Tips around Reykjavik – Iceland to get a taste of

And that’s supposed to be a capital city? The line between suburban feeling and urban flair runs along an unsteady pattern in Reykjavik’s alleyways. Sometimes you stand in awe in front of the massive Hallgrímskirkja or walk along the Laugavegur in the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle and for two minutes you stand somewhere between colorful rows of houses on a residential street.

Northernmost capital with a village feel

The basic pattern of Reykjavik reminded me of small American towns. Huge cars are parked everywhere and the harbour promenade with the spectacular Harpa concert hall is separated from the rest of the city by a multi-lane thoroughfare. What a pity. The charm of Reykjavik is not immediately apparent. In addition to the concert hall, which stands out as an architectural highlight, I was particularly impressed by the colorful street art works and design stores in Reykjavik, which can be dangerously expensive. A colorful city, even in the dark winter months.

We didn’t have much time for sightseeing. The four days were to be used to really get a taste of Iceland. And Reykjavik is predestined as a starting point for this. We booked two nights at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina, located right on the harbor. We spent the third night in Grundarfjörður on the Snaefellsnes peninsula – with the aim of photographing the Northern Lights there. Unfortunately, the solar activity did not take into account our well-thought-out plan.

Snæfellsnes – Island en miniature

The most popular tour from Reykjavik is the Golden Circle, which we tackled on the second to last day. Equally scenic is the drive north to the Snaefellsnes peninsula. Here the traveller will find Iceland in miniature – fjords, volcanoes, lava fields, cliffs, waterfalls, fishing villages with unpronounceably long names, Icelandic horses in all kinds of colour patterns and wind. Lots of wind. If you have enough time, you can drive around Hvalfjörður between Kjalarnes and Akranes at least once and admire the beautiful scenery. Alternatively, a time-saving, toll tunnel runs under the fjord directly to Borganes.

For cuddle hours with the Icelandic horses, we took additional detours on gravel roads. The horses are totally curious, and if you stop at a fence, the whole herd will come rushing up. What could be better than a horse trekking through Iceland? But I postponed this idea until warmer summer days. With the nasty wind, my fingers would have been frozen stiff after ten minutes on the horse’s back at the latest. We also postponed the stop at the Bjarnarhöfn at the most famous Hakarl manufacturer on the island. I would think that tasting the fermented shark bites belongs in the category of “advanced”.

The Northern Lights let us down. The detour to Grundarfjördur was still worth it. On the one hand, the mountain Kirkjufell is one of the most popular photo motifs in Iceland and is also a real eye-catcher in winter. On the other hand, we spent a wonderful evening in the restaurant Bjargarstein. The next day we continued our journey to the western tip of the peninsula and then drove back towards Reykjavik through the wintry solitude of the Snaefellsjökull National Park. We warmed up with a fine cauliflower soup halfway at the Hotel Budir, which is located in the middle of nowhere. A fantastic location. That’s exactly how I imagine a retreat for writers.

The taste of Reykjavik – My restaurant tips

What was not neglected in Reykjavik was the culinary part. From the delicious Sunday breakfast at Bergsson Mathus, to the perfectly brewed coffee at Reykjavik Roasters to the Icelandic pizza chat, we feasted our way through selected restaurants. The tips for this were given to me by Reykjavik connoisseurs @kusito. Once again, it has been shown that my Twitter acquaintances are characterized by good taste. For an aperitif or a late drink, I can also recommend the bars at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina and Kex Hostel – this is also where the locals like to stay.

Frühstücksglück | Bergsson Mathus, Templarasund 3

Breakfast with muesli, bread, hummus and egg is available for 1’790kr. If you are very hungry, choose the “Brunch” option. Freshly squeezed juices and smoothies are also available.

Wärmendes | Reykjavik Roasters, Kárastígur 1 / Bakari Sandholt, Laugavegi 36

The best coffee is currently served at Reykjavik Roasters and in my opinion the best hot chocolate is at the Sandolt bakery in a central location.

Hipsterig | Pizza with No Name, Hverfisgata 12

The nameless pizza restaurant is owned by the same owner as the legendary Dill restaurant. Instead of the front entrance, you simply choose the back door. The cuisine is the same and the pizzas are original. Toppings include variations with cabbage, walnuts, apples and truffle mayonnaise.

Ísländisch | Koparveitingastaður, Geirsgata 3

Restaurant Kopar is located right next to Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina on the harbour area. Here, exciting menus are created from traditional ingredients.

Kult Hotdog | The Town’s Beztu Sausages

And then there’s this cult hot dog. A simple stall near the harbour, in front of which a queue of people can form in the middle of the day. To be honest, we couldn’t tell the difference to a banal hot dog during the “rehearsal dinner”. But a cult is a cult.

We traveled to Iceland individually as part of a campaign by the travel search engine Kayak. Under the hashtag #kayakhacksiceland, a total of seven European bloggers share their experiences from Iceland.