The Best Breakfast Places in Reykjavik

The Best Spots to Get Breakfast in Reykjavik

Below, you'll find our favorite places to get breakfast in Iceland. While there are some great places not listed where you can take items to go, we limited ours to locales where you can sit down to enjoy your meal. Now, let's dig in!

The Laundromat Café

The Laundromat Café is a fun and charming café in downtown Reykjavik where you can also, as the name implies, get your laundry done. Established in 2011, the Laundromat Café has become a mainstay in Reykjavik's dining scene.

Having won awards for their breakfast and brunch several times over, it's easy to recommend the Laundromat Cafe as a place to grab a meal in the morning. The warm atmosphere, shelves full of books you can read, and central location make it the perfect spot for breakfast before a day of exploring Iceland.

• Learn about The Best Cafés in Reykjavik and Icelandic Coffee Culture

The diverse breakfast options at Laundromat include classics like eggs & bacon, omelets, croissants, acai bowls, avocado toasts, and blueberry pancakes. If you're looking for a larger meal, they have several brunch options depending on what you're after: the healthy brunch, the dirty brunch, the vegan brunch, and the kids' brunch.

Add a hot cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice, and you've got the perfect breakfast. You could even use the opportunity to get your dirty laundry done while you enjoy your meal - now that's efficient time management! 

BakaBaka

BakaBaka is a multilayered bakery/restaurant located in a historic building in downtown Reykjavik. The founder of BakaBaka previously left a significant impression on Iceland's food scene by opening the bakery Brauð and Co. in 2016 and has already taken the scene by storm with his new endeavor. 

While it operates as a world-class pizzeria in the evening, BakaBaka stands as one of the best bakeries in Reykjavik during the daytime, offering amazing pastries and freshly baked bread as well as some of the finest breakfasts you can find in the city.

• Read more: The Best Bakeries in Reykjavik

As might be expected, the pastries and bread at BakaBaka are fantastic. There's also a designated breakfast menu with options such as Greek yogurt, a chia pudding, baba ganoush, sausages, bacon, and a fruit bowl. 

BakaBaka is located in the so-called Bernhöftshús building from 1834, which housed the first-ever bakery in Iceland, and while the establishment's popularity might make things a bit snug during the rush hours, it remains one of the best places to grab breakfast in all of Reykjavik. We recommend booking a table at BakaBaka to sample some of their amazing wood-fired pizzas in the evening, too.

Grái Kötturinn

Grái kötturinn, or "The Gray Cat," is a dedicated breakfast and brunch spot. Established in 1997, it is known for serving possibly the best breakfast in the city. With opening hours only between 8 - 14, this is a place that puts its emphasis on a delicious breakfast.

Located on the ground floor across from the Icelandic National Theater, Grái Kötturinn is small, snug, and cozy, filled with books and cute decorations. It's the perfect spot to relax and enjoy your meal in a homey ambiance over something nice to read.

The flagship of Grái Kötturinn's menu is "The Truck," which features American pancakes with eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, tomatoes, toasted bread, syrup, and butter. You'll be hard-pressed to find a heartier breakfast in town! Other items include bagels, sandwiches, grilled bread, and delicious cold and hot drinks.

 Kaffivagninn

Kaffivagninn, found by Reykjavik's old harbor, holds the title of Iceland's oldest restaurant. Founded in 1935, this iconic establishment initially began as a vending truck (its name translates to "coffee wagon") but later transitioned to a small house in the location it's in today.

Having been a favorite of the city's fishermen throughout the decades, Kaffivagninn serves a steady flow of regulars who come for the bustling atmosphere that feels like stepping back in time. The restaurant's menu is mainly known for its fresh seafood stew and, obviously, the coffee!

As for the breakfast, Kaffivagninn serves some of the best in town. The choices here include fish soup, bacon, and eggs, an omelet, oatmeal, or a breakfast plate. You could also go for two Danish-style butter bread slices with toppings of choice. The menu is honest and harkens back to old Icelandic traditions.

Visiting Kaffivagninn in the morning is a great experience. If the weather is nice, you might even have your meal in the outdoor area overlooking the marina, where you can watch Reykjavik wake up from its slumber. We wouldn't recommend sitting outside it in the wintertime, though!

Sandholt 

Sandholt is another veteran of the Icelandic dining scene, standing on Reykjavik's main street of Laugavegur. This family-owned establishment has offered fresh bread and pastries to the Icelandic public for over a century, offering a blend of traditional Icelandic baked goods and international goodies.

Today, Sandholt is more than just a bakery, serving a restaurant menu that includes yogurts, soups, and sandwiches. Sandholt is located in the same building as the luxurious Sand Hotel, so you can expect a lively atmosphere to accompany your meal.

As is to be expected from a bakery with such a longstanding history, the bread and pastries at Sandholt are remarkably good, and there's nothing quite like a croissant right from the oven early in the morning. If you decide to order from the menu for breakfast, you can't go wrong with the yogurt, oatmeal, or sandwiches. If you're going to allow yourself a breakfast dessert anywhere, do so here and get one of their freshly baked sweet pastries. You won't regret it!

The place can get a bit crowded during the daytime, so we recommend booking a table at Sandholt to ensure you have your spot reserved. If the weather is nice, try seeing if you can get a table outside to enjoy your meal on the veranda.

Emilie and the Cool Kids

Originating from the French Riviera, where it began its story in 2007, Emilie and the Cool Kids has maintained the quality and charm of its brand in Reykjavik. Standing on a busy street corner in downtown Reykjavik, this cafe is known for its lighthearted and whimsical ambiance, piping hot coffee, and delicious cookies.

As you enter the café, you'll be greeted by a homey vibe and a personal service. Like some of the other entries on this list, this locale is relatively small, so you shouldn't be surprised if it gets a bit crowded during its busiest hours - but that's also a testament to the quality of food you'll get here.

In addition to its sweet treats, Emilie and the Cool Kids also offers a range of bagels à la demande (made to order), ensuring that there's something for everyone, including options. The breakfast bagel (pictured above) is an obvious option if you're grabbing a meal in the morning, and you should try their wide variety of scones.

As far as our own experience goes, you thankfully don't have to be a cool kid yourself to visit Emilie and the Cool Kids, so don't hesitate to swing by if you're looking for breakfast from the French Riviera while in Reykjavik. 

Deig

Deig is a hip little bakery in downtown Reykjavik specializing in donuts and bagels. It is located in the same location, and is technically part of the popular restaurant Le KocK, which some people call the best place to get burgers in Reykjavik.

One of the things that has made Deig popular with both locals and tourists in Iceland is their "poor man's offer," where you can get a bagel, a pastry, and a drink of choice for a very reasonable price (by Icelandic standards). During lunch hours, you can often see long lines of customers queuing up for this deal, which is one of the best in the city.

The bagels at Deig are simple but great, with the usual suspects to choose from, such as sesame seed and everything bagels, and the toppings to choose from include cream cheese, pesto, and meats. The donuts are a big highlight, made in a traditional Icelandic style, which makes them quite chewy. There are also options for other pastries, such as a creme brulee. 

As mentioned before, the location is often quite lively and is perfect for anyone looking for a bit of hustle and bustle in the morning. Deig is located by the entrance of a downtown hotel, so if you start the day with the delicious smell of bagels and donuts in the morning make sure to book a room at Exeter Hotel.

Those are our favorite spots to grab breakfast in Iceland! What does your perfect breakfast look like? Have you had breakfast in Iceland? Let us know in the comments below!