6 Best Restaurants in East Iceland and the Eastfjords, Iceland

The town's old icehouse, which was once a storeroom for glacier ice used to keep the local fresh catches cool, is now a popular harborside pizzeria serving up soups and salads but mainly stone-baked pizzas. You’ll find classic pizza toppings along with langoustine. There’s also lobster soup and cheese-filled breadsticks.

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.

Helmed by the former head chef at Reykjavík restaurant Dill, Nielsen is the first Icelandic eatery to be awarded a Michelin star. The chef does wondrous things with the fine produce, all grown, caught, farmed, and foraged in the restaurant’s radius. You might spot wild game, pickled rhubarb, local barley, and angelica alongside better-known favorites such as fresh fish and lamb. 

Winning high-pedigree accolades for its food that creatively fuses fresh local fish with Japanese techniques and flavors, Norð Austur is worth booking ahead for. It is open in the summer only and is in high demand for its beautifully presented morsels, creative cocktails, and cozy atmosphere.

There’s a ramshackle appeal to this converted old fishing hut located by the waterfront (its name translates to “the Bait Shack"). Meals served under the low-beamed ceilings decorated with nautical salvage are tasty and the service is quick, but the real draw of this place is the epic views of the fjord.

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.