Eating Around Iceland's Ring Road: Our Restaurant and Grocery Strategy
Photo note: Unless explicitly credited otherwise, the photos in this Iceland article are our original images from our September 27-October 6, 2024 Ring Road trip.
อ่านบทความนี้เป็นภาษาไทย: เปิดเวอร์ชันภาษาไทย
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We did not treat food as a separate activity from the route. A restaurant could be a recovery stop after a long drive, a supermarket could determine the next two days, and a simple meal in the van could save the evening when weather changed the plan.
Reykjavík: start with a recognizable Icelandic meal
Café Loki gave us an approachable introduction to local food near Hallgrímskirkja. We ordered lamb and looked at traditional dishes without turning the first meal into a formal tasting menu. See our Café Loki article.
Our lamb shank at Café Loki in Reykjavík, served with potatoes and vegetables.
Vík and Skaftafell: eat where the driving day ends
After South Coast stops, Vík was a natural place for a proper dinner before deciding whether to continue. At Skaftafell, food trucks and the visitor-center restaurant were useful because the campsite and glacier walks made it easy to stay in the same area.
Grilled meat dish from our dinner at Veitingahúsið Suður-Vík.
Fish dish from our dinner at Veitingahúsið Suður-Vík.
Desserts and skyr on display near the Skaftafell visitor-center restaurant.
East Iceland: make the practical stops count
Egilsstaðir worked as a supply and reset point before or after the Eastfjords. We preferred a warm restaurant meal when the driving day was long, but kept food in the van for late arrivals and unpredictable weather.
Mývatn: plan the meal, not just the attraction
Mývatn deserves a full regional day. Menu and food photos from our stop reminded us to check opening hours before arriving, especially outside the summer season. A campsite breakfast and a planned restaurant meal made the day easier.
Dessert with cake, cream, berries, and ice cream from our Mývatn food stop.
The simple rhythm that worked
- Breakfast and coffee in the van.
- A flexible lunch near the day’s main stop.
- Groceries from Costco, Bónus, or another town supermarket.
- One restaurant or ready-food stop after a long drive.
- Pantry food for late arrivals and bad-weather days.
For the shopping side, read our Costco Iceland guide. For the vehicle kitchen, see the camper-van food guide.