Cocktails & Fine Dining: Reykjavik

Last Updated: 28 June 2026

One aspect of solo travel that I am completely comfortable with is eating or drinking out alone. I know this is something many female solo travelers have either been scared of trying, or have had poor experiences that can be very off-putting.

Weirdly as someone who is mostly super shy within groups of strangers, this is something I love to do so much that I often do it even at home.

I love nothing more than trying out local beers or making my way through the cocktail and dessert lists. I had a bit of a mixed experience with service in Reykjavik and I’m not quite sure what I feel about it, but I’ll share my thoughts another time.

For now, I want to show you some of what you can expect from Reykjavik’s food and drinks. Their cocktails were fab, the food was mostly delicious and there were plenty of places to pick from wherever you went within the main city centre area.

^{*Prices I paid in December 2022 | **Prices checked in June 2026}

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The Positive Experiences

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Bastard Bar & Brewery

Just after I had visited Hallgrímskirkja on my second day, I felt it was time for a nice cold pint so I began dandering around the immediate area for somewhere that appealed on a whim. I did pass a fair few places but from peeking in, they all looked small and very busy.

I decided to head downhill again and back onto Laugavegur. This is how I found the “Bastard” bar (Vegamótastígur Street) and couldn’t pass up on that! So in I went and was offered a place indoors or out in their beer garden – given that it was minus temperatures, I of course opted for inside.

After later absent-mindedly looking around me, it looked more like an enclosed beer garden area so I regretted my initial decision, oops. I had been sat in the corner right at the door, which also had the menu station right next to it – neither ideal spots.

However, this didn’t feel like ‘shoving the solo drinker in the corner’ like some establishments do – it was more like a busy bar and it was the first smaller indoor table the guy found and I was happy enough to go with it.

As I always do when abroad, I asked for a pint of their local beer – which happened to be Gull. Delicious and light, give it a go if you like your lagers.

Also something to remember, in the UK we ask for a pint or half-pint of beer, but in Europe they say large or small beer. Most waiters understand but worth a mention just in case you get some confused looks when ordering.

I also had my first Reykjavik cocktail here; strong and full of flavour. I did note that it was smaller than the cocktails I would get at home or in some other countries I’ve been to but it was worth it.

Service was perfectly pleasant but it was a bit too slow for my liking so I opted to try somewhere else for dinner. I would, however, return here to try the full experience as I did get a good vibe despite slower service.

You can see their updated menu and prices here.

Eiriksson Brasserie

This prohibition-styled restaurant appealed as somewhere extra nice to dine on a night where I felt like treating myself to a nice meal and a few drinks. The décor was fantastic, very Gatsby!

Both the waitress and waiter who served me were very approachable and friendly, making me feel relaxed and comfortable. I felt particularly welcomed considering how awkward and ignored I had felt in other places, and service here was one of the best by far.

One of the first things I noticed was the cute wee wreath that was around the candle – a really nice Christmassy touch that added to the overall atmosphere.

I also couldn’t not order the gingerbread man cocktail considering it was a week before Xmas, and damn, it was so delicious I had to order a second one! The food was also delicious and nicely presented.

All those things added up to an experience so refreshingly nice that I ordered a glass of wine after dessert, and I would have stayed for more if I wasn’t already getting too tipsy to walk home safely in the ice.

It was great to go somewhere a little different from most restaurants, and although I spent a bit more money here than I did most nights on dining out, it was absolutely worth the splashing out. I would absolutely go back and definitely recommend this place.

You can see their updated menu and prices here.

Hereford Steakhouse

This place I had to share last – it was an absolute disaster but it was mostly of my own doing. I'll save the full story for a more specific blog (trust me, you'll see what I mean by 'stumbling' my way through solo travel..) but after seeing a set "wild game menu" advertised, I headed straight inside.

After tasting reindeer in Norway, I was excited to finally try something a bit more local or different. I knew what courses would be coming, but was most excited to taste the beautiful meat of reindeer again and to try puffin for the first time.

So to start, I ordered a bottle of sauvignon blanc (my usual wine) from the drinks menu by pointing at the name instead of even attempting to pronounce it. Okay, all good so far.

Until my white wine order somehow turned into a bottle of red wine (which I hate), but I'm able to take small sips as long as I don't catch the smell.

So wine disaster fixable, I returned to my usual people-watching, and noted a table of friends nearby had just been served with tiny portions. Ouch, imagine paying these prices and getting a tiny portion like that appear.

But yes, you guessed it – I soon ate my (imaginary) words when the same portion sizes appeared in front of me.

The food was overall tasty and the reindeer meat was as delicious as I remember it being in Norway so I was very pleased with that. After being so excited to try puffin, I was disappointed because, for me, there was no particular taste from it at all.

I also later learnt that locals don’t really eat puffin and many discourage tourists from doing so. I’m not sure why but it seemed to be a bit of a controversial point, with some really against it and some not particularly caring – maybe something you would find important for your own food choices.

Service was okay, but by now I'm kind of guessing that maybe Icelandic time is just a bit more relaxed than what I’m used to?

One other thing they do automatically get major kudos for though, was that the ladies bathroom had a basket with toiletries (deodorant etc) for your use. Us ladies always appreciate that, and it's a nice extra touch to add to my experience here.

The vibe was nice in here and it was a nice experience for a bit of a fancier meal so I would return here, and that's why it makes the positive list.

You can see their updated menus (main & Wild Game) and prices for both here.

NB: The 'Wild Game' menu is only available during November and December.

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The Not So Positive Experience

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Lóa Restaurant

As part of the Center Hotels Laugavegur, after having a shower and freshening up, I went down to Lóa since my receptionist had highly recommended their breakfast – I figured their food must be particularly great.

I was seated immediately and there were a few others (couples) already dining; I was the only one alone. The layout of the restaurant was rows of tables of varying sizes – I particularly like window seats so I can watch the world go by and people-watch.

There were a row of two-person tables at the window and a parallel row of same size tables down the middle. I was asked to pick a table from this middle row – I was a bit disappointed but just assumed there may have been reservations already in place, so rolled with it.

After a while, a couple that arrived after me who were originally seated in my row, moved themselves to a window table. Can’t say I blame them at all.

However, I noted that nothing was said to them regarding moving to the window – it left a sour taste in my mouth as a solo diner.

I know it’s a more ‘romantic’ setting for the couples, but us solo travelers also like window views and shouldn’t be treated any less. My vibes almost immediately wavered and I wasn’t impressed at all.

Thankfully the food did save it being an all-out disappointment after that. I had no idea what cod tartare was, but I love fresh cod so in my naivety, I was expecting something along those lines when I ordered the starter.

What came out was a plate full of frozen something-or-other. I’m sure my face was scrunched up in confusion and I wish I’d taken a photo to show you exactly what I mean, but I’m generally up for trying new foods so cautiously tucked in.

I don’t know how to describe it other than weirdly delicious and the unexpected frozen presentation actually enhanced it rather than putting me off. I would definitely get it again, and would recommend it if you like cod.

The steak was the chef’s recommendation and I accepted – it was absolutely delicious and melted in my mouth, and the accompanying potatoes were also lovely.

This time I only had one cocktail with dinner and called it a night. The window table thing left me feeling a bit side-lined as a solo diner, and it kind of put me off enjoying the restaurant in a way that I liked to do.

Despite that, I would actually come back here in the future in the hopes that I have a better experience, because the food was really lovely.

You can see their updated menu and prices here.

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I wouldn't necessarily expect you to have the same experiences as me so please don't be put off trying the one restaurant I didn't have the best meal out in - especially because despite having a "not so positive" experience, I would still give it a second chance!

Also, maybe I'm just not cut out for the fine dining malarky, and I'm probably just not used to more laid back European timings. Plus, this particular trip was a bit of an emotional one, so maybe it was just me not being so receptive.

Either way, the food and drinks I had were lovely and although eating out was expensive, it was no more so than I had expected to pay here.