Icelandic Foods To Keep You Warm This Winter

If you’re visiting Iceland this winter, there are many ways to offset the chilly weather, including with some delicious and hearty local food. Icelanders have found the cuisine that is most fulfilling and that helps locals get through the long, dark winter on this little island. And, of course, it involves a lot of fish.

1. Lobster Soup

Restaurant, Icelandic

This creamy, rich soup is a must during winter in Iceland. You’ll find one of the best bowls at Sægreifinn in Reykjavik, where customers enjoy the classic creamy recipe that has been passed down from the eccentric fisherman who opened the restaurant.

2. Sheep's Head

Svið, or sheep’s head, is a local Icelandic speciality and is definitely full of protein. Although the sight might turn people off, boiled sheep’s head can be a delicious wintertime meal. Check out the menu at Fljótt og Gott, at the BSI Bus Terminal in Reykjavik. Sheep’s head is commonly eaten during the Þorrablót midwinter festival in Iceland. Be sure to try the cheek, which is said to be the meatiest and the tastiest.

Fljótt og Gott, Vatnsmýrarvegi 10, Reykjavik, Iceland, +354 580 5400

Sheep’s Head | © Schneelocke/Wikimedia Commons

Plokkfiskur

Plokkfiskur, which means ‘plucked fish’, is a hearty stew of fish, potatoes, onions and béchamel sauce. It is a common favourite in Icelandic kitchens all year, but especially during the long winter months. Recipes barely vary from kitchen to kitchen, and it is served in many restaurants in Reykjavik and around the countryside.

Fish Soup

Icelandic Fish Soup is definitely a winter staple. Most recipes revolve around arctic char, salmon, haddock, cod or plaice, which is accompanied by local seasonal vegetables, such as onions, leeks, celeriac and tomatoes, and then it’s topped off with some cream and port or sherry.

3. Any Type of Fish

Market

It is no surprise that Reykjavik has many incredible restaurants with mouth-watering seafood, as it is a seafaring nation with centuries of practice in cultivating the best preparations. Fiskmarkaðurinn, which means “The Fish Market”, is housed in one of the oldest buildings in central Reykjavík and offers all the best Icelandic seafood, including salted cod, Atlantic catfish, salmon, blue ling, langoustine tails and flounder.

Fiskmarkaðurinn, Aðalstræti 12, Reykjavik, Iceland, +354 578 8877

Butter-fried halibut | © Audrey/Flickr

Blueberry Skyr Cake

Icelandic Skyr has become a symbol of health in the last couple of years. It is low-fat and high in protein, and it is delicious when paired with full-fat cream in a cheesecake topped with fresh blueberries or blueberry jam. This is a great winter dessert, especially with blueberry schnapps.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.