Nordic cuisine has been extremely popular for some time, and this is no secret. Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway are home to an impressive roster of Michelin-star restaurants that focus on Nordic cuisine using local ingredients and a variety of unique and daring twists and fusions. However, being one of the smallest Nordic nations (the second smallest next to the Faroe Islands) Iceland is catching up with its Nordic cousins in a big way.
With a population of less than 400,000 inhabitants, Iceland is punching well above its weight in terms of world class cuisine, and now boasts three Michelin-star restaurants - Dill, ÓX and Moss Restaurant at the Retreat Hotel by the Blue Lagoon. There is also a thriving and alive dining scene with many other superb restaurants standing loud and proud and claiming their spot on the list of essential, Icelandic dining experiences. Fiskmarkaðurinn (The Fish Market), Grillmakaðurinn (The Grill Market), Matarkjallarinn (The Food Cellar) and Matur og Drykkur (Food and Drink) have been firm favourites for years, as well as emerging talent, such as new kids on the block, OTO, which fuses Italian and Japanese cuisine, and does so exceptionally well.
Dill was Iceland‘s first Michelin-star rated restaurant, with a focus on natural, wild and responsibly sourced Icelandic ingredients, and they were granted the accolade for the first time in 2019. The star was lost in 2019, but they fought hard to reclaim it again the following year and have held onto it ever since. ÓX were the next restaurant to be awarded the star in 2022, offering a uniue and intimate Chef‘s Table experience, putting modern twists on traditional Iceland staples. Limited seating means an eye-watering waiting list, but the wait is most defintely worth it.
Moss Restaurant at the Retreat Hotel carefully craft exquisite seasonal twists on Icelandic cuisine, as well as having perfected the art of flawless wine pairing, offering a selection of exquisite wines from their impressive, underground wine cellar.
The buzz and the thrill of Reykjavík‘s culinary scene is very present, and fans of both traditional and adventurous plates should never struggle in search of an establishment that more than matches their tastes. Arctic Face will always recommend the very best of the best and include carefulyl selected reservations in all of our tailor made activites.