Íslenski Barinn

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Íslenski Barinn

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2,238 reviews

#26 of 409 Restaurants in Reykjavik$$ - $$$, Bar, European, Vegetarian friendly

+354 517 6767+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

11:30 am - 1:00 am

Mon

11:30 am - 1:00 am

Tue

11:30 am - 1:00 am

Wed

11:30 am - 1:00 am

Thu

11:30 am - 1:00 am

Fri

11:30 am - 3:00 am

Sat

11:30 am - 3:00 am

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

2,238 reviews

#26 of 409 Restaurants in Reykjavik

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Bar, European, Pub, Scandinavian, Gastropub

“I had the fish and chips which were quite good.”

“... pink & was melt in the mouth & both had delicious crunchy waffle fries!”

“My wife had the Fish Soup and I had Fish and Chips, both were well prepared a...”

“... had the sheep’s head and I had the pulled lamb roll with waffle fries.”

Location and contact

Ingólfsstræti 1A, Reykjavik 101 Iceland

Miðborg

+354 517 6767

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Details

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About

Authentic Icelandic home cooking with a modern twist. Superb selection of Icelandic dishes, ranging from the most traditional courses to Icelandic takes on burgers and hot dogs. This family run gastropub is also proud to stock the world’s best selection of Icelandic beers, liqueurs and spirits.

CUISINES

Bar, European, Pub, Gastropub, Scandinavian

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Seating, Street Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Gift Cards Available

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4.5

2,238 reviews

Excellent

1,431

Very good

663

Average

Poor

Terrible

Jack S

Yankeetown115 contributions

Northern Lights and Local Flavor

Mar 2020 • friends

Going to Iceland is a real experience with the Aurora Borealis, beautiful country which exposes nature at its best. We had great meals but also wanted to try some foods that we would not have an opportunity to get in the USA. The Island Bar ( English Translation ) offered that opportunity. We started with the assorted platter Which included Reindeer meatballs which were seasoned to perfection, the Fin whale, thinly sliced whale steak which tasted like beef and was very tender, lamb bacon , how can you go bad with any bacon, dung smoked salmon with a tasty smoked flavor it might sound weird but people have been using dung to cook and heat with for years and fish skins which were crispy like a chip and a tasty sauce for dipping. So now we had two more options one being Puffin which was sliced meat in a jar and fermented shark. Well we went with the shark and of all the food we at in Iceland this one sorry never again. This came with dried Cod which we were told to smoother in butter and a tiny cube of fermented shark. Instructions chew 2-3 times and swallow . Well it was so sinewy that I chewed it probably 8 times, each chew added more flavor which to me was unwanted. Then grab that smoother in butter dried Cod and it helps but has no flavor. Now I am not knocking this shark or Restaurant since this is what we wanted some indigenous foods. Dinner of Lamb Shank which was a little gamey, Reindeer burger as good as the meatballs, Lobster Dog much like a Little lobster Roll,and Fin Whale which our friend raved about. Good selection of beer and wine and our server was so helpful in explaining these exotic foods.

Written 6 March 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bakery3

Terrington213 contributions

Would recommend

Mar 2020 • friends

I visited here this evening 1st March for a last night meal with my small tour group. The food was excellent, Great service, I personally had the fish pie with others having reindeer burger, horse burger, lamb burger and lamb soup. Everybody said there food was excellent. Nice vibe with a piano player providing live background music.

Written 1 March 2020

JYC

Bristol3 contributions

A must try!

Jan 2020 • couples

Four of us (2 couples) popped in here after reading good online reviews and I think it was around 6:30pm. We didn’t have a reservation but were seated without a problem. Good menu selection - we tried the fermented shark & dried fish (never again!), we had the reindeer burger which was delicious, and one of the party had the fin whale which was also really tender and tasty! It’s surprisingly not fishy but quite meaty and dark in colour - would recommend!! 8 drinks and all meals came to £130 for the table so not far from what you’d pay in a decent UK restaurant. Good atmosphere and staff are friendly and knowledgable! Worth a visit!

Written 26 January 2020

Dee_123

1 contribution

Poor food

Feb 2020 • couples

Me and my partner had soup to start. The seafood soup was tasty but the meat soup was very poor flavour in comparison with other places we tried. For the mains we had a hot dog each. The lobster hot dog was okey but the lamp one was awful. We couldn’t eat, it smelled and tasted like off meat. Even though the bar staff was friendly and attentive, when we provided a feedback, no action was taken. As we didn't wanted to cause any drama, we paid full bill and left quite disappointed. I would not recommending this place food.

Written 26 February 2020

Ari S

Reykjavik5 contributions

Poor representation of an Icelandic hamburger.

Dec 2019 • family

I had the "Icelandic Burger" and I've never seen a burger that had less effort put into it. The contents of the burger consisted of basic sandwich cheese that was barely melted, raw paprika, raw red onion, raw cucumber, letuce and one small squirt of what tasted like store bought hamburger sauce from "Gunnars". The waffle fries tasted like they were from the brand "Gestus" which is a discount brand sold in Krònan. There is basic and then there is just plain lazy and in my opinion this burger is the case of the latter. This is a great place to go drink some Icelandic beer or even play board games (they have some there) but the food is lacking in effort, care and know how from my perspective. This place deserves a better chef/cook who actually cares about food.

Written 9 January 2020

Mille R

73 contributions

Used to be a Favourite!

Oct 2021 • couples

We were disappointed during our visit in mid-august but decided to give it another chance. Honestly, it used to be one of our favourite places to go to with friends and family and to recommend to others, so we thought they were just having a bad night. But actually, tonight we met with the same as then, the quality of the food became quite average. The portions used to be better too, the fries portion with the burger was a lot smaller and I order a hot dog and although nice, too small for the price, I checked pictures online before I ordered it and it looks bigger in the pictures. This time the service was poor, we were standing for about 5 minutes until the nice security gentleman went to have a server acknowledge us. They sat us down and then assisted the table that sat few minutes after us first. Then, when we wanted to order it was very hard to get their attention and as the lady served us the drinks, she was (I think) angry or something because she nearly slammed the glasses against the table and smile forcefully. And when we left, not one person said goodbye or anything to us, we felt totally invisible. All in all, It is very sad that one of our favourite places is no longer what it used to be!

Written 8 October 2021

geoff e

United Kingdom43 contributions

Great Place

Jan 2020 • none

Superb range of beers and a menu which includes some traditional items that, I have to admit, I didn't try. Puffin in a jar and dung smoked salmon were bridges too far. Maybe next time. The Porter beer was outstanding and my reindeer burger was superb. Very good friendly and efficient waitress.

Written 26 January 2020

Porter H

Boston14 contributions

Overhyped, overpriced, underfed

Sept 2021 • friends

We tried to get into this place 3 separate nights and two they wouldn’t even let us make a reservation or put our names down. When we were finally able to make a reservation a few days out we were really excited. When we got here they were out of almost everything on the menu, something they neglected to mention until after we started to order meals. The food we were able to get (burgers, vegan burger, lamb) was fatty and bland, the mashed potatoes were cold, and the entire experience felt like something entirely unicelandic. The waitstaff was kind, but the lead-up to the dinner and dinner itself made it a really unenjoyable experience.

Written 26 September 2021

Matt_Smith_1987

Lilongwe49 contributions

Fermented shark, if you dare...

Jun 2021 • none

The place has a nice, quite cozy atmosphere. The waiters were all happy to chat and share their insights on the different menu options. This is one of the few places where you can get hakarl: fermented shark. The reindeer burger was slathered in barbecue sauce, which spoilt it a bit. Good beer selection.

Written 1 July 2021

Barerfooter2018

Winter Garden8 contributions

The Best Place In Reykjavik

Jun 2021 • none

Our hotel staff suggested we go here to eat. Wow the food was great, staff was awesome. Went there twice. On one occasion the server misunderstood my order and instead of a Lobster Dog he brought me a Lamb Dog. He suggested we try it as the Icelandic Lamb is the best anywhere while he got a Lobster Dog ready to replace it. It was the best lamb ever and Lobster Dog too. The bar tender was very friendly. Wished we had a place like this at home. We've traveled the world and Reykjavik is a great place to visit and this restaurant/bar is one of our favorites.

Written 10 July 2021

Adis

Keflavik29 contributions

My favourite place in Reykjavik

Aug 2021 • none

Me and my girlfriend visit this place 2-3 times per month and it is our favourite place in Reykjavik. The food is always delicious, doesn't matter which dish you would pick. The service is never grumpy, welcomes everyone with a smile on their faces. At Islenski barinn I ate reindeer burger and whale steak for the first time in my life. Love this place !

Written 9 August 2021

Jake872

Newcastle-under-Lyme10 contributions

My first stop back in Iceland

Oct 2021 • couples

My boyfriend and I came here 3 years ago on a whim, after just being in a bar close by, looking for hot dogs and cocktails. This place did not let down, with no cocktail menu the bar staff just expertly made us whatever we wanted and served us the best hot dog I’ve ever eaten in my life. Today I came back to Iceland and hunted down this same restaurant on Google maps until I found it and realised it was only a 20 minute drive away, and set off right away. We were lucky to get in. They’re very busy and just had two tables left; other groups were turned away straight after. It did absolutely not let down at all. The hot dogs were a dream again and we were starving after travelling so went for the wings, and some more sides, as well as pancakes. Honestly couldn’t have started our trip to Iceland any better. The staff were just lovely, the food came really quick and even though they were so busy they weren’t trying to encourage us to free up a table at all, we left in our own time and made sure to leave the server a well deserved tip. Absolutely incredible; if you’re in the area this place is a MUST visit

Written 10 October 2021

Debra S

Cape Vincent15 contributions

Great food, friendly staff

Oct 2021 • none

We've eaten here twice in two days! We really enjoyed our fish dishes and the lamb shanks. Wish I lived closer than 2600 miles. They were very helpful talking us through our first fermented shark, enjoyed the recommended accompanying aqua vite. We may be back once more before we leave. Do not miss the desserts!

Written 10 October 2021

Uma Gunasegaran

Kuala Lumpur122 contributions

Incredibly juicy burgers

Dec 2019 • none

From the moment we stepped into this quaint restaurant, everything was excellent. Incredibly pleasant staff, delicious and juicy burgers, and they let us try the draught beers before we can decide which ones we want. I would suggest to either walk-in early or make a reservation as tables are limited and we noticed a long line around 7pm.

Written 20 January 2020

Rocketscientist3

East Rockaway228 contributions

Great food at a bar

Sept 2021 • family

Quaint bar, great service. Fish pie was very good. One knock, they completely blew the understanding of gluten free. They easily changed an order to a lobster salad, but the lobster had beer batter. Oops

Written 19 September 2021

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ÍSLENSKI BARINN, Reykjavik - Miðborg - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor