have a very competitive price for Iceland between 1795isk and 2495isk, about 12,30€ – 17€. It does not include drinks, but You can even ask for free water at gas stations Did you know that it is one of the purest waters in the world?

You can see the menu and at the bottom of the page they also have the locations of all the Grill 66s.

Friðheimar (Golden Circle)

If you don't like tomatoes, skip this recommendation because Friðheimar is a restaurant inside a tomato greenhouse hydroponic. Here you can eat tomatoes in different ways. Their specialty and the most economical is tomato soup, for about 22€ you have unlimited soup buffet and different types of bread with local butter.

Surely on the buscar Where to eat in Iceland? You wouldn't expect a restaurant specializing in tomatoes. At Friðheimar, they take advantage of having almost endless geothermal energy to keep all their greenhouses warm. Without a doubt, one of the most unusual places we've seen to eat in Iceland.

Its popularity is growing every day, becoming a very popular place what to see in the Golden Circle, so if you want to eat there, book in advance on your website.

Samkomuhúsið (Snaefellsnes Peninsula)

This restaurant is located in Arnarstapi, a town on the incredible peninsula of Snaefellsnes. The place has a very authentic storage room with hanging Icelandic wool sweaters, paintings of different types, bottles, books... Beyond the curious decoration It is a very cozy place with traditional food, offers both main dishes and desserts or snacks.

At Samkomuhúsið you can try Homemade skyr or Icelandic crepes These sweet options are served with hot chocolate and cost around 1000 ISK (€6,90). Main courses, such as Icelandic lamb soup with homemade bread, cost 3300 ISK (€22,70). A more economical option is vegetable and pasta soup, which also has a gluten-free version.

Skool Beans (Vík)

If you arrive in Vík after visiting the incredible southern waterfalls If you want to relax with a warm drink, I recommend Skool Beans. This is one of the most interesting cafes to eat in Iceland. They roast their own beans and the place is a school bus. They have large coffees starting at €5,5 and you can get bagels, also starting at €6. Be aware that they usually close in winter; we couldn't warm up with one of their coffees.

The Soup Company (Vík)

If you are looking for where to eat soup in Iceland you will find dozens of options, but one of the best restaurants is The Soup Company. It is a family tradition and its slogan is “we simply love soups"With that name you can imagine that They know how to make good soups. All of them with seasonal ingredients and mostly Icelandic cuisine, which they also accompany with homemade bread and butter.

The star soup is the one of beef with tomato and legumes served inside a bread, it is the most carIt costs 3.190 ISK (€22), the rest are around €20. The best part? You can have seconds of everything! It includes a r We had soup, bread, and butter. We ended up feeling very full.

Here you can see his menu complete to know what seasonal soup they have and the price of everything.

Hafnarbuðin (Höfn)

The tiny Höfn is the last town with services before entering the east fjordsIf you spend the night there or are passing through at lunch time I recommend Hafnarbuðin. They have been serving burgers since 1950isk, but the stars are the Fish & Chips of very fresh cod and lobster tail sandwich, both local products from Höfn and delicious. The price per dish is about €20, a very good value for money for Iceland.

Besides being the best restaurant to eat at in Iceland in this whole region, it's also a good place to have breakfast with sandwiches and toast at a good price.

Askur pizzeria (Egilsstaðir)

Askur makes delicious pizzas in a fire oven and also has 9 varieties of craft beers that they make themselves in the back of the restaurant (you can see it from the bar). For us, this is one of the best restaurants to eat pizza in Iceland. Prices range from 3000 to 3650isk (20-25€) ​​and the pizzas are large.

I have worked there for a few days and if you want to sign up my favorites are number 14 and 15. You can also order from their website pizzas to take away and eat at your hotel or campsite.

Fish & Chips Húsavík (Húsavík)

This small town is very touristy and there are not too many cheap restaurants, but I wanted to leave a recommended restaurant because Húsavik is a charming town. It is considered the capital whale watching, which should be a mandatory stop on your route through northern Iceland.

The cheapest option in the village is the Fish&Chips restaurant where they only serve fried cod with chips in very large portions for 3000isk, about 20,50€. One of the best things is that it is right on the port and From the terrace there are spectacular views of the entire fjord.The interior part with a nautical feel is also cozy and has a good window overlooking the views.

In Akureyri you can also find another restaurant of this chain.

Heimabakari Konditori (Húsavík)

This is a bakery in Húsavik with plenty of tables and WiFi, which can be great for warming up and relaxing after a whale watching tour.

If you are looking for where to eat some local sweets in Iceland this is your place, it has a lot Homemade pastries between 380isk (2,60€) and 500isk (3,60€)Cinnamon rolls have a reputation for being very tasty.

Gisli Eirikur Helgi Kaffihûs Bakkabrædra (Dalvik)

Un traditional restaurant where there areWith decor that transports you back several decades, they only have one option on their menu: the soup of the day (usually fish soup, and you can have seconds if you're still hungry), along with a buffet of various types of homemade bread and butter. Water, tea, or filtered coffee are also included. The price is 2390 ISK, about €16,50.

We visited it after whale watching in Hauganes, here you can read our experience. The soup of the day is almost always cod with vegetables and a touch of curry!Its wonderful! And such a warm place and a good soup feel luxurious in the Icelandic cold.

Pylsuvagninn á Akureyri (Akureyri)

A very popular dog stand in Akureyri with Prices from 600isk (4€), also has vegetarian and vegan options. We can definitely consider it one of the cheapest restaurants in Iceland.

His most popular dog is volcanic dog, served on black bread and with a spicy version that includes battered jalapenos. This costs 800isk which is €5,5 in exchange.

Next to the stall they place tables and chairs so you can eat it in peace if the weather lets you.

Kurdish Kebab (Akureyri)

We finish the list of cheap restaurants in Iceland with a place specializing in shawarmas with space to sit inside. The portions are large and Prices start from 2000isk (13,70€)There are also other options such as hummus, salads or burgers. Many locals recommended it to us so we couldn't miss a dinner here on our last visit to Akureyri. The shawarma did not disappoint us either in taste or size, the fame is well deserved. One last great cheap option for eating in Iceland.

Map with restaurants where to eat in Iceland

I hope that with these recommendations of restaurants where to eat in Iceland we have made it a little easier for you to organize your route through the country. Go ahead and try some of the most typical dishes of its gastronomy and find good restaurants without breaking the bank! 

If you have any questions you can join the group of WhatsApp and together we will try to help. If you would like to know more about our experience living in Iceland you can read our other articles or see our featured stories on Instagram.

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