THINGS TO EAT
&
Where to eat them
food in iceland
What they don’t tell you when you book a $300 flight last minute to Iceland is that the food is so incredibly expensive. In New York if you get food from a food truck, it’ll generally cost you about $7-10. However in Iceland, it’ll cost you a minimum 19 Kronas for some fish and chips. That’s equivalent to $19.
I went to Iceland with the intention of having an affordable trip, because I’m a broke college girl. Yet there I was standing outside a cafe on one of the main shopping pedestrian streets comparing the menu with my budget for food for the week. My jaw definitely visibly dropped, which I tried to hide out of embarrassment. A rush of anxiety came over me as I tried to calculate how much I would end up spending on just eating but that’s on me for not doing my research before booking a flight to Iceland.
how I accidentally lost weight
There aren’t many stores once you leave Reykjavik so if you’re driving around the south eastern coast of the country for whatever reason, you might want to buy tons of snacks. Unfortunately I didn’t pack many snacks or food that I was in the mood to eat (it was all junk food and bananas... You can only eat so many bananas in one sitting). On top of that my wisdom tooth began to flare up and it hurt to eat ANYTHING (You can probably relate). When I came home from Iceland, people began to ask me if I was eating because I lost a lot of weight. The answer was no because I couldn’t eat anything besides soup, so I was on an impromptu liquid diet and it was the worst (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME). In my photos from Iceland I had rounder cheeks in the beginning of my trip and progressively smaller and smaller cheek as my trip came close to an end (it’s pretty funny if you look at it). It was awful not being able to eat as much as I wanted too because I’m a HUGE foodie. Iceland isn’t much of food destination anyway, but I did get to eat at some great places.
Either way I’ve compiled a list of AFFORDABLE Icelandic eats from the few places I ate at so you don’t go broke when you’re in Iceland. Let me know if you do go there and how it was 🖤
Emilie’s Cookies
Now I’m just finding out that Emilie’s is actually a cookie shop, which I never got cookies from. Instead I needed to eat some breakfast so I got this cheese covered bagel with salmon lox. This place is so cute, I definitely recommend going to.
Baejarins Beztu Hotdogs
The best hot dogs in Reykjavik— and possibly the cheapest item of food that you can find.
I ended up going twice because it’s so cheap and pretty good and had to show my new found hostel friends about this spot that Bill Clinton also visited.
Icelandic Street Food
This place might be my FAVORITE place in all of Reykjavik. Mainly because of the FREE REFILLS OF THESE SOUPS (an essentially considering how bad my wisdom tooth was hurting), free homemade macaroons (always a goodie but I only got to have one) and the people that work there (the people that work there are fun individuals from different parts of the world). The level of hospitality of this place is unmatched. Everyone there is friendly and make drinking soup in a tiny shop on one of Reykjavik’s main streets like a trip to grandma’s. I wish I was able to go back for breakfast— This place is definitely one of the most affordable places and will 100% make your heart warm.
DOMINO’S
First night after I landed, all I wanted was a Hawaiian pizza while in Iceland. A guy I became friends with at the Hostel was also having the same craving so we went and split this large pizza. It was a bit different from the usual Hawaiian I was used to but it definitely satisfied my hunger. The pizza was just about 25 Kr ($25) which is the standard pricing of a large Hawaiian pizza here in the US.
Now you know where to go just in case you miss America (because America is the land of the free and large pizzas with large sodas)
Find them here
Address: Skúlagata 26, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
(They are located right across the street from the KEX Hostel, so if you’re staying there… Lucky you!)
Braud & co
Reykjavik is colorful, but this place is definitely one of the most colorful places in all of the city. I stumbled upon this place on my last day in Iceland. I had already eaten at Icelandic Street Food but it was so cute and decently priced so I HAD to try it. The pastry I had was so so so delicious. It was crispy and flaky on the outside, buttered perfectly. It made that crunchy noice bitting in but the inside was soft and chocolatey. Everything was made in house on the spot (as pictured).
I highly recommend this place as one of which you MUST go to.
Bonus
Save yourself some money for the excursions and buy groceries instead of eating out. They’re kind of like a weird hybrid of a convenience store but also a super market. They have gloves, hats, socks, underwear and whole bunch of necessities for the tourists that underestimate Iceland (aka me). Bonus is there for you whenever and wherever.
I bought these pre-made sandwiches for hikes, long car rides, early mornings or whenever. Bonus is always there for you. You can also find them almost every mile or every whatever kilometers because we’re in Iceland.
I love bonus so much. It has saved me on so many occasions. Not only did I get these sandwiches but I also got a cute black beanie with a pompom on top and some black gloves, because I was a ahem and unprepared tourist.
Don’t forget to bring your own eco-friendly reusable bag, and check their hours. Stores in Reykjavik have short store hours especially if you visit during the winter.
Find them here
Address: Kjörgarður, Laugavegur 59, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Website: https://bonus.is/en/
They also have over 7 stores within Reykjavik and even more outside of the city. Just keep in mind, their operating hours are very limited. They open late and close early, so make sure you plan to head the Bonus mid-day.
pro-tip:
Bring a reusable water bottle with you. You can drink the water from any faucet, so don’t make a rookie mistake like me and buy a 4 Kr bottle of water. The water is fresh, crisp and cold wherever you go and safe to drink. Unless you’re taking a shower, absolutely don’t drink that. You’re bathing in geothermal water, which might smell a bit but it’s good for your skin.
