Surprisingly, the small Nordic island of 320k+ inhabitants took me to an amazing gastronomic adventure. The coastline of Iceland proves to be an advantage in sourcing fresh seafood. Its unique terrain (think Games of Thrones, Walter Mitty or Thor the movie) and chilly weather also create a one-of-a-kind ecosystem where Viking horses, short-tailed sheeps and fluffy puffin birds thrive.

Since I spent most of my eating time in Reykjavik, I was only able to cover the city area. After writing about What to Eat When in Iceland, let me take you to a journey starting off with...

1. Kaffi Brennslan- This buzzling, typical Icelandic coffee shop is a good place to chill and sip a cup of coffee or, for me, eat an afternoon dessert!

Carrot cake

I'm a good influence to my friends who try their hands at food photography as well.

2. Sandholt Bakery- One of the bakeries open in the early hours is a few blocks away from Kaffi Brennslan. Their fresh tomato soup of the day turned out to be loaded with quinoa/brown rice.

One big bowl of tomato soup

3. Gamla- One of the unassuming pizzerias in town that serves melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese pizza.  

Chicken with cream cheese base

 4. Fish Market- Asian inspired, you can get your fix of Icelandic delicacies, such as the puffin bird, langoustine and minke whale.



5. Seafood Cellar- Another chance for seafood lovers to get their langoustine fix. It feels like walking in an old cellar but with a more vibrant atmosphere. 

Cheese platter

Langoustine with seafood. I can go to heaven now :)

 6. Lobster House- Obviously you come here to get, what else, lobster aka langoustine! Please don't leave Iceland without trying the lobster soup.

Even though I was seated a few minutes after they opened for the night, customer service was a bit slow.

I am a big fan of lobster soup with langoustine meat.

 7. Cafe Loki- Their Icelandic plates was reasonably priced. The fish mash and herring on top of rye bread and rye ice cream platter were divine! Sit by the corner where you can ogle at the largest church, Hallgrimskirkja, in the country.  

An Icelandic platter to remember

 8. Grill Market- This establishment gives Fish Market a run for their money. Their fish trio platter is worth the monies. I would have also commended on their excellent service however found a strand of blonde hair in the corn kernels. Hmmm.

Chicken wings with deep fried corn kernels.

Fish trio with an Asian twist

Bread with black salt and creamed butter

9. Lava Restaurant- Trust me when I say that you will get hungry after spending a few hours in the hot spring at Blue Lagoon. However, since I was already starving by the time we got to the lagoon, I dragged my friends to eat first at Lava, run by 2013 Chef of the Year, Chef Victor and team. A happy tummy equals a happy me! I didn't get the desserts at Lava, but I wish I did. On second thought, I would have felt too bloated while soaking in the lagoon. #foodbloggerproblems



10. Te and Kaffi- For your tea or caffeine fix, head to Te and Kaffi, Iceland's version of Starbucks. I was surprised of the quality and flavor of the tuna bagel sandwich, which I know I could never get the same at Starbucks. Bonus points for local coffee shops!  



11. BBP or Bajarins Beztu Pylsur- Meat eaters rejoice since Icelandic dishes is not only about food from the sea, okay. The iconic hotdog stand even has a branch at the Keflavik International Airport.

This lady is as iconic as the hotdog she serves. Read all about their history on the wall of the storefront.

I wish I could tell you where to eat sheep's brain, but I didn't get the chance to find it. Maybe, next time when I'm back in the Nordic region :)