Eating on the Ring Road: The Best Stops

The 1,332-kilometre Ring Road (Route 1) that circles Iceland presents a unique culinary challenge: where do you find proper sustenance whilst traversing one of Europe's most sparsely populated landscapes? Beyond Reykjavík's celebrated restaurant scene lies a network of cafés, restaurants, and food stops that serve both practical fuel and genuine gastronomic experiences for road-trippers navigating Iceland's dramatic perimeter.

The South Coast: From Reykjavík to Höfn

Selfoss and Hella

Your first substantial food stop after leaving the capital comes at **Selfoss** (57km from Reykjavík), where **Kaffi Krús** serves excellent fish and chips alongside more adventurous Icelandic fare. Expect to pay around 2,800 ISK (€19) for fish of the day with chips. The town's **Nettó supermarket** provides essential provisions for self-catering travellers.

Just 20km further east, **Hella** offers **Rangá Restaurant**, renowned for its lamb dishes sourced from the surrounding countryside. Their slow-cooked leg of lamb (4,900 ISK/€33) showcases the quality that makes Icelandic lamb internationally coveted.

Vík í Mýrdal

At 186km from Reykjavík, **Vík** represents a crucial refuelling point before the long stretch to Höfn. **Halldórskaffi** has been feeding travellers since 1831, making it one of Iceland's oldest continuously operating restaurants. Their fish soup (2,200 ISK/€15) provides warming sustenance, particularly valuable given Vík's notoriously unpredictable weather. The adjacent **Black Beach Restaurant** offers more upmarket dining with panoramic views of Reynisfjara's dramatic coastline.

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

This tiny settlement 261km from Reykjavík punches above its weight gastronomically. **Systrakaffi** ("Sisters' Café") operates from a building that once housed a convent, serving traditional Icelandic pancakes with rhubarb jam (1,800 ISK/€12). Their weekend buffet (3,500 ISK/€24) features local specialities including smoked trout from nearby rivers.

Höfn

After 458km of driving, **Höfn** provides the Ring Road's finest seafood experience. This fishing town's proximity to Vatnajökull's glacial outlets creates ideal conditions for langoustines (humar). **Pakkhús Restaurant** occupies a converted warehouse and serves what many consider Iceland's best langoustine tail buffet (8,900 ISK/€60) from May through September. **Humarhöfnin** offers more budget-conscious langoustine soup (3,200 ISK/€22) that doesn't compromise on quality.

The East Fjords: Remote Gems

The 300km stretch from Höfn to Egilsstaðir traverses Iceland's most remote dining landscape. **Djúpivogur** (100km from Höfn) offers **Langabúð**, a heritage building housing both museum and café, where their fish stew (2,600 ISK/€18) provides comfort after navigating winding fjord roads.

**Stöðvarfjörður** hosts **Café Nielsen**, a French-Icelandic fusion establishment that seems impossibly sophisticated for a settlement of 203 residents. Chef-owner Marie-Claire Nielsen's duck confit with Icelandic herbs (5,400 ISK/€37) exemplifies how international influences enhance local ingredients.

The North: Hearty Mountain Fare

Egilsstaðir and Lake Mývatn

**Egilsstaðir** (647km from Reykjavík) serves as the East's commercial hub. **Salt Café & Bistro** elevated the region's dining scene with dishes like pan-fried Arctic char with wild mushrooms (4,200 ISK/€29). Their commitment to East Iceland ingredients—from Seyðisfjörður brewery beer to foraged herbs—demonstrates sophisticated regionality.

The 186km journey to **Lake Mývatn** passes through **Möðrudalur**, Iceland's highest farm at 469 metres elevation. **Fjallakaffi** provides essential sustenance in this highland desert, with their lamb soup (2,400 ISK/€16) offering warming respite from often harsh conditions.

At **Mývatn**, **Vogafjós Guesthouse** presents a unique dining experience: their restaurant overlooks an active dairy farm, allowing diners to watch cows being milked whilst enjoying dinner. Their beef tenderloin (6,800 ISK/€46) comes from cattle raised metres away, creating an unparalleled farm-to-table experience.

Akureyri

Iceland's northern capital, 833km from Reykjavík, provides the Ring Road's most sophisticated dining outside the capital. **Rub23** revolutionised Icelandic sushi by incorporating local fish varieties, whilst **Strikið** offers fine dining with panoramic views over Eyjafjörður. Budget-conscious travellers should visit **Bláa Kannan**, a cosy café serving enormous portions of traditional fare—their meat soup (2,100 ISK/€14) could sustain two people.

The West: Completing the Circle

The final 463km from Akureyri back to Reykjavík offers several noteworthy stops. **Blönduós** provides **Gladheimar Restaurant**, specialising in horse meat—a traditional Icelandic protein rarely found elsewhere. Their smoked horse (3,800 ISK/€26) offers adventurous eaters an authentic cultural experience.

**Borgarnes**, just 74km from Reykjavík, hosts **The Settlement Center Restaurant**, where medieval-inspired dishes like slow-cooked lamb shank (4,600 ISK/€31) provide fitting conclusion to a Ring Road culinary journey.

Practical Considerations

Supermarkets appear regularly in larger settlements: **Bónus** (identifiable by its pink pig logo) offers the most budget-friendly provisions, whilst **Hagkaup** stocks more diverse ingredients. Fuel station convenience stores—particularly **N1** locations—provide basic hot food 24 hours daily, with decent coffee and acceptable hot dogs for around 600 ISK (€4).

Most restaurants open from 11:30 to 21:00, though hours may be reduced outside summer months. Booking ahead is advisable for dinner, particularly at establishments in smaller settlements where capacity is limited.

The Ring Road's culinary landscape reflects Iceland's geography: sparse but rewarding, with exceptional quality compensating for limited variety. Each meal becomes memorable not merely for its flavour, but for its context within one of the world's most spectacular road trips.

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