Many people have the idea that vegetarianism in Iceland is practically impossible. But this is actually far from being true. All or almost all of the eateries I visited, served a vegan or at least a vegetarian option. In my last post, I did mention that the portions are super small and of course everything in Iceland is hella expensive, especially the food which is a necessity. However, Iceland definitely welcomes vegetarians and vegans. Here are all the foods that I tried as a roaming vegetarian.
1. Gló
After we dropped our luggage off at the hotel, we decided it was time to get fed! I used Google Maps to find a restaurant with vegetarian options. And to my surprise, there were many choices! I noticed a vegan cafe that had a laid back, eclectic image so I was drawn to it. I decided to try the oumph sandwich with sweet potato fries. I always love honey mustard on the side so I definitely asked for that. This was one of the best vegetarian meals I have ever eaten. I’m not sure what it is made of, but I was really convinced that I was eating pulled pork. I did confirm later on that oumph is a popular meat substitute in Reykjavík.
2. Sjávargrillið
We needed to get something to eat before our Northern Lights tour, so we were in a rush. We chose this restaurant because it was pretty close to our hotel. It had a beautiful, dimly lit ambience. Very sultry but dark. Unfortunately this restaurant was a little on the pricey side and it did not have many vegetarian options. I believe I chose vegetarian nachos. But I can’t really remember because we were in such a rush. I do remember not being full from the meal, but this was an all too common sensation after eating most of the meals in Iceland.
3. Reykjavík Street Dog
This was a very cute hot dog shop. I guess that’s what I could call it. Me and my boyfriend were interested in this joint ever since we walked around our hotel streets. The small shop had lots of fun and notable decor. The owner was the only person that worked at the shop and he seemed really enthusiastic to help us order the right toppings for our dog. I chose the vegetarian hot dog with the works. I could not find the exact name of what I had, but I believe it was the only vegetarian and or vegan option. I was also advised to try Applesin which was a classic Icelandic orange drink. I enjoyed the hot dog. It was nice to experience an Icelandic version of a veggie dog. Since this was not a full meal, we went across the street for more bites. Unfortunately this eatery is permanently closed after checking on Google.
4. Salka Valka eldhús/kitchen
After eating at Street Dog, we went across the street for soup and beer. The name of this restaurant may have changed. When I went to the restaurant, I believe it was called Fish & More. By the name alone, most would guess that this is mainly a fish option. Thankfully they have a vegan soup option which consisted of a creamy blend of chickpeas, grilled paprika with coconut milk, and ginger with a hint of chili. Adding fish to the soup was optional. It came with a side of sourdough bread and butter. I may have ordered a Christmas blended beer at this point, since they are in full Christmas mode in early November. All in all the soup was very good.
5. Taco Bell
So in my last post, I definitely recommended renting a car because after about 8pm many eateries close. If you are able to leave the main area of Reykjavík, you can drive to a gas station or a fast food restaurant. Our favorite option was the Taco Bell/KFC. I ordered the black bean Crunchwrap Supreme, which was so much better than the one back in America. They put more beans in the Crunchwrap, and they also added rice! This was the cheapest meal we had ordered in Iceland, so if you’d like to save money, definitely try the gas stations or a fast food restaurant.
6. Sandholt
By the time we were close to the end of the trip, we were so tired of the continental breakfast at the hotel. So we ventured over to go to a bakery called Sandholt. I ordered a late with egg and toast. As you can see by the photo, this isn’t anywhere near a lumberjack breakfast. But again, this was the average breakfast meal size in the city. I really enjoyed my latte. The breakfast did not stand out to me, but as always the bread and butter was super fresh.
7. Waffle Wagon
Right behind our hotel was a dessert waffle cart. Surprisingly, every time we were interested in getting a waffle, it was closed. During one of the days we toured Reykjavík, we caught the wagon in operation at around 2pm so it was now or never. I ordered a waffle with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. The waffle was super fresh and moist, and the vanilla ice cream truly added to the flavor of the waffle. If you can catch the waffle wagon in front Hallgrimskirkja, definitely give it a try!
If you are a vegetarian or vegan Reykjavík definitely welcomes you! There are vegetarian or vegan options from the fast food to the high end restaurants. Definitely give some of these food spots a try if you decide to visit the city. I recommend trying the fast food or even the gas station food because it is a different experience from what you may be used to at home.