8 Best Restaurants in East Iceland and the Eastfjords, Iceland

White tablecloths, vintage-style crockery, and antiques add to the neoclassic tone of Eldhúsið restaurant, where you can enjoy beautifully plated meals made from local ingredients. You can’t go wrong with the fish of the day, beef reared on the surrounding farm, or the homemade ice creams and sorbets. There's a vegan menu, too.

While enjoying the exhibitions at Skriðuklaustur, you might get distracted by the delightful aromas wafting from the inviting in-house restaurant. If you follow your nose, you'll discover a lovely farmhouse-style dining area serving a buffet of lamb stew, reindeer pie, quiche, and potato salad, all made from mostly local ingredients. There's also a tantalizing display of sweets at the afternoon cake buffet. The cook, Elísabet, has published a collection of her favorite recipes available to purchase at the reception in English and Icelandic.

Based in an old warehouse made of scrap wood, Pakkhús makes good use of the area's supply of fresh seafood, especially the langoustine, which they are primarily known for (often referred to as 'lobster' in Iceland). Their menu also features duck, lamb, and beef, with some tempting desserts too. The créme bruleé flavored with licorice presents a tasty (and very Icelandic) twist.

There’s a good selection of quality bread and pastries at Sesam, an artisanal bakery in the middle of town that also serves coffee and cake. Each weekday there’s a good-value lunch special that’s popular with locals (Friday is pizza day).

The house restaurant of Hotel Aldan is a lively spot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, especially during the summer. The menu features a fusion of Icelandic cuisine with a bit of continental influence and is big on fish fresh from the fjord. 

This spot has been in business since 1973, first as a bookstore and now as a homey café. Friday and Saturday afternoons feature a fantastic cake buffet, with some old-school Icelandic specialties.

The only dining stop in this fjord, Sólbrekka Cafe serves light refreshments and coffee (with free refills), and they have a cake buffet on Sunday. On display are old photos from life in the valley. Note that on Sundays they may occasionally be booked for a wedding reception, birthday, or christening.

Large portions of comfort food (think burgers, pizzas, and more expensive meat and fish dishes) are served under low timber ceilings at Tærgesen, a family-run restaurant and guesthouse located in a lovely old building dating back to 1870. Tærgesen was the filming location for the Midnight Sun Hotel in the British TV thriller Fortitude.