Dining

The environment of Iceland is virtually pollution free. The cold climate insures that people are hungry most of the time and the clean air and water ensure that the food of the island has the freshness intact. Few other places can thus, replicate the tastes and aromas of Icelandic cooking. Even though, the commercial breeding and farming of livestock is practiced, it is made certain that no chemical or unnatural products are used to do so.

Iceland has a tradition for making brilliant food. The seafood is especially enticing and comprises mainly of dishes prepared from freshly harvested salmon and lobster. Meats are commonly smoked for preservation purposes. One delicacy that makes tourists go gaga is mountain lamb, a delicacy prepared from lambs fed on the herb-rich mountain grasses and one that is as nutritious as it is delicious. Meat delicacies like ptarmigan and reindeer are available seasonally and Iceland is one of the few places where people can actually partake such rarities. For sweetness, if the Icelandic candies aren't enough, there is always skyr, a native form of yogurt that is served with seasonal bilberries.

Icelandic cooking also has an adventurous side that developed out of the original scarcity of food the natives faced. One among them is called ‘slátur' (Icelandic for slaughter) that is similar to haggis. But similarities end here. Next comes boiled sheep head; served on the bone on request, ram testicles and loin bags. And perhaps the final item on the ‘eat-if-you-dare' list is rotten shark, and the word rotten is no misprint. A common saying in Iceland about such food is that ‘if one gets it past one's nose, then the job is half done'.

A. Top Restaurants

Brasserie Askur

Location: Suđurlandsbraut 4

IS - 108 Reykjavík

Iceland

Tel: + 354 553 9710

Fax: + 354 553 9710

This is one of the oldest and most respected restaurants in Iceland. Go here for a fine dinning experience for a moderate price. They have hot and cold buffets on weekdays and also one of the best international wines and vintages.

Café Victor

Location: Hafnarstrćti 1-3

IS-101 Reykjavik

Iceland

Tel: + 354 561 9555

Fax: + 354 561 9556

Café Victor is a great place if you just want to hang out with pals or just sit on our own and enjoy the atmosphere. The menu is a scintillating mix of Mexican and Icelandic cooking and a taste is delightfully different. The evenings are a bit crowded on weekdays and on weekends the restaurant transforms into a disco post midnight. An average meal costs about $50 per person.

Videyjarstofa

Location: Videy

Reykjavik

Iceland

Tel: +354 533 5055

Fax: +354 562 1934

This restaurant is located scenically near Iceland's oldest church. It is a fine dinning establishment where a staff dressed in native outfits serves a traditional meal to all present. It also serves buffets for special occasions.

Fimm fiskar - Restaurant five fishes

Fruarstigur 1

340 Stykkisholmi

Iceland

Tel: + 354 438 1290

This is a village tavern type place that serves good food at affordable rates. The food is mainly seafood.

Skíđaskálinn í Hveradölum

Suđurlandsvegi

Iceland

Tel: + 354 567 2020

Fax + 354 553 9710

This restaurant is over fifty years old and has been keeping the tradition of fine native dining alive since then. The ambience of the place is especially worth a mention as it is very intimate, with fireplace and alcove seating. A special temptation is the traditionally cooked Saga Viking Feast that is a grand gourmet experience.

Ármót

Location: Rangarvollum

Iceland

Tel: 354 487 5131

Fax: 354 487 5132

This place is something of a B&B, although the restaurant serves meals three times a day. The best feature of the place is that has a stable where riders can leave their horses when they come to dine.