We didn't even eat here, but the service was freakin' awesome! We walked in and asked if we could have the Puffin dish, but the waiter kindly pointed out that they actually don't sell Puffin, as Puffin is no longer allowed to be killed in Iceland. Instead he offered us an alternative, which tastes similar to Puffin.
No other restaurants were this honest and instead pretended they had Puffin even though they apparently didn't.
We genuinely appreciated the honesty, so we headed off to get pizza instead, as we'd only gone there for Puffin.
The interior was very nice and looked like it would have been a good spot to stop if the food was what you were looking for (we wanted Puffin or pizza).
Top marks to the waiter.
Just like other Reykjavik restraunts, pricey. Puffin is now endangered so did not get to try it. The fin whale was good though but small. Fish of the day was excellent.
First restaurant in Iceland and I'm honestly impressed. The environment is very cozy, very good music and ambiance. The service is flawless, polite, prompt and very nice people. Now the food is off-the-charts good, simply amazing. Order the lamb and you won't regret. For dessert, stick to the creme brulee, awarded the best one.
The food was good, but portion sizes are small. We ordered the shark appetizer. It said it came with 6 pieces. The pieces were so small that they easily have been consumed in one spoonful and the spoon would have had plenty of room still on it. Also this place serves endangered fin whale😟.
Great and genuine bar and restaurant in the heart of the tourist area of Reykjavík. Fish stew, lamb shanks and beef along with great local beer made this perfect for our first night in Iceland. Staff were really nice and we didn’t want to leave! Much better than the typical tourist stuff in the Main Street.
Perfect place to go and get some nice, hearty food and to get in from the cold. Tasty food and an interesting beer selection. Staff were knowledgeable and experienced. Desert options are also good and the popular Skyrim features a couple of times.
I had a burger which was pretty good. The staff was very friendly and helpful. My only complaint was that it felt like an entire tour bus of people was dropped off at the same time, which is good for business but not great for my overall experience of being in Iceland.
It was a delightful dinner, all of the courses were really good. Staff very friendly and helpful. It was a great pleasure to spend the evening in Islenski barinn. Highly recommended for everyone who is looking for real Icelandic kitchen.
Great meal out, yes a little expensive, however, we left incredibly full and happy. This restaurant is just off the main street of Reykjavik and has a great atmosphere. The staff all very friendly, offering us recommendations or information about the authentic Icelandic dishes. I ended up having the pancake burger thing (forgotten the name), and the seasonal Christmas Beer Bear Ice Cream, both were scrummy and the drinks served were delicious. Recommend a visit!
Best selection of craft beer in town. The staff was very friendly. And the lamb shank was the best thing I ate on the trip. Highly recommend.
We had Great fish & chips, lamb burger, langoustine salad. Generous portions. Sweet potato fries yummy. Beers on tap tasty. And very cool, funky atmosphere. Reasonable prices by Icelandic standards( which are all astronomical!!)
The burgers here are amazing; nice and juicy with various options for the discerning customers. There are variousd the great tasting, local beers or if liquor is what you crave, they have mixed drinks as well.
If you're lucky, and I have been on a couple of occasions, you'll catch a live show here. Very intimate. That's the only negative, it can get pretty jammed in here.
Great local food in a comfortable atmosphere. Service is great. We tried the meat soup, place fish and fish stew.
While in Iceland, we wanted to try some of the local delicacies that we'd never usually eat. When in Iceland, you know? it was surprisingly hard to find a local place that served all of those unique options, but finally we found Islenski Barinn! We had Fin Whale, Puffin, Reindeer, etc. It was all delicious, and a great experience. The beer pours were huge, which was awesome, and the waitress was so kind and friendly. They don't live on tips in Iceland, so they don't require tips to be left, but we did anyway. If you want to leave a tip, though, you have to tell them before they run your card or they won't be able put the tip in after.
A perfect combo of comfort food and spot on culinary talent. I can't imagine my lamb burger tasting any better, and one can immediately appreciate how the fresh the cod was in the fish and chips. Add a nice, diverse selection of beers, and you've got a great place to eat after a long day touring or traveling (which was our experience).
Looking for great Icelandic food, we found it here. We enjoyed a beautiful lamb shank, and the fish of the day offering went down a treat. The Skyr dessert and good beer selection was a bonus. Highly recommended! We enjoyed it so much we returned for lunch the following day (lamb dog is great)!
What a great place! The customer service was awesome and the food was even better. I got the shank of Icelandic lamb and it was extremely delicious. I would highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Iceland!
Every morsel and drop was delicious. And what a charming place this is! Definitely go for the fish of the day. I couldn't have been happier with that decision.
We were looking for a good Icelandic meal after living off of PB&J sandwiches and backpacking food for the past week, and decided on this place because it seemed casual and it was open late. I had the lamb burger and my friend had the beef burger, and we shared some whale meat to try it out. Everything was absolutely delicious! The whale was surprisingly good - it tasted like steak, no fishy taste at all. Would highly recommend!
We went here twice during our stay in Iceland. Once independently to eat dinner and once on a food tour. The independent evening we both got Burgers one reindeer one beef they were both okay but nothing to write home about. Our experience the next time on the food tour was different we ate the lamb stew and I would highly recommend this! The service is nice that atmosphere is great I would recommend this as a stop on your tour maybe for an afternoon bowl of lamb stew.
Definitely cozy. Waiters were very nice, but $20 for a hot dog is just too much. (The hot dogs were good, but I could not convince myself they were worth that much.) Almost all of the guests within hearing range were speaking English, so it doesn't seem like a place where the locals eat, which is what their decor suggests.
Pubs don't get better than this one. I went there 3 times in 3 days in Reykjavik and wish I could go every day. The people working there were super friendly, really helpful with food and beer recommendations. Decor is very homey and Icelandic feeling.
Over our visits my wife and I tried fermented shark chased with vodka (yak), dried cod with blueberry-salted butter (actually, pretty good!), reindeer burger with local Camembert and blueberry compote (delicious) and lamb shank (uber comfort food). I'm a home brewer and know that the water matters a lot, so Iceland has really crisp, delicious beers. My off the charts favorite was a juniper bock. Best. Bock. Ever.
An epic nice place in the heart of the city. We've got recommendations from the locals and we were surprised. They have some nice draft local beer and some authentic dishes such as shark or puffins! The soups are very delicious too. Moreover, comparing the prices with other places this is ideal balance between quality and the difficulty of these dishes. The staff is super friendly, you could easily talk to them and ask to tell more about "what i'm eating here?" :) Enjoy
Amazing place! Great Icelandic food and lovely beer. This was our go-to place as soon as we arrived in Reykjavik, and our last place to dine in before we left. It might not be entirely Greenpeace-friendly, but do check out those hidden perks in the menu ;)
Cozy atmosphere. Good if you have an open mind and want to try something different! Reasonably priced compared to other restaurants around the area. There's a wait during busy dinner time.
Lovely atmosphere for our lunchtime visit. Good background music. The bar staff are helpful with menu choices and speak perfect English. You must try the Brennevin (caraway spiced spirit) aka "Black Death". It's especially good for washing down fermented shark. You can also have whale, but better not or your conscience might trouble you too!