6 Best Restaurants in Hafnarfjörður, Reykjanes Peninsula and the South Coast (with the Golden Circle)

Tucked away in the sleepy fishing town of Hafnarfjörður, Pallett looks at times like an ad from a 1970s issue of Vogue with its jungle of houseplants, a rotary telephone at the counter, and cassette player blaring in the background. But this is more than just a hipster hangout: the food is hearty, wholesome, and inherently British (think freshly baked scones with homemade jam) and the coffee is made from award-winning beans. Pálmar Þór, co-owner and resident coffee guru, is a twice-national barista champion and makes a first-class Irish coffee that'll leave you feeling so serene, you might just want to stay in the 1970s a little longer.

At this great modern bakery-café by the harbor, you can enjoy delicious sourdough bread with tasty, original salads and mouthwatering pastries, either to eat there or to take with you on a road trip. In a city with as fierce a bakery scene as Hafnarfjörður, this spot is a true stand-out, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a local who isn’t obsessed with their cheese and tuna spreads.

Located in the second oldest building in Hafnarfjörður and shaped like a Norwegian Stave church, you will travel in time and land in a dark, wooden scene filled with Viking-inspired art. Fjörukráin serves traditional Icelandic meals on Viking-style trays carried by waiters dressed in Viking clothes. They often have live music too, and if you're lucky singing Vikings will show up and join you. If you are sick of the Scandinavian chic that you will find in most restaurants in Iceland, Fjörukráin is the place for you. 

Immerse yourself in everything Viking—from the style of architecture to the menu. Excellent seafood and meat dishes are served for those leery of traditional fare. It's next to the Viking Hotel.

In any weather—even the most brutal snowstorm—Icelanders will meet their friends for an ice cream. Ísbúð Vesturbæjar is a famous family-owned ice-cream parlor with one of the best Bragðarefur (blended mix of crushed-up candy and vanilla soft-serve) in all of Iceland.