Discover Iceland’s Capital With This Unique Reykjavik Food Tour

A food tour through Reykjavik is the perfect introduction to Iceland’s capital city. Since many visitors to the country only spend a brief time in Reykjavik before leaving to see Iceland’s natural beauty, a good food tour can give you a taste of the city’s cuisine, culture and history.

That’s where the Funky Food & Beer Tour comes in! We took this food tour on our trip to Reykjavik after already spending two days there. Even though we had already seen Reykjavik, this tour was still a great addition to our visit. The food was great, and our guide Lalli was a lot of fun to spend a couple hours with.

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Meeting Lalli at Hallgrímskirkja

Shortly before 5:00, we headed to Reyjkjavik’s iconic church for the start of our Reykjavik food tour. After wandering around the square for a bit, we noticed a tall man standing in front of the Leif Ericcson statue holding a folder and seemingly looking for someone. Thinking this man was with our tour, we walked up and met Lalli, the Funky Food & Beer Tour guide.

Lalli immediately got into his introduction and started giving Michelle and I some history about Reykjavik. I was surprised he was starting the tour already, but apparently, we were the only two people on this particular tour.

He had a few illustrations and photos of Reykjavik to show us from before it became a modern city. Looking around at Reykjavik today, it was sobering to see images of the city as a relatively small provincial capital.

After giving us this history, Lalli asked if we were ready to try some delicious, high end Icelandic food. We both eagerly said yes, but Lalli just chuckled to himself, telling us we were going to be disappointed. He said the food on this tour was going to be traditional Icelandic food, which wasn’t known for its taste.

His little joke on our behalf would mostly prove to be only a joke.

This food tour is a great option after a day of driving on the Golden Circle outside Reykjavik. After all that driving and sightseeing, you’re going to be tired. Let Lalli take you around the city without having to do any planning yourself!

Stop #1 – Kaffi Loki

Kaffi Loki was our first stop and would be the most traditional and unique of the tastings we’d have during our Reykjavik food tour. This was also where Lalli’s joke would manifest itself with thankfully our only tasting of Iceland’s renowned fermented shar.

Besides the fermented shark, we also had dried haddock, smoked salmon on rye, smoked lamb on flatbread, and an Icelandic pancake with sugar. Our meal here took place in front of a large mural detailing facets of Nordic mythology. Very fitting for these traditional tastings.

But you want to read about the fermented shark, right?

Fermented shark, or hákarl, is a food staple that, like many of Iceland’s traditional foods, originated during times of hardship. Since the shark species used to make it is toxic when consumed raw, Icelanders learned that fermenting it would eliminate its toxins and make it edible, if not tasty. During the fermentation process, the meat picks up an incredibly strong ammonia profile.

And that’s exactly what it smells and tastes like. We were told by Lalli to chew it several times to allow its flavor to evolve. Initially, it smelled horrible but tasted sort of like a really strong roquefort cheese. Then, after several chews, it developed its pungent (to put it lightly) ammonia flavor. Truly, it was the worst thing I ever ate. However, to its credit(?), it wasn’t quite as terrible as I expected.

With the fermented shark out of the way, we moved on to the rest of our samples, which were all very good. The dried haddock was a favorite of mine from the whole food tour. Lalli explained that cod can also be used in these dried fish treats, but because cod is more profitable as an export, haddock is the traditional fish-of-choice.

A Quick Stop at Iurie Fine Art

Our next food stop was at 101 Reykjavik Street Food, but first Lalli brought us to this photo gallery to wait while he went next door to see if they were ready for us. According to Lalli, Iurie Fine Art is his favorite gallery in Reykjavik and Iurie one of his favorite photographers.

Personally, I’m always skeptical when guides give plugs for other businesses like this. Nevertheless, this photo gallery was impressive. Iurie’s photos do an outstanding job at showcasing Iceland’s varied and dramatic landscapes.

We found out most of the photos were taken by Iurie from a helicopter rather than by a drone. With so many people getting similar, albeit less stunning, photos by drone, it was refreshing to hear that he goes the extra step to be up in the air himself for these shots.

I did have to laugh when the gallery’s attendants kept mentioning that they were able to ship their photos to America. My 10-year-old jeans and hoodie must have really shouted that I was ready to drop a couple thousand dollars on one of these pieces.

Stop #2 – 101 Reykjavik Street Food

After perusing the photo gallery, we walked next door to 101 Reykjavik Street Food for our second batch of food tastings. 101 Reykjavik Street Food doesn’t look like much from the street or when you go inside, but the food more than makes up for its lack of decor.

The tastings here were still traditionally Icelandic, but they were much less exotic than fermented shark and dried haddock. Instead, we had fish and chips, fish stew and lamb soup.

The fish and chips were great, the lamb soup was very good, but the most interesting of the three was the fish stew. Looking at the picture, you might be surprised to read that the item on the left that looks like mashed potatoes is a stew.

In its most basic sense, fish stew, or plokkfiskur in Icelandic, is just fish (typically haddock), potatoes and onions. The gist of the recipe was that families would make the stew with whatever proportions of each were left over from the week’s meals. Personally, it was my least favorite of the three samples we had. That’s more so a testament to how good the other two were, though, than it is a statement against the stew. I thought it was a little bland compared to the other two.

At this point in the tour, you can grab a beer if you’d like an adult beverage. Unfortunately, it won’t be included in your tour, so you’ll have to pay for this as you leave.

Stop #3 – Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

One of Reykjavik’s most popular places to eat is Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, a rather plain-looking hot dog stand. This stand has been in Reykjavik since 1937, but it wasn’t particularly well known until 2004. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton was visiting for a conference when he tried out their hot dogs. Since then, Bæjarins has been a must-eat spot for visitors.

I was expecting to be underwhelmed. After all, it’s just a hot dog. You’ve had one, you’ve had them all. Fortunately, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur proved me wrong.

It might not have been the best I’ve ever had, but it was an excellent hot dog. Bæjarins’ hot dogs have a couple unique things going for them compared to other hot dogs. First off, the meat is made from lamb instead of pork giving it a more tender and flavorful texture. Then, adding to the flavor is the ketchup they use. Instead of a tomato-based ketchup, theirs is made from apple which imparts more of a sweet taste.

Make sure you order your dog with everything. It’s the Icelandic way and makes for the best taste. Everything includes ketchup, remoulade, sweet mustard, fried onions and raw onions.

Detour to Austurvöllur

On our way from the hot dog stand to our last stop, Lalli took us through Austurvöllur square. He explained that Icelanders use this square when they protest their government.

The background information of the square was interesting, but the Austurvöllur is most notable for how much of a local flair it has. This public square was the only spot in Reykjavik that felt like it was frequented by only locals rather than tourists. It was also interesting because there was a Parisian-style café along its periphery that we hadn’t seen anywhere else in Reykjavik.

If you have time, it might be worth visiting during your stay here whether you’re with a tour or not.

Stop #4 – Skúli Craft Bar

The final stop of our Reykjavik food tour was at Skúli Craft Bar to wash down all that food with some local beers. Of all the main stops on our tour, Skúli’s was the only one that had a locals-only personality. It’s a great spot for a drink if you’re looking for a more laid-back spot than some of the more popular stops in Reykjavik’s concentrated tourist zone.

After asking if we had preferences against any particular type of beer, Lalli went and ordered us each a flight. He returned with four tasters of local Icelandic beer.

The four beers were Pardus from Malbygg, Snorri from Borg Brugghús, Helga from Borg Brugghús, and then a stout (possibly because of the beer, I missed the name of this last one). Each brew was pretty tasty, but my favorite was Helga, a refreshing sour beer I had actually enjoyed earlier in our trip.

While here, Lalli described Iceland’s difficult history with alcohol, specifically their recent strict prohibition on beer. I found it fascinating that these excellent beers I was sampling were the product of such a relatively young craft beer industry.

Best Parts of the Reykjavik Food Tour

All the food we had on the Funky Food & Beer Tour was either very good or, in the case of the fermented shark, unique. Asides from the shark, everything else was delicious, especially the fish and chips at 101 Reykjavik Street Food and Reykjavik’s world-famous hot dog. It was a good way to taste some of Iceland’s more traditional food.

Making the cost of the tour worth it, though, was our guide, Lalli. Listening to his stories about the history of Reykjavik was a lot of fun. He was engaging, personable and filled with knowledge.

Truth be told, I was a bit nervous when I saw it was just the two of us on this tour because I sometimes get uncomfortable in one-on-one situations like that, but Lalli’s personality put my nerves at ease. He was both fun and easy to talk to.

Worst Parts of the Reykjavik Food Tour

The only downside of the Funky Food & Beer Tour was the price. You could buy the food and beer on their own for much less money if you don’t want or need the historical information and personal anecdotes from a guide.

To be fair, the cost is a big negative, so you do have balance that with the rest of your itinerary and your budget.

Iceland is notoriously expensive to visit. For tips to ease the hit on your wallet, check out my money-saving guide to Iceland!

Would I Book this Reykjavik Food Tour Again?

Even with the high cost, I would still book the Funky Food & Beer Tour again primarily because of Lalli. His expertise and engaging personality are what you’re really paying for since all that food could be purchased on its own for less money.

The tour given by Lalli is a wonderful introduction to Reykjavik if you aren’t familiar with its history. Even if you researched ahead of time and know the city’s history fairly well, Lalli fills in the gaps with more in-depth knowledge and personal experiences that can only be found with a local. Besides that, he’s just a pleasure to talk to while he takes you around Reykjavik.

Now, with that said, if you aren’t interested in learning about the area’s past, you can skip this particular Reykjavik food tour. It’s simply too expensive for food you can get by itself or possibly with a cheaper food tour.

Click here if you’re ready to book your Reykjavik food tour with Funky Iceland!

Reykjavik Food Tour FAQ

How much does the Reykjavik food tour cost?

As of this writing, the Funky Food and Beer Walk costs $150 per adult on Viator regardless of day or time.

How long is the Reykjavik food tour?

Our tour went for about two hours, but they suggest planning for up to three hours. Presumably, tours with more people last longer.

How many people are in a tour?

Funky Iceland offers these tours with a max of eight people, but they will run the tour as long as there are at least two people.

Do they accommodate dietary restrictions?

If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, they can make some accommodations for you. However, the tour is meant to introduce you to traditional Icelandic food, which consists primarily of lamb, fish and dairy. As such, not everything can be modified.

How much walking is involved?

The tour is a fairly straight shot from Hallgrímskirkja to Skúli Craft Bar. Owing to this and how compact Reykjavik is, the tour is under a mile of total walking. Further, it’s all downhill, making it even easier.

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