Thanksgiving meant something different to me this year. Unlike past years, where I had some classic celebrations by having a wholesome family gathering or a Friendsgiving dinner, I went on a trip to Iceland with friends.
Yes, you read that right. Iceland — the beautiful Land of Fire and Ice. Iceland has always been one of my most-desired travel destinations, and it should be one of yours as well.
In order not to have any regrets, we started planning our schedule more than a month before going. We made good use of our six days there, visiting all the must-go places!
Read more for our itinerary, featuring all the local food that went into our stomachs and the amazing spots we visited. Be ready to make Iceland your next travel destination!
On our first and third days in Iceland, we stayed in Reykjavik, the capital and largest city in the country. We explored authentic Icelandic cuisines and street food, summed up in four words: hot dogs, lamb, burgers, and coffee. I wouldn’t say Iceland is the best place to get great food. But, I mean, food is often used as a means of retaining one’s cultural identity. These food preferences provide an insight into Icelandic culture — all definitely worth trying!
- Reykjavik Roasters
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As a huge fan of coffee, one of the essentials when I travel to another country is to stop at their local cafe. We did some research, and Reykjavik Roasters is the most recognized local cafe. We ordered different kinds of coffee, from cafe au lait to espresso to ice drip coffee, and found that the coffee there left out the sourness but added more of the bitterness.
- Brauð & Co (Bread & Co) Bakery
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This bakery had the best cinnamon rolls. Compared to the cinnamon rolls we usually get in the States, they weren’t as sweet and also not as greasy. The Icelandic cinnamon rolls precisely reflected the neutral flavor Nordic countries like with their food.
- Bæjarins beztu hot dog stand
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The iconic Icelandic hot dog is made from a combination of pork, beef, and mostly lamb in natural casing. I don’t eat lamb, but all my friends are crazy about the hotdogs, loving the texture and flavor the crispy onion inside the hot dogs add to it.
- Aktu Taktu
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They call it the Icelandic McDonalds. Fast-food chains aren’t common in Iceland—we barely saw any Starbucks or Dunkin’, but that’s why they have their own local fast food brand Aktu Taktu! Just like McDonald’s, they offer drive-thru, tons of burgers, and set menus with various combinations. No big difference from what we have in the States, but if I have to name one, its service is much slower (not quite sure if it is qualified to be called fast food). Anyways, it was still a great experience getting food there! Highly recommended!
That’S a quick sum-up of the food I had in Iceland! I’ll leave the amazing travel spots to the next part. The breathtaking views are going to take your breath away, I guarantee. So, stay tuned!
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