Reykjavik is a great place to find a hearty, delicious breakfast or brunch. There are many excellent restaurants and bistros around the city, each with their own unique offers. Enjoy cafés in quiet neighborhoods by the pool or by the old harbor. Here is our list of the best places in Reykjavik to have your first meal of the day.
Located on Hverfisgata, the street running parallel to the main shopping street, this little hole-in-the-wall cafe is very much a hidden gem. Situated halfway underground, it is easy to miss, but once you step inside the cozy atmosphere with books and low-lighting will make you glad you found it. Open strictly for breakfast and brunch hours, the Grey Cat focuses on what it does best. The menu is famous for its large portions including the aptly named dish The Truck. A great place to fuel up before exploring Reykjavik for the day.
Brunch is served every day between 10am and 4pm. Check out the amazing champagne cocktail brunch menu featuring elderflower champagne. This quintessential French bistro-decorated establishment gives you the option of the Icelandic Brunch, featuring traditional slátur, blood pudding or the French Brunch with pork pâté and camembert.
Prikið is notably the oldest coffee shop in Reykjavik. The exterior is still the same as when it opened in the 1950s but prepare to be surprised on the weekends as it is a popular place for hip-hop DJs to play late into the morning. This establishment has an American-inspired menu with names for dishes such as The Truck: bacon, eggs, pancakes, syrup, toast, grilled tomato and fried potatoes; and The Station Wagon: bacon, eggs, sausages, toast and baked beans. Breakfast is served all day.
Brunch is served on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Coocoo’s Nest is vegan-friendly and has a vegan surprise offer on the brunch menu. Check out the mimosa made with beet juice. The brunch menu also offers a variety of omelets and other egg options such as eggs Florentine, as well as pancakes and breakfast burritos. The small cafe is beautifully decorated with a smart design and plenty of succulent plants.
This bar is located in a quiet, picturesque neighborhood that is home to many. The cozy atmosphere, complete with low lighting, hanging plants and large windows, is one of the most memorable in Reykjavik. If you want a quiet evening with friends in a sleek, cool environment, go here and check out the gin and tonic menu. They also offer a range of French brasserie-style dishes such as moules marinières, prepared with mussels harvested at Breidafjordur, and French onion soup made with Icelandic Isbui cheese. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays. An elaborate brunch menu is offered with a variety of salads including duck, pork and tuna, as well as a variety of ways to have your pancakes. They also offer a fish-of-the-day for brunch, as well as a long list of ways in which you can have your eggs, from eggs Norwegian to eggs Benedict. Don’t forget to look over the brunch cocktail menu.
Breakfast and brunch are served from 7am to 11am on weekdays, and all day on the weekend. Serving a menu focused on healthy and fresh offerings, Bergson Mathús’ basic brunch starts with sourdough bread, fruit, freshly made Greek yogurt and homemade hummus and fruit juice.
This charming place is tucked away in the Reykjavik Botanical Gardens, open from May to October. The café dining area is actually inside a greenhouse, complete with a goldfish pond and all sorts of flowering plants covering the walls. Chef Marentza Poulsen uses ingredients from the surrounding gardens and from local farmers. Her specialty is the Danish open-faced sandwich, smørrebrød. The menu is seasonal and hosts a variety of Scandinavian dishes with a tasteful delivery. Notice the butter served on seashells and the flower petals decorating your plate. Brunch is offered on Saturdays and Sundays.
Breakfast is served weekdays from 8:30am to 11am. Enjoy different kinds of porridge as well as fresh and delicious toast with avocado, salmon or parmaham. Brunch is served on the weekends. Located on an idyllic corner in the relaxed Westside neighborhood, this is a great place to eat after a visit to the public swimming pool just across the street, for coffee or for pastries.
Located inside Reykjavik Marina Hotel, Slippbarinn offers a brunch buffet on the weekends from 12pm to 3pm with everything you could want from a brunch menu – waffles, brunch cocktails and green smoothies. Slippbarinn also offers a breakfast buffet on weekdays from 6:30am to 10am with a healthy and energizing classic breakfast. Enjoy the antique decorated cafe right next to the old harbor.
Breakfast is served weekdays from 7am to 11am. Enjoy chia seed porridge with fruit or a salmon omelet. Brunch is offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30am to 3pm. Enjoy the brunch platter with a little bit of everything, the pancake platter or the French toast platter. They serve great coffee and cake as well. Considered the oldest restaurant in Reykjavik, this hidden gem is seemingly known only by fishermen, as it sits right on the harbor.
