The best places to eat on Iceland’s Ring Road blend fresh seafood, lamb soup, geothermal-baked bread, and farm-to-table cooking, with a standout local meal on every leg of the loop. Read on to find out where to stop and what to order at each hub around the country.
Self-drive tours of the Ring Road are the classic way to see Iceland, and the food along Route 1 has caught up with the scenery. Farm-to-table cafes, small fine-dining rooms, and revived traditional cooking have spread to towns far from the capital. You’ll have plenty of choices to enjoy the food in Iceland even on the road.
Each region has its own strength. Reykjavik holds the widest range of restaurants in Iceland, the South Coast has soup stops between waterfalls, Hofn built its name on langoustine, and North Iceland now rivals the capital for fine dining.
This guide follows the loop counterclockwise from Reykjavik, with the most useful stop in each hub, what to order, and where to find cheaper meals at supermarkets like Kronan between towns. Keep reading to plan your food stops on your road trips in Iceland.
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Key Takeaways About Eating on the Ring Road
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Reykjavik has the widest range of restaurants in Iceland.
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Hofn in Southeast Iceland is the country’s langoustine capital, with restaurants near the harbor built around the local catch.
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Akureyri is North Iceland’s food hub and the best place for a night out outside the capital.
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Small towns like Vik and Kirkjubaejarklaustur have only a few restaurants, so booking ahead in summer is essential.
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Supermarkets like Kronan, located along the route, are the cheapest way to eat between hubs.
Map of the Best Places to Eat on the Ring Road
Use this map to find the restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and local food stops featured in this guide. The pins are organized by region, so you can plan meals around each leg of your Ring Road journey. Below, we explore each part of the route in more detail.
Reykjavik: Iceland’s Biggest Food Scene
Reykjavik sits at the start and end of the Ring Road and has the widest choice of restaurants in Iceland, with options within a walk of the downtown area around Laugavegur Street and the Old Harbor. It is the easiest place on the loop to find fine dining, international food, and a late meal.
For a special dinner, the city has two of Iceland’s three Michelin-starred restaurants, Dill and OX, both serving Icelandic tasting menus. For a more central sit-down meal, the Fish Market is known for Icelandic seafood with a Japanese touch, and we recommend booking a table for the Fish Market in advance.
On a tighter budget, the food halls at Hlemmur and Grandi gather many kitchens under one roof, and Baejarins Beztu Pylsur by the Old Harbor serves the classic Icelandic hot dogs for a few hundred krona. You can also use the city’s supermarkets, like Kronan, for self-catering.
For more, see our guides to the top restaurants in Reykjavik, the best-value places to eat, and the top food halls.
South Coast: Hveragerdi to Vik
Heading east from Reykjavik, the South Coast is the busiest leg of the Ring Road, and restaurants on the South Coast cluster in the towns rather than along the open road. Hveragerdi, the first stop, sits on an active geothermal field, and Selfoss is a good hub for a full meal.
In Hveragerdi, Olverk Pizza & Brewery makes wood-fired pizzas and brews its own beer with geothermal energy, a fitting first taste of a town built on hot springs. At the Hveragerdi Geothermal Park in the town center, you can also try hverabraud, the dark rye bread slow-baked in the hot ground, and see eggs boiled in the hot springs.
In Selfoss, the Old Dairy Food Hall in the New Old Town Center puts eight kitchens under one roof, from Thai to wood-fired pizza, which makes it the easiest stop for groups with different tastes. For a sit-down dinner, MAR Seafood is among the standout Selfoss restaurants, and it is worth booking a table at MAR Seafood in summer.
Selfoss also has a Kronan Supermarket if you need to stock up on groceries for your road trip. Further along, Hella has the Almar Bakari for a quick stop, and Hvolsvollur’s Eldsto Art Cafe does lamb soup and fish-and-chips.
Vik: The Main South Coast Dining Stop
Vik is the last town before a long, thinly served stretch east, which makes it the natural dinner stop on a South Coast day. Restaurants in Vik sit close together along the main road through the village, so nothing is farther than a short walk from parking.
Sudur-Vik, in a house above the road, is the most rounded sit-down choice, serving Icelandic dishes built around lamb and arctic char. For something more casual, Black Crust Pizzeria draws a crowd for its charcoal-crust pizzas, and the Skool Beans Coffee Bus, one of the best cafes in Vik, is a local favorite.
Kirkjubaejarklaustur: The Stop Before the Glacier Lagoon
Kirkjubaejarklaustur is the one reliable place to eat on the long, sparsely served stretch between Vik and Hofn. The village is small but has enough to break the drive.
Systrakaffi is the main sit-down spot, serving soups, lamb, and fish at lunch and dinner, and the restaurant at Hotel Klaustur is a steady alternative. The country hotels at Hof and Hali, further east, also open their restaurants to passing travelers.
There is no supermarket and only a small cafe at the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, so stock up ahead if needed. The visitor center at Skaftafell Nature Reserve has a cafeteria for a midday break on this leg.
Hofn: Iceland’s Langoustine Capital
Hofn, 285 miles (460 km) east of Reykjavik, is Iceland’s langoustine capital, and for many travelers, the local catch is reason enough to time the drive around a meal here. The main restaurants sit near the harbor at the end of town.
Pakkhus, set in a 1930s timber warehouse near the harbor, is the go-to for langoustine, usually a soup starter followed by tails grilled in garlic butter. Because Icelandic langoustine fishing has been tightly restricted in recent years, supply can be limited, so call ahead in the off-season.
For a simpler meal, Kaffi Hornid is a dependable all-day restaurant in the center of town, and a supermarket covers self-catering. Hofn’s Lobster Festival takes over the town in late June, so book restaurants well ahead for that weekend.
East Iceland: Egilsstadir to Seydisfjordur
Once the Ring Road turns inland through the Eastfjords, East Iceland’s food gathers in a couple of towns rather than along the long fjord drives. Egilsstadir, the regional hub, has the most central, mid-range restaurants, and the seaside village of Seydisfjordur is a scenic detour over the pass for an evening out.
In Egilsstadir, Glod Restaurant, in the central Hotel Valaskjalf, is the steadiest sit-down choice, and we recommend booking a table at Glod. For something more relaxed, the Askur Taproom pairs wood-fired pizza with beers from the local Austri Brewery. Menus here often feature reindeer in season, roughly mid-July to mid-September.
Over the Fjardarheidi Pass, Seydisfjordur is worth the drive for the summer-only sushi bar at Nord Austur and the dining room at Hotel Aldan. For more, see our guides to where to eat in Egilsstadir and the best restaurants in East Iceland.
Lake Myvatn: Geothermal Bread Country
Lake Myvatn sits on the northern Ring Road and has a small food scene with one specialty worth seeking out: hverabraud, a dense rye bread slow-baked for 24 hours in the geothermal ground. North Iceland restaurants gather around Reykjahlid, the main settlement.
Vogafjos Farm Resort is the destination meal, a farm-to-table restaurant serving Myvatn lamb and trout with its own dairy products and freshly baked rye bread. Daddi’s Pizza in Reykjahlid is the casual go-to after a long drive. A supermarket in Reykjahlid covers self-catering.
Akureyri: North Iceland’s Food Capital
Akureyri is the capital of North Iceland and has the widest range of dining outside Reykjavik, packed into a compact, walkable center. It is the best place on the northern loop for a proper night out, with bistros, pizzerias, and a small fine-dining scene close together.
Strikid, on an upper floor with panoramic fjord views, is the standout for a special dinner, and booking a table at Strikid is wise in summer. For Icelandic classics, the long-running Bautinn is known for its lamb chops, and you can book a reservation at Bautinn too.
For coffee or something sweet, the LYST Cafe sits inside the Akureyri Botanical Gardens, and Brynja is a long-loved ice cream spot. Supermarkets, including Kronan, cover groceries. For more, see our guides to the best Akureyri cafes and brunch spots in Akureyri.
Husavik: Harbor Seafood in the North
Husavik is a short detour north of Akureyri and is best known for whale watching in Iceland, but its harbor also makes it one of the best places for seafood in the north. The restaurants sit on the waterfront, a few minutes’ walk from the docks for whale-watching tours.
Naustid is the signature stop, a small harbor restaurant that cooks fish landed by the boats outside its windows. For something more casual, the harborside Fish and Chips Restaurant serves fresh fish year-round, with a view over the boats from its terrace.
Borgarnes: The Last Stop Before Reykjavik
Borgarnes is the last major stop before the Ring Road returns to Reykjavik, set on a fjord-side spit about an hour from the city. It is a practical lunch or coffee stop, with its best-known places by the main road and easy parking.
The restaurant at the Settlement Center pairs Icelandic dishes with fjord views and sits beside the parking, which makes it the convenient choice for a sit-down meal. Geirabakari Kaffihus is known for its cinnamon buns, and the building served as the Papa John’s in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”.
Borgarnes has a supermarket for supplies before the final leg to Reykjavik. If you detour onto the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, consider booking a table at Narfeyrarstofa in Stykkisholmur for a seafood stop. Our guide to the cafes on Snaefellsnes also covers the peninsula.
Enjoy a Food Trip Around the Ring Road
Eating around the Ring Road is one of the best ways to try the regional variations in Iceland's food. Lamb soup in a small village, langoustine on the harbor at Hofn, and geothermal rye bread at Lake Myvatn show how much the regions can offer.
The gap between Reykjavik and the regions has narrowed as small towns invest in their food, and with a few supermarket stops between hubs, every overnight can include a good meal. Read on through our guides to the best restaurants in Iceland, food in Iceland, and self-drive tours of the Ring Road to plan the rest of your trip.
How much does eating out cost on Iceland's Ring Road?
Where can I buy cheap food on the Ring Road?
Do I need to book restaurants in advance when driving the Ring Road?
Where can I eat langoustine in Iceland?
What traditional Icelandic dishes should I try on a Ring Road trip?
Are Ring Road restaurants open year-round?
Have you found a favorite restaurant, bakery, or cafe on the Ring Road? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments below.
Born on the west side of Reykjavík and raised in the heart of downtown, I’ve spent most of my life surrounded by Iceland’s beauty. I’m a proud father of two and an avid traveler who has visited five continents—but Iceland remains, without a doubt, the most breathtaking place I know. I’ve traveled extensively throughout the country, exploring its hidden gems and natural wonders. My passion for Iceland and for helping others experience it led me to co-found Guide to Iceland, where we focus on connecting travelers with unique, local services and unforgettable adventures.
