Top 8 Gluten-Free Restaurants in Reykjavik, Iceland
Christina P. Kantzavelos
Being gluten-free and visiting a foreign country for the first time can always be a little intimidating. Will they have food I can eat? Will the servers be able to understand me? What happens if I get sick while I'm there? All of these questions crossed my mind when my husband and I were planning a trip to Reykjavik, Iceland. I made it a point to pack lots of gluten-free snacks like RXBars, Kind Bars, Chef's Cut jerky, Terra Sweet Potato chips, and Orchard Valley trail mix. At least if there wasn't much to eat in Reykjavik, I would survive our long weekend trip on nuts and berries!
The truth was, Reykjavik ended up being one of the most gluten-free friendly cities I have ever been to, even better than a lot of cities in the USA. A lot of their menus were marked “GF” or “GFO” and some even advertised that they served gluten-free options. I never encountered a problem with a server not being able to understand that I needed the meal to be prepared gluten-free. Below is my list of the top 8 gluten-free restaurants in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Messinn is located on Lækjargata Street not far from Reykjavik City Hall. Messinn's specialty is seafood and a large portion of their menu consists of what they call “fish pans”. Each fish pan contains a different type of fish, potatoes, and vegetables. The fish pans are huge and enough to share between two people. The menu is clearly marked with GF options which include the Arctic Char Fish Pan and the Salmon Fish Pan.
Fiskimarkaðurinn is located on Aðalstræti Street right near the Settlement Exhibition (which is great if you have a chance to do it while in Reykjavik). This restaurant is on the pricier side but has some of the best seafood in Reykjavik. Most of the entree's here are naturally gluten-free like the Organic Lamb and Salted Cod but double check with your server just in case.
Gló has several locations around Reykjavik, we visited the one right on Laugavegur Street in the heart of downtown Reykjavik. Gló specializes in wholesome food and the freshest of ingredients. Gló was started by Sólveig Eiríksdóttir, she herself suffered from food allergies and wanted to create a healthy restaurant option in Reykjavik. In 1994, she opened Iceland's first vegetarian restaurant. In 2005, Solla and her husband opened Gló. Gló's menu is clearly marked with gluten-free options, most of which are served in the form of bowls with a base of rice, quinoa, or vegetable spaghetti and topped with your choice of protein and vegetables.
Joylato is located on Njálsgata Street and serves gluten-free gelato made with liquid nitrogen and even has gluten-free waffle wafers. You choose either coconut milk or cow's milk, flavor, and any add-ons. They have normal flavors and some pretty bizarre ones as well. Being the adventurous couple we are, we tried Avocado Lime and Salted Caramel. I was very impressed with the taste and I would definitely return to try their other flavors, it was also a treat to see how they used the liquid nitrogen!
Eldur og Ís is located on Skólavörðustígur Street right off of Laugavegur and serves coffee, ice cream and vegan and gluten-free crepes stuffed with any combination of toppings you can put together! We had a gluten-free crepe with almond butter and Skyr and I'm pretty sure I would return to Iceland just to eat that again! Other options included fruit, chocolate, marshmallow, peanut butter, Nutella and various candy bars.
Sjávargrillið is located on Skólavörðustígur Street a block off of Laugavegur Street. The restaurant is gorgeous with driftwood adorning the walls that the two chefs have collected during their travels. While the menu is not marked with gluten free options, the chefs here have a clear understanding of gluten intolerance and modify dishes that contain gluten.
Tapas Barinn is located on Vesturgata Street near the harbor. They are a restaurant specializing in small plates of some of Iceland's most popular foods. We decided to split the “Icelandic Gourmet Feast” which consisted of 7 courses of tapas and included Minke whale, puffin, and Icelandic lamb. While the menu is not marked with gluten-free options, the server had no problem understanding that we needed the food to be served gluten-free.
Lækjarbrekka is located on Bankastræti Street near the Icelandic Punk Museum. It has been in operation since 1981 and sits in one of the most iconic buildings in the city. The menu is clearly marked with gluten-free options and has a wide variety including Icelandic Meat Soup, Seafood Soup, Beet Soup, Leg of Lamb and Minke Whale.