Restaurant in Reykholt, Iceland
Worth the detour. Know what you're booking.
Friðheimar is a geothermal greenhouse restaurant on the Golden Circle where the entire menu revolves around the tomatoes growing around you. It's an easy booking compared to Reykjavík's top tables, and a genuinely interesting lunch stop — especially for the tomato beer and Bloody Mary bar. Not a wine destination, but a smart detour if you're already on the route.
Friðheimar is worth the detour on the Golden Circle route, but you should know what you're booking: a geothermal greenhouse restaurant where tomatoes are the entire point. If you're expecting a broad Icelandic menu or a wine-forward evening, recalibrate. If you want a genuinely singular lunch experience in a working farm setting — with a menu built almost entirely around what's growing overhead — book it. Reservations are easy to secure compared to Reykjavík's leading tables, so there's no reason to leave this to chance.
The restaurant sits inside a heated greenhouse on a family-run farm in the Hveragerði area of South Iceland. Every dish connects back to the tomato harvest happening a few metres away , soups, salads, pastas, and the house-made tomato beer that has become something of a calling card. The food is simple by design, not by accident. This is produce-led cooking at its most literal: the growing conditions, the variety selection, and the harvest timing all feed directly into what arrives at your table.
On the drinks side, don't arrive expecting depth. The list is tight and purposefully focused , the tomato beer and Bloody Mary bar are the main events, and they're worth trying. If you're travelling with someone who wants conventional wine with lunch, options are limited. For serious wine programming, DILL in Reykjavík or Moss in Grindavík will serve you better. Friðheimar's drinks program is a thematic extension of the food concept, not an independent strength.
Timing matters here. Friðheimar operates primarily as a lunch venue for travellers on the Golden Circle circuit. Arrive earlier in the service if you want a quieter table , the greenhouse fills quickly once tour groups arrive mid-session. The atmosphere is warm and informal, greenhouse glass overhead, plants surrounding the tables. Solo diners are comfortable; the communal, open layout means you won't feel conspicuous eating alone.
For anyone already covering Iceland's south , whether you're routing through to Nesjavallavirkjun in Selfoss or heading further along the Ring Road , Friðheimar is a practical and genuinely interesting lunch stop. It's not a destination restaurant in the way that ÓX or DILL Restaurant in Reykjavik are, but for what it does, there's nothing comparable on the route. See our full Reykholt restaurants guide for how it fits into the broader area, and check the Reykholt experiences guide if you're building a full day around this part of South Iceland.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friðheimar | Easy | — | ||
| DILL | New Nordic, Creative | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Matur og Drykkur | Icelandic, Traditional Cuisine | Unknown | — | |
| Moss | Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| ÓX | Nordic , Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Lava | Nordic | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Friðheimar measures up.
The tomato soup is the anchor dish and the reason most people come — it's made from tomatoes grown in the greenhouse you're sitting inside, which gives it a focus and coherence that novelty restaurants rarely deliver. Beyond that, the menu builds around what the farm produces, so lean into the tomato-forward dishes rather than looking for variety. If you want a broader Icelandic menu, this is not the right stop.
Friðheimar is a specific format — a farm greenhouse on the Golden Circle — so like-for-like alternatives don't exist nearby. For serious Icelandic cooking in Reykjavík, Matur og Drykkur is the closer comparison: traditional ingredients, strong execution, and a clear culinary point of view. If you're after Michelin-level dining, DILL is Iceland's reference point. Friðheimar works best as a daytime stop en route rather than a destination meal in its own right.
Yes, provided you're comfortable with the greenhouse setting and a menu that doesn't require much deliberation. The communal, informal nature of the space means solo visitors don't feel out of place, and the experience is short enough — a lunch stop rather than a long dinner — that it suits solo travellers on the Golden Circle route. It's not the kind of counter-dining experience you'd seek out solo the way you might at a sushi bar, but it works.
Not the strongest choice for a formal celebration. The greenhouse setting is atmospheric but the format is casual and daytime-focused, which doesn't suit milestone dinners. For a special occasion in Iceland, ÓX or DILL in Reykjavík offer the kind of intentional, chef-driven experience that marks an occasion. Friðheimar is a highlight of a day trip, not a destination evening.
Book at least 2 to 3 weeks ahead if you're visiting in summer, when the Golden Circle is at peak traffic and the restaurant fills with tour groups and independent travellers alike. Shoulder season gives more flexibility, but given the limited seating inside a working greenhouse, walk-in risk is real. Check availability as soon as your Iceland dates are confirmed.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
