The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Iceland is its dramatic, natural landscapes complete with cascading waterfalls, rugged mountains, stunning glaciers, idyllic beaches, and even looking up to catch a beautiful display by Mother Nature with the shimmering dancing lights of an aurora.
While it’s easy to think of things to do, it can be hard thinking of traditional Icelandic foods and what to eat while traveling on the island.
Think simple when it comes to dining in Iceland as their remote location means they have to use what’s around them – so plenty of seafood-based dishes! Icelanders are clever and creative with what they’ve got, relying on old cooking and preserving techniques from the past and adding new flavor profiles to standard dishes.
If you’re planning a getaway there and want to prepare your palate, here are our picks for what to eat in Iceland!
Best things to eat in Iceland
1. Fermented shark (Hákarl)
So chances are you won’t see locals eating this traditional Icelandic dish, but you’ll probably hear them share stories of how their relatives grew up with it. It’s still served, mostly for tradition’s sake and to appeal to foodie tourists who want to check it off their dining bucket list.
This dish is comprised of fermented shark meat that’s been hung outside to dry for a few months. It’s served bite-sized, little cubes with toothpicks, and most end up plugging their nose while trying it due to the powerful ammonia smell. The smell is stronger than the taste, but most locals will wash the taste away with a sip of brennivín, an Icelandic schnapps.
2. Skyr
Start your morning off right with Skyr! Similar to Greek yogurt, but thicker (think yogurt meets cottage cheese), this traditional food in Iceland is served with berry jam, fresh fruit, or milk or cream. It’s a cultured dairy product so it packs some health benefits – maybe to counteract some of the heavier dishes you’ll be dining on. I loved it so much that I actually started buying skyr back home in Denver!
3. Icelandic hot dogs
I tend to think of hot dogs as an American food (not counting sausages and brats), but Icelanders have quite the fascination for consuming hot dogs. Theirs differ from what I know as they’re a blend of meats: pork, lamb, and beef. It’s popular to order your hot dog in Reykjavik with “the works,” meaning covered in onions, both fried and raw, ketchup, mustard, and a remoulade.
The best place for a hot dog in Reykjavik is the Baejarins Beztu Pylsur and with a price tag of around $3 USD, it’s a steal for so much food in the otherwise expensive city. The crunchy onions mixed with the meat was honestly the best part. I was so tempted to go get one for breakfast on the day we had to leave Reykjavik.
4. Arctic char
This fish looks just like our salmon but slimmer and has a lot more flavor! With its crispy, flaky skin and decadent flavor (it tasted more like trout than salmon), it was hard not to order this every time we went out – and normally I don’t order salmon at restaurants when I can just make it at home. We enjoyed this on our food tour and loved the veggies that came with it. Definitely try the char when in Iceland!
Three for one! Arctic char, plokkfiskur, and rye bread!
5. Plokkfiskur
Another dish we tried on our food tour which our guide called “fish mash” in English. It’s like a stew meets a falling apart meatloaf. It has basic ingredients like white fish, potatoes, onion, flour, butter, and salt and pepper. Some recipes incorporate other ingredients like bay leaves or chives, but either way it’s a unique dinner dish. Rye bread was served as a side for this meal, topped with creamy butter. Our guide told us this was the food he grew up on and it was easy to see how this could be a staple for easy family dinners.
6. Tomatoes
Yeah, a little random but there’s a certain farm on Iceland’s Golden Circle that is well-known for its tomatoes. Friðheimar is a geothermal greenhouse that produces 370 tons of tomatoes annually and offers tours of the farm, tastings, and has its own on-site restaurant serving a fun variety of tomato-based drinks and dishes – even tomato ice cream.
7. Lamb soup
You can’t go to Iceland without eating lamb seeing as their lambs are free-range and eat natural plants and berries and drink delicious Iceland spring water. You’ll easily find lamb served a variety of ways in restaurants, but if you want to go classic get it in a stew with potatoes and other root vegetables. It’s hearty, hot, and filling!
8. Horse
I know, but hear me out. Icelanders treat horses how we treat cows, some are simply raised for meat. One of our drivers was telling us about having friends over for a grill out with burgers and people were raving about how good the burgers were until he told them they were horse. He said that anything you can do with beef you can do with horse.
We did try it. It was served similar to jerky and they were right, it was very similar to beef. Obviously I’m not going to tell you to eat if your ethics say otherwise, but horse is a part of the Icelandic diet and culture.
9. Rye bread
Served with many meals, this bread is a staple of the cuisine on Iceland. Put fresh, creamy butter on top, use it to sop up your lamb stew, top it with smoked salmon and cream cheese, or even have it in ice cream – don’t knock it till you try it! The bread is dense, sweet, and a dark brown color. This bread is traditionally cooked underground near a hot spring or you can steam it in a pot if you don’t have access to a hot spring.
10. Icelandic ice cream
Apparently ice cream is a big deal to Icelanders as there are ice cream shops everywhere and open year-round. Who doesn’t want a cool treat when it’s only 30 degrees out? We tried an ice cream with bits of rye bread blended into it with a caramel sauce on top. It tasted similar to cookies and cream ice cream and was the perfect dessert. Even if it’s cold out, be sure to try some ice cream while eating your way through Iceland!
Did we miss anything? Tell us what your favorite thing to eat in Iceland was in our comments or on Twitter!
