3 Best Restaurants in Reykjanes Peninsula and the South Coast (with the Golden Circle), Iceland

Tucked away in the sleepy fishing town of Hafnarfjörður, Pallett looks at times like an ad from a 1970s issue of Vogue with its jungle of houseplants, a rotary telephone at the counter, and cassette player blaring in the background. But this is more than just a hipster hangout: the food is hearty, wholesome, and inherently British (think freshly baked scones with homemade jam) and the coffee is made from award-winning beans. Pálmar Þór, co-owner and resident coffee guru, is a twice-national barista champion and makes a first-class Irish coffee that'll leave you feeling so serene, you might just want to stay in the 1970s a little longer.

Just outside the Secret Lagoon you will find a small shed serving delicious fish-and-chips. You can take them to go, sit out front at a picnic table if the weather is nice, or escape the Icelandic wind and cold and eat standing up in the warm and cozy shed. The shed's opening hours and days can be a bit erratic, so check on their Facebook page before you stop by. 

In an old beautiful house overlooking the mountains, Suður-Vík offers a wide variety of dishes, ranging from wild game to artisanal pizza. In the basement they have a bar that stays open late.