Restaurant in Reykjavik, Iceland
Graze Icelandic stalls, no reservation needed.
Hlemmur Mathöll, inside Reykjavik's old bus terminal on Laugavegur 107, is the right stop for flexible, no-reservation grazing across the city's food scene. Best for groups, solo visitors, or anyone who wants multiple options under one roof. Skip it if you want a focused, single-kitchen dinner — book DILL or Bon Restaurant instead.
If you are visiting Reykjavik and want to eat like a local without committing to a single sit-down restaurant, Hlemmur Mathöll is the right call. Positioned at Laugavegur 107, this food hall format works leading for explorers who want to graze across Iceland's food culture in one visit — solo travellers, couples doing a quick city stop, or groups that can't agree on a single cuisine. It is not the place for a formal dinner or a special occasion meal; for that, DILL in Reykjavík or Bon Restaurant will serve you better.
Hlemmur Mathöll occupies the old Hlemmur bus terminal , a wide, airy building that opens into a communal hall lined with vendor stalls. The visual is immediately legible: long shared tables run down the centre, vendors ring the perimeter, and the atmosphere shifts noticeably between seasons. In the dark winter months, when Iceland's short daylight hours push locals indoors earlier, the hall fills up quickly in the early evening and takes on a warmer, more convivial energy. In summer, the midnight sun means foot traffic stays high later into the night, and the crowd skews toward international visitors arriving off walking tours of Laugavegur. Knowing which season you are visiting matters because the hall's tone, crowd, and even the vendor mix can change. Summer is louder and busier; winter offers a slightly more local feel.
For food-focused travellers who have already explored Iceland's more regional dining , places like Friðheimar in Reykholt or Fjöruborðið in Stokkseyri , Hlemmur functions as a useful urban contrast: less about a single Icelandic ingredient or tradition, more about sampling the city's contemporary food scene in one pass. It is part of the same shift in Reykjavik's food identity that has made venues like Bergsson Mathús and Brút popular stops on the Laugavegur corridor.
Booking is not required , walk-in is the standard approach, and the hall is designed for it. This makes Hlemmur one of the easiest food stops in Reykjavik to plan around, especially if your itinerary is subject to change based on weather or tour timing. Pricing will vary by vendor, but food hall formats in Reykjavik generally run at mid-range levels by local standards, which still means above-average cost by international comparison. Come at opening or early afternoon if you want more space; the communal tables fill during the dinner window. For a quick reference: no reservation needed, located on Laugavegur 107, leading visited outside peak dinner hours if you prefer a quieter experience.
If you are building out your Reykjavik trip, see our full Reykjavik restaurants guide, our full Reykjavik bars guide, and our full Reykjavik experiences guide for broader context. For hotels, our full Reykjavik hotels guide covers the main options near Laugavegur.
Against Reykjavik's sit-down options, Hlemmur Mathöll occupies a different tier entirely , it is a grazing venue, not a full-service restaurant. Amma Don and Bon Restaurant are the right comparisons if you want a proper dinner with table service and a focused kitchen. Hlemmur wins on flexibility and accessibility: no reservation, multiple options under one roof, and a format that works for groups who can't settle on a single direction.
For value relative to other Reykjavik dining, Hlemmur is competitive in the middle market. It will not match the depth of a place like DILL for Icelandic ingredients or technique, and it lacks the neighbourhood character of Hjá Jóni, which suits a more local, relaxed dinner format. But if your group includes picky eaters, or you have just arrived and want to get a quick read on what Reykjavik's food scene looks like, Hlemmur is the lowest-friction option on Laugavegur.
Against the comparison set specifically: Eiriksson Brasserie and Kröst are better picks for a structured meal with a coherent menu. Choose Hlemmur when the priority is low commitment, group flexibility, or simply experiencing the hall's seasonal atmosphere as part of a walking day through the city.
Also on Laugavegur and worth including in any food-focused day: Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur for Iceland's most referenced hot dog, and Nesjavallavirkjun in Selfoss if you are extending your trip beyond the capital. For a broader Nordic food hall reference point outside Iceland, the format here shares some DNA with the communal dining approach used at venues like Lazy Bear in San Francisco , though the execution and scale are quite different. And for travellers mapping the full range of Icelandic dining from north to south, Strikið in Akureyri rounds out the picture outside Reykjavik.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Hlemmur Mathöll | — | |
| Amma Don | — | |
| Bon Restaurant | — | |
| Eiriksson Brasserie | — | |
| Hjá Jóni | — | |
| Kröst | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Go in without a fixed plan and graze across several stalls rather than committing to one. The hall on Laugavegur 107 hosts multiple vendors, so the strongest move is to survey the full lineup before ordering. Icelandic lamb and seafood preparations tend to appear across the stall mix and are the formats that travel best in this setting. Avoid over-ordering at your first stop — the format rewards curiosity over quantity.
Not really. The walk-in, market-hall format at Laugavegur 107 suits casual grazing, not milestone dining. If you want a structured sit-down experience for a birthday or anniversary in Reykjavik, a dedicated restaurant will serve you better. Hlemmur Mathöll works well as a relaxed pre-evening stop rather than the centrepiece of a special night.
Counter and bar seating is common in food hall formats like Hlemmur Mathöll, though seating arrangements can vary by stall. The venue at Laugavegur 107 is a walk-in space, so you're not assigned a fixed table — find a seat that works once you have your food. Arriving off-peak gives you more choice of where to sit.
Yes, loosely. The open market-hall layout at Laugavegur 107 handles groups better than a fixed-format restaurant because there's no reservation bottleneck and seating is communal. The practical limitation is coordination: larger groups ordering from different stalls can end up eating at different times. Groups of four to six are manageable; anything bigger requires patience with the informal setup.
For a full sit-down Icelandic meal, Amma Don and Bon Restaurant offer more structured dining. Eiriksson Brasserie suits those who want a brasserie format with table service. Hjá Jóni is worth considering if you want a local neighbourhood feel over a tourist-traffic food hall. Kröst gives you a more formal setting if the occasion calls for it.
Dress casually. Hlemmur Mathöll is a market hall on Laugavegur 107 — there is no dress code and no expectation beyond what you'd wear walking around central Reykjavik. Given Iceland's weather variability, layers you can shed once inside are practical.
No reservation is needed — just show up at Laugavegur 107 and pay at whichever stalls you choose. The format works best if you treat it as a sampling session rather than a single-dish meal. Arriving slightly before peak lunch or dinner hours gives you more elbow room and faster service across stalls. Budget accordingly: you'll likely spend at multiple vendors rather than settling one bill.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
