Restaurant in Reykjavík, Iceland
Classic Icelandic seafood, no tasting-menu price.
3 Frakkar is Reykjavík's most reliable option for traditional Icelandic seafood at a price below the city's €€€€ tasting-menu tier. Ranked #380 on Opinionated About Dining Casual Europe 2024 and holding a 4.5 Google rating across 1,275 reviews, it delivers consistent quality under chef Úlfar Eysteinsson. Book Friday or Saturday dinner for the best experience; booking is easy with a few days' notice.
3 Frakkar is the right booking if you want classic Icelandic seafood without the tasting-menu price tag. Run by chef Úlfar Eysteinsson and ranked #380 in Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list for 2024 (with a Recommended nod in 2023), this Baldursgata address has earned its place as one of Reykjavík's most consistent neighbourhood seafood restaurants. It is not where you go for Nordic-creative theatrics — that's DILL or ÓX. 3 Frakkar is where you go when you want well-executed traditional cooking at a price that won't require a second mortgage.
3 Frakkar translates roughly as "Three Overcoats," and the room has always leaned into a certain cosy, unhurried register. This is a special-occasion restaurant for people who measure a good evening by the quality of what arrives on the plate rather than by how many courses are staged across it. The kitchen focuses on Icelandic seafood — the kind of cooking that puts direct, honest flavour ahead of architectural presentation. If you are looking for a progression of small, composed dishes with theatrical pacing, book elsewhere. If you want something that delivers on the promise of Iceland's seafood without the formality of a set tasting menu, this is a strong case.
For a celebratory dinner, the dinner service suits better than lunch , it runs later on Fridays and Saturdays (until 10:30 pm), giving a more relaxed, evening-out tempo. Saturday dinner in particular is the format to book for a date or small group celebration: no lunch service means the kitchen and floor staff are entirely focused on the dinner sitting, and the room takes on a different character than a weekday lunchtime visit.
Compared to the €€€€ tier that dominates Reykjavík's fine-dining conversation , Matur og Drykkur, Brút, Hosiló , 3 Frakkar sits at a more accessible price point, making it a sensible first move if you want to anchor a Reykjavík dining itinerary around Icelandic product without committing every meal to the top-tier spend. It also carries more culinary credibility than the tourist-facing seafood restaurants along the harbour strip.
Dinner on Friday or Saturday is the optimal window. The kitchen stays open until 10:30 pm on those nights, which means you can arrive after 8 pm without the mid-evening rush pressure you sometimes feel at restaurants with a hard 10 pm close. If you are visiting Reykjavík in winter , which accounts for most international arrivals chasing the northern lights , the dinner-only Saturday format means you can spend the day outside and come in for a proper sit-down meal without restructuring your itinerary around a lunchtime slot.
Weekday lunch is a practical option if your afternoon is free and you want a quieter room. The lunch service runs Monday through Friday, 11:30 am to 2 pm, which is short enough that arrival around noon is sensible if you want full menu availability and relaxed service. Sunday dinner (6–10 pm) is a reasonable fallback, though Saturday has a slightly longer service window.
3 Frakkar holds a 2024 ranking of #380 on the Opinionated About Dining Casual Europe list, following a Recommended listing in 2023. OAD Casual Europe recognition reflects consistent, repeat-visitor quality rather than one-time critical spectacle , it is the kind of credential that signals reliability. The Google rating of 4.5 across 1,275 reviews reinforces that conclusion: this is not a restaurant riding a launch spike, but one sustaining quality over a long run. Chef Úlfar Eysteinsson has been the consistent figure behind the kitchen throughout.
Booking difficulty at 3 Frakkar is rated Easy. You do not need to plan weeks ahead the way you would for ÓX or a tasting-menu slot at DILL, but for Friday and Saturday dinner , especially during the peak summer and northern-lights seasons , booking a few days in advance is the sensible call. Weekday lunch is the most accessible slot if you are arriving without a reservation. The restaurant is at Baldursgata 14, 101 Reykjavík.
Hours: Mon–Thu 11:30 am–2 pm and 6–10 pm; Fri 11:30 am–2 pm and 6–10:30 pm; Sat 6–10:30 pm; Sun 6–10 pm.
Quick reference: Baldursgata 14, 101 Reykjavík | OAD Casual Europe #380 (2024) | Google 4.5/5 (1,275 reviews) | Booking: Easy, a few days ahead for weekend dinner.
If you are building a wider Iceland dining itinerary, Moss in Grindavík is worth the trip for a more dramatic setting, while Friðheimar in Reykholt is a completely different experience , a greenhouse tomato farm restaurant that is genuinely interesting for a day trip. In Akureyri, Strikið is the comparable benchmark. For international seafood comparisons, Angler in London and Alici on the Amalfi Coast occupy a similar quality register but at significantly higher price points.
Browse our full Reykjavík restaurants guide, hotels in Reykjavík, bars in Reykjavík, and experiences in Reykjavík for the full picture.
Yes. The relaxed neighbourhood format and unhurried service pace make 3 Frakkar a comfortable solo option , you are not locked into a long tasting-menu progression where single-diner pacing can become awkward. Weekday lunch is particularly low-pressure for solo visits. If you want solo counter dining with more theatrical service, ÓX is the Reykjavík benchmark, but it requires significantly more planning and spend.
Booking is rated Easy, so a few days ahead is generally sufficient outside peak season. For Friday and Saturday dinner in summer (June–August) or during the northern-lights window (October–March), book at least 3–5 days out. Weekday lunch is the most available slot if you are in Reykjavík without a reservation. Compare this to DILL or ÓX, where waits of several weeks are common during busy periods.
Nothing in the available data specifies a private dining room or a maximum group size, so contact the restaurant directly before bringing a large party. Based on the neighbourhood restaurant format and the address at Baldursgata 14, this is more likely suited to groups of 4–6 than to large corporate events. For groups wanting a more structured large-table experience in Reykjavík, Matur og Drykkur is worth checking for availability.
For traditional Icelandic cooking at a similar register, Matur og Drykkur is the closest peer , it skews more historic-recipe focused but shares the product-led approach. For a step up in formality and creative ambition, DILL (New Nordic tasting menu) and ÓX (counter omakase-style) are both worth the extra spend if the occasion warrants it. Brút and Hosiló round out the modern end of the Reykjavík dining scene at the €€€€ tier.
Dinner is the better choice for a special occasion or when you want the full experience. The Friday and Saturday dinner service runs until 10:30 pm, giving more room for a relaxed meal. Lunch (Mon–Fri, 11:30 am–2 pm) is the practical option , faster-paced and more casual. Saturday has no lunch service at all, which makes it the cleaner dinner-only commitment. If your primary goal is value and convenience rather than atmosphere, weekday lunch is perfectly reasonable.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Frakkar | Seafood | Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #380 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Recommended (2023) | Easy | — |
| DILL | New Nordic, Creative | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Matur og Drykkur | Icelandic, Traditional Cuisine | Unknown | — | |
| ÓX | Nordic , Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Brút | Modern Cuisine | Unknown | — | |
| Sümac | Middle Eastern | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between 3 Frakkar and alternatives.
Yes. The unhurried, cosy format at 3 Frakkar suits solo diners well — you are not working through a lengthy tasting menu, so there is no awkward pacing pressure. The OAD Casual Europe ranking signals a relaxed room rather than a high-ceremony one, which works in your favour dining alone. If you want a counter-style solo experience instead, ÓX is structured differently and books far harder.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so you do not need weeks of lead time for most nights. That said, Friday and Saturday dinners fill faster given the extended 10:30 pm closing, so aim for a few days ahead if your dates are fixed. Walk-ins are more realistic at weekday lunch, when the room is quieter.
Groups are manageable here given the casual, unfussy format — this is not a counter-only or solo-focused concept. For larger parties on a Friday or Saturday, book ahead rather than assuming availability. If your group wants a more dramatic or production-heavy setting, Moss in Grindavík is worth considering as an alternative.
DILL is the step-up option if you want a tasting-menu format with more ceremony and a higher price point. Matur og Drykkur covers traditional Icelandic cooking with a slightly more contemporary angle. ÓX is the hardest book in the city and operates in a completely different register. For everyday Reykjavík seafood without the occasion framing, Brút and Sümac offer different cuisines but compete for the same casual dinner slot.
Dinner is the stronger choice. The kitchen runs until 10:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, giving you flexibility to arrive late without rushing. Lunch runs 11:30 am to 2 pm Monday through Friday only — useful if you are already in the neighbourhood, but Saturday and Sunday lunch are not offered. If your schedule allows, a Friday or Saturday dinner slot is the optimal visit.
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