DILL

Should You Book DILL?

If you are comparing DILL to any other restaurant in Reykjavík, the comparison ends quickly: DILL holds Iceland's only Michelin star, and nothing else in the city operates at this level of formal creative cooking. The more useful comparison is whether DILL belongs in the same conversation as New Nordic peers across Scandinavia. Against Geranium in Copenhagen or RE-NAA in Stavanger, DILL is less technically elaborate and more grounded in Icelandic identity — which is precisely its argument for existing. If you are visiting Reykjavík and serious about food, this is where you book. If you want tasting-menu fireworks above all else, you may find more technical ambition at VYN in Simrishamn or Grön in Helsinki. But for cooking that is specifically, deliberately Icelandic, DILL has no local rival.

The Restaurant

DILL sits on Laugavegur 59, Reykjavík's main commercial artery. The address sounds central and busy, and it is — but the dining room itself works against the street outside. The space is deliberately spare. Dried plants foraged by the kitchen team serve as decoration: this is not an aesthetic shortcut but a direct statement about what the cooking is doing. The room reads intimate rather than grand, which matters for first-timers to calibrate expectations. You are not walking into a hotel-scale showroom. You are walking into a room that has been arranged around the idea that the food and the place it comes from are enough.

Chef Gunnar Karl Gíslasson runs a seasonal, ingredient-led kitchen with a strong orientation toward Icelandic producers and foraged material. There is no standard printed menu , the format shifts with what is available and what the team has sourced. Vegetarian arrangements are possible, but the awards data notes clearly that you should mention dietary requirements in advance rather than assume the kitchen can pivot on the night. For a first visit, the most practical advice is to communicate any restrictions at the time of booking, not on arrival.

DILL has held its Michelin star continuously through 2024 and 2025, and appears on La Liste's Leading Restaurants rankings , 85 points in 2025, 77 in 2026 , as well as Opinionated About Dining's European rankings (ranked 364th in 2024, 466th in 2025). The Google rating sits at 4.5 across 590 reviews. For context, this is a restaurant where the critical consensus and the civilian consensus are broadly aligned, which is not always the case at this price point. Star Wine List ranked DILL number one in Iceland in 2022, indicating the drinks programme has received independent attention alongside the food.

The price range is €€€€ , at this level in Reykjavík, expect to spend significantly per head before drinks. Iceland's cost base is high, and tasting-menu restaurants at Michelin level here are priced accordingly. This is not a place to test whether you enjoy tasting menus. Come in knowing the format suits you.

DILL as a Reykjavík Anchor

DILL's position on Laugavegur places it at the physical and cultural centre of Reykjavík's dining identity. For visitors, the street is already a reference point , it is where most people orient themselves in the city. Booking DILL as part of a Reykjavík trip is not a detour to a remote location; it is a decision to eat at the leading of the city's food culture while remaining in the middle of it. The restaurant has anchored serious Reykjavík dining for long enough that it functions as a benchmark: other creative kitchens in the city are implicitly measured against what DILL does with local ingredients and Nordic technique.

For a first-timer to Reykjavík, DILL is also the clearest single answer to the question of what Icelandic cuisine looks like when it is taken seriously at a fine dining level. The foraged decorations, the seasonal sourcing, the chef's documented connection to Icelandic producers , these are not background details. They are what the restaurant is about, and they make it more useful as an introduction to Icelandic food culture than a more generic tasting menu would be. If you want to understand what this country actually produces and how a skilled kitchen uses it, this is the most concentrated version of that answer available in Reykjavík.

For more on eating and drinking across the city, see our full Reykjavík restaurants guide, our full Reykjavík bars guide, and our full Reykjavík hotels guide. If you want to compare DILL to the only other Michelin-recognised experience outside Reykjavík, Moss in Grindavík is the relevant reference.

Practical Details

Reservations: Hard to book , plan several weeks ahead minimum, especially for weekend evenings. Hours: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday dinner only (6–9:30 pm). Friday and Saturday lunch (12–3 pm) and dinner (6–9:30 pm). Sunday lunch only (12–3 pm). Budget: €€€€ , tasting menu pricing; confirm current price per head at booking. Dietary requirements: Vegetarian menus are available but must be flagged in advance; no standard menu is on offer so the kitchen needs notice to accommodate. Dress: Smart casual is the safe default at Michelin level in Reykjavík , no strict dress code is documented, but the room and format call for something above streetwear. Address: Laugavegur 59, 101 Reykjavík.

Other New Nordic Comparisons Beyond Reykjavík

If DILL is part of a broader Scandinavian trip, the regional peers worth knowing are Kadeau Bornholm in Åkirkeby and Ræst in Tórshavn , both operate with a similar philosophy of place-specific ingredients and Nordic technique in non-metropolitan settings. DILL sits comfortably in that company.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is DILL worth the price? Yes, if tasting-menu format suits you and you want Reykjavík's most credentialled creative kitchen. A Michelin star held across multiple years, La Liste recognition, and a 4.5 Google rating across nearly 600 reviews make the case. At €€€€ in Iceland's already high-cost dining market, this is a serious spend , but it is the one restaurant in the country operating at this level, and the price reflects that position rather than inflated margins. If you want comparable Michelin-level value in Scandinavia at potentially lower cost, Grön in Helsinki is worth comparing.
• Is DILL good for a special occasion? Yes , the format, the room, and the occasion-worthy price point all support it. A tasting menu in a spare, intimate dining room with Iceland's only Michelin star behind it fits birthdays, anniversaries, and significant dinners. Book as far ahead as possible; this is not a last-minute option for special occasions.
• Is lunch or dinner better at DILL? Lunch is available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only. For a first visit, dinner on a Friday or Saturday gives you the most scheduling flexibility and the fullest service window (6–9:30 pm). Lunch can work well if you prefer a lighter format or want to keep the evening free , but note that Sunday is lunch-only, so it is the only option if that is your day in the city.
• What should I wear to DILL? Smart casual. No formal dress code is listed, but at Michelin level in a room that is intentionally spare and serious, jeans-and-trainers reads wrong. Reykjavík is not a dress-up city by default, so you will not be underdressed in smart trousers and a clean jacket. Do not overthink it , the room is not grand, but it is not casual either.
• Can DILL accommodate groups? The database does not confirm seat count or private dining options. Given the intimate scale of the room and the no-standard-menu format, large groups (8+) should contact the restaurant directly before assuming availability. For groups who want a high-end Reykjavík experience with more flexibility, Matur og Drykkur is worth exploring as an alternative.
• Can I eat at the bar at DILL? No bar-seating option is documented in the available data. DILL operates as a tasting-menu restaurant in a structured dining room , walk-in bar dining is not a format that fits the model. Book in advance or do not plan on eating here.
• What are alternatives to DILL in Reykjavík? For New Nordic creative cooking at a similar price point, ÓX and Brút are the closest comparisons in format and ambition. For traditional Icelandic cooking without the tasting-menu structure, Matur og Drykkur is the strongest alternative. For seafood in a more relaxed setting, 3 Frakkar is a practical option at a lower price point. See our full Reykjavík restaurants guide for the broader picture.