Morning Food Tour in Reykjavik – Brand NEW!

What to eat for breakfast in Reykjavik? When does everything open in Iceland and if you are having an early arrival – How should you spend your early morning in Reykjavik before you get to check in at your accommodation? All of these are legit questions and I have great news for you!

What to eat for breakfast in Reykjavik? When does everything open in Iceland and if you are having an early arrival – How should you spend your early morning in Reykjavik before you get to check in at your accommodation?

All of these are legit questions and I have great news for you!

We have been operating our delicious Reykjavik Food Walk tour for almost two years now with great success as we always aim to show our guests from around the world the very best of our beautiful hometown and our local foodie scene. However, until now all of our tours have been starting at around noon.

But starting from next week we will be beginning to offer our awesome tours also in the MORNINGS! Yup, it is a brand new MORNING Reykjavik Food Walk tour! We have got tons and tons of requests for exactly this for the past year and after having hosted hundreds of Food tours in Reykjavik we have learned that a big percentage of our guests actually arrive in Iceland early in the morning and have nothing to do, while they simply wait to check in at their accommodation.

WHY JOIN OUR REYKJAVIK FOOD WALK MORNING TOUR?

Instead of wandering around the streets of Reykjavik like a zombie in the morning – Or snoring in the lobby of your hotel – Why not make the absolute most out of your time in Iceland and turn these few “dead hours” into the most memorable part of your trip?

Before noon you could see the absolute best face of Reykjavik, have a fun new local friend tell you everything about the city and give you great local recommendations, get your bearings in down town Reykjavik and last but definitely not least – Visit amazing Icelandic restaurant and enjoy the best of our local cuisine!

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR EARLY MORNING REYKJAVIK FOOD TOUR?

You will meet up with an amazing local foodie guide and get to know a small group of other fun travellers. From your meeting location you will take off for a culinary journey around Reykjavik. It is one thing to just wander around a city but with a knowledgable Icelandic guide you will experience Reykjavik like a local, hear fun stories and get local recommendations for everything you need for your stay. Most importantly, you will eat like a local!

You will most definitely walk all around down town Reykjavik, see most of our most famous landmarks, enjoy our beautiful street art and get to experience first hand all the best of our wonderful Icelandic food.

In the morning food walk we stop at 5 unique restaurants, shops and food trucks as you will enjoy over 10 brilliant Icelandic tasting that you will definitely not find in your average tour book. Our morning food walk tour is very similar to our mid-day Reykjavik Food Walks and the only difference is that in our morning tour we focus a little more on what Icelanders eat at this time of the day, for breakfast / lunch etc. !

WHAT DO WE EAT ON OUR MORNING REYKJAVIK FOOD TOUR?

So, I really don’t want to give too much away as I always feel like it’s a big part of the experience to be lead between amazing restaurants and be surprised at each stop! But here is what I can tell you …

In our Morning Reykjavik Food tour you will have an Icelandic breakfast … like my grandmother would prepare it! You will get to taste the best of our Icelandic dairy in any form (it is such a huge part of our cuisine) so that will be some kind of butter, cheese, cream and ice cream!

You will taste seasonal Icelandic meats and a tour of the Icelandic cuisine simply cannot be completed without a stop at the famous Icelandic hot dog stand. It is simply a must! And lastly, we will end it up with some delicious seafood. Normally we try to do that in the form of a soup as that is very traditional for us … And so delicious!

Like mentioned above, the tour consists of stops at 5 restaurants and about 12 different tastings of Icelandic food. Good times and a full belly are guaranteed! 😀

I am SUPER excited for our delicious morning Reykjavik Food Walk to begin as I am confident that it will be a huge hit! The lineup of restaurants is great and I think it is the perfect way to make the most out of your morning in Reykjavik.

The idea is to offer our morning food tour in the summer, from April – September, or as long as we can before it will begin to be dark in the mornings.

If you are interested to join the fun, you can find ALL the information for our tours and secure your spot right here on our Reykjavik Food Walk homepage.

And if there is anything I might help you with, please shoot us a line in the comments below and I will personally get back to you asap!

Breakfast in Reykjavik: Best restaurants for early eats!

What are the best restaurants in Reykjavik? And what restaurants are the best for an early breakfast? Here is my local guide to the best restaurants and cafés in Reykjavik that are perfect for delicious breakfast!

What are the best restaurants in Reykjavik? And what restaurants are the best for an early breakfast? Here is my local guide to the best restaurants and cafés in Reykjavik that are perfect for delicious breakfast!

First things first ... 

Of course I will have to being this blog of my best breakfast recommendations with my #1 best recommendation for breakfast! This April we began to host for the first time our brand new "morning version" of our Reykjavik Food Walk!

Turn your most quiet time of the day into the highlight of your trip. Beginning at 10am and you will explore all the best of Reykjavik, meet new friend, visit 5-6 amazing local restaurants and enjoy the best of the Icelandic cuisine!  

You can find more information on our tours and secure your spot here!

BEST RESTAURANTS FOR BREAKFAST IN REYKJAVIK:


Please note that the restaurants are in no particular order!

For any serious foodie: Brauð & co. should definitely be a culinary desitnation in your trip to Iceland. And that is why I'll begin my list with this dangerously delicious bakery!

Bread & co. is a recently opened bakery that has taken Reykjavik by storm. All you need to know is that they open very early ... and they close when they are out of bread. On the menu you will find tons of bread (obviously) but their signature is sour dough bread and amazingly fresh pastries.

My personal favourite are their Danish cinnamon rolls!

Look for a super colourful building as the house if completely covered in graffiti. The location is Frakkastígur 16, right in the heart of Reykjavik - On a small side street from Laugavegur main shopping street.

For our next restaurant we will visit to the old harbour in Reykjavik ...

Kaffivagninn (the coffee wagon in English) is a super local restaurant that has been around since 1935 - feeding Icelandic fishermen and hungry people in general!

The location is perfect as the restaurant is lying right on the harbour and the interior is simple and beautiful. Kaffivagninn has a good selection of pastries, sandwiches and soups but my recommendations would always be their fresh fish.

Kaffivagninn opens at 7.30 on weekdays (9.30 on weekends) and the address is Grandagarður 10.

In the absolute heart of down town Reykjavik you will find this great restaurant.

Bergson Mathús is a light cuisine restaurant, focusing on great home baked bread, sandwiches and healthy cuisines. There is a good selection of breakfast / brunch plates and they are very vegetarian / vegan friendly.

Bergson opens at Templarasund 3 (right between the Reykjavik pond and the Parliament of Iceland) and they open every single morning at 7am!

Cakes at Júlía Júlía, photo by Reykjavik.com

So, just to get it out of the way right in the beginning ... maybe this restaurant isn't exactly perfect for breakfast as they don't open until 10am. But I simply had to include this in my list of best recommended restaurants!

Júlía Júlía is a brand new and SUPER exciting café / bakery / bar ... mix! It's in a really beautiful and historical building that used to house our National Library not too many years ago and the restaurant itself is really photogenic as well.

The owners are two brilliant young business women (both named Júlía!) and their concept is to mix a fantastic bakery where everything is freshly baked in house and a bar with a good selection of wine and bubbly! How delicious does that sound?

Even though they don't open until 10am - I really, really recommend a visit to see the beautiful building at Hverfisgata 15 and enjoy the amazing pastries!

PS. Visit Júlía Júlía in our foodie tour as it's the first stop in our delicious morning food tour! 

Grai Kotturinn. Photo byr Half Girl on Flickr.

Grái Köturinn (the Grey Cat in English) is another cosy little restaurant in down town Reykjavik. The interior is exceptionally simple but interesting and will make you feel like you went 30 years back in time!

the Grey Cat is strictly a breakfast + brunch restaurant as they open 7.30 (8.30 on weekends) and close at 3pm every day. Their menu is also very simple but a classic. Mostly consisting of different egg, bacon and pancake platters!

Not a bad deal after a fun night out in Reykjavik right?

You will find Grái Köturinn, almost hidden in the ground at Hverfisgata 16a.

Sandholt bakery has for a long time been one of the most popular breakfast venues in Reykjavik. It is a fancy looking bakery that has been running for over 5 generations of bakers and serves still today, a large selection of freshly made sandwiches, pastries, chocolates and drinks!

You will find Sandholt right in the middle of our main shopping street Laugavegur in a big white building and their exact address is Laugavegur 36. 

And Sandholt is a true breakfast restaurant as they open their doors at 6.30 every day of the week although they stay open until 9pm!

​Another big hit in Reykjavik! Laundromat Café has been forever popular since 2011 when they opened up at Austurstræti 9 in down town Reykjavik.

The whole concept is that you should be able to eat, read, drink and browse the internet ... all while you do your laundry in the basement! ... Yup, it's a real laundromat. 

Their menu is large, a lot more complex than most of the restaurants above on this list. And it consists of meat and seafood, cakes, milkshakes, coffee and a selection of beers.

And yes, Laundromat has over 6000 books that you can choose from AND a selection of board games if you are not in a hurry! 

Laundromat is open from 8am and 9am on weekends.

Alrighty!
I really, really hope that my top 8 breakfast recommendations in Reykjavik have solved your big "What to eat for breakfast in Reykjavik" mystery!

There are SO many restaurants in Reykjavik that I am absolutely sure that you will find something delicious to dine, wether it will be a cosy restaurant or our Reykjavik Food walk. And lastly, if you have any questions for me or the foodie team feel free to get in touch but other than that, I hope found my blog helpful and I wish you HAPPY EATING!

Delicious Icelandic Licorise Tops: Recipe

Licorice tops are very sweet and delicious licorice treats – eaten and loved by ALL Icelanders! In Icelandic this treat is called “Lakkrís Toppar”. They are most commonly enjoyed in the Christmas season in Iceland, but most definitely also enjoyed from time to time throughout the year on special occasions. Do you want to try these peaces of heaven too? Then try out this very easy to follow recipe …!

1). Start with preheating the oven to 150 degrees celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit).

2). Whip the egg whites and brown sugar on an electric hand mixer. Do this for at least 10 minutes, so the mass is completely stiff.

4). Add the chocolate and small licorice pieces in the egg white mixture. Remember to turn the chocolate pieces in the egg mixture, since stirring the chocolate in, can damage the final layout.

5). Prepare a baking sheet on a baking tray.

6). Use a teaspoon to place the licorice top mixture on the baking tray.

7). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes.

HAPPY baking and “Gjörðu svo vel” as the Icelandic saying goes (meaning ENJOY….)!

I hope you enjoy the baking and last but not least eating these peaces of heaven! Please do not hesitate to write me a comment below if you need any tips, help and/or inspiration with baking &/cooking Icelandic foods.

HEY there fellow food-lover! My biggest passion in life is FOOD! I am a health nutritionist from Copenhagen and I recently moved from Denmark to Iceland. Even though I´m educated within this healthy field, it does not mean that I live on only carrots and water! Health is so much more and when it  comes to my life philosophy regarding my food intakes – I feel it is way more important to eat foods with a balance and variety, rather than restricting myself from certain foods. There will definitely always be room for baking goods and tasty cakes, such as lakkrís toppar …!

Icelandic licorice: Strong candy for strong people

Icelandic licorice is so delicious and we in Iceland tend to have a licorice fetisch since we add licorice in any thinkable food! This blog will highlight our big passion for licorice and enlighten you with FUN insights on typical Icelandic licorice.

Icelandic licorice is so delicious and we in Iceland tend to have a licorice fetisch since we add licorice in any thinkable food! This blog will highlight our big passion for licorice and enlighten you with FUN insights on typical Icelandic licorice.

Licorice is made from the licorice root – in greek called “Glyccyrhiza glabra”. The historical use of licorice root has been known for its health benefits, such as helping and soothing stomach problems, cleansing the respiratory system and reducing stress.

It is however important to mention that these benefits have not been proven by medical research, although the medicinal benefits and overall holistic use of licorice root are becoming more accepted in the medicinal sector.

The consistency of licorice can both be deliciously chewy, hard and soft. Also the flavor of licorice can vary from anything within the salty to sweet spectra. The salty licorice taste can be a tad to the strong side – but since kids in Iceland grow up learning to love this licorice taste, it is just as the title of this blog implies – a strong candy taste for a strong nationality …!

It is safe to say that we LOVE eating licorice in Iceland! It is almost like a twisted candy obsession since it is added in almost any thinkable food here! For instance butter, liquor, caramel, marzipan, ice cream, almonds, salt … You name it and Iceland´s got it!

Travelers from abroad might think we have a strange licorice fetisch here in Iceland, since licorice is not something that pleases everyone´s taste. I do nevertheless recommend you trying it out while traveling in Iceland – as licorice truly is a typical and delicious Icelandic food!

FUN VIDEO OF GUY TRYING ICELANDIC LICORICE …FOR THE FIRST TIME!

Sorry, we just think it is really funny how travelers from abroad, at times simply can not stand the taste of licorice! It is very hard for Icelanders to apprehend, as we could stuff ourselves with Licorice 24/7 and would NEVER consider Licorice to be unappetising.

I hope you thought the video above was fun and I hope it has not frightened you from trying out some of the most delicious and typical Icelandic candies based on licorice? We enjoy eating licorice, specially together with chocolate! Mmm… there are so many good and different licorice and chocolate varieties! Some of the candies introduced in the video above might have been some of the “strong” Icelandic licorice kinds. I will therefore do my very best to give you my top 5 list of favorite licorice sweets … Trust me they are all very tasty!

#1. My favorite licorice chocolate bar is `Draumur´ – which in Icelandic means “dream”. The taste is simply that DREAMY! It is a long licorice bar covered in light chocolate. This little peace of heaven normally lives and will haunt you every time you go to an Icelandic Supermarket. Quite frequently, I can simply not resist grabbing for a Draumur, while waiting for the casher to check on my groceries … AND volia, Draumur has “accidently” landed along all my other groceries …!

#2. The candy – `Djúpur´, comes in a very close run with the above mentioned `Draumur´ in winning my attention on licorice chocholate based candy! Here the licorice is covered in milk chocolate and white frosting. Djúpur is also SO delicious and since they are so small, you can easily eat many! Before you know it – you might have ripped the entire bag!

#3. þristur (pronounce it like Thristur) is a very delicious chocolate covered bar with bits of Icelandic licorice inside! It is a very typical and enjoyed Icelandic candy bar.

#4. Lakkrísreimar is definitely also a licorice candy enjoyed and eaten by all Icelanders. Translating the name literally means “licorice shoelaces” and resembles the looks of the long licorice strips. Normally, one says “do not play with your food”! In this particular case, one may and should always play with these tasty licorice strips as it so FUN being creative with them! For instance by braiding different pieces together or by competing with your friend in who can eat a licorice strip the fastest without using the hands!

#5. Lakkrís Toppar are very sweet and delicious licorice treats – eaten and loved by ALL Icelanders! Translating directly the name of this amazing licorice sweet means “licorice tops”. Lakkrís Toppar are most commonly enjoyed in the Christmas season in Iceland, but most definitely also enjoyed from time to time throughout the year on special occasions. Do you want to try these peaces of heaven too? Then try out this very easy to follow recipe here!

Mmm …! Licorice tops created by @heartfullyhanna

This is the end of my blog and I hope you found it interesting! Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions or comments on anything about Icelandic licorice.

TOP 10 strange Icelandic foods: Do you dare to eat this?

Have you heard the rumours about strange or weird foods in Iceland? Some are delicious and eatable but others are just very … interesting! For an example, where else will you have the chance of eating the private parts of a lamb? – And this is actually a considered to be a normal dish eaten here in Iceland!  In this blog I will do my very best to enlighten you on Iceland's most strange foods and drinks.

To begin with, when we look at Icelandic history through these strange foods – two things should definitely be mentioned.

Firstly, Icelanders have always had to ferment, cure, smoke, pickle and dry their foods to preserve it long enough. Simply to survive the winters!

Secondly, due to Iceland´s isolated and geographical location in the North Atlantic Ocean, the ability of buying varieties of foods has always been very limited or did not exist at all. Because of this, the Icelanders have a long history of eating mainly lamb and fish. And they made great use of what they had, meaning they used absolutely everything on the animals. Good riddance!

These two cultural and historical factors have led to some of the following top 10 strange foods in Iceland …

Hello friend! My name is Dan. I'm an Icelandic local foodie and I'm here to ensure that you experience Iceland in the most fun way possible.
In 2014, I created the Reykjavik Food Walk - a 3hr foodie walking tour that takes place in downtown Reykjavik everyday!
Now let's face it ... No one likes doing touristy things when they travel - they want authentic local experiences and that's what our food tour is all about. On our delicious foodie adventure, you'll explore Reykjavik and learn about the fascinating Icelandic culture (perfect first day activity) while visiting some of the best local restaurants and hidden gems to enjoy delicious Icelandic food. 
I hope to see you on our tour here in Reykjavik!

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