The following five restaurants are Layover Guide’s favorites in Reykjavik, Iceland and great spots to get some nordic cuisine during an Iceland layover. If you’re looking for the full Layover Guide to Iceland, click here.

3 Frakkar

www.3frakkar.com/

With a homey, intimate feel like you’re a guest in someone’s home, 3 Frakkar has an eclectic menu that includes a variety of fish, and even more unusual dishes including shark and whale meat. The dishes can be rich, with cream sauces and cheese, but the menu has something for everyone and unusual dishes that won’t be easily forgotten.

Humarhusid – The Lobster House

www.humarhusid.is/

If lobster is your fare, you will not be disappointed with the Humarhusid Lobster House, located in the heart of Reykjavik. While the menu is definitely on the pricier side, it is arguably the best lobster experience in Iceland, with delectable lobster tails, garlic lobster, and unusual dishes with Jerusalem artichokes, bacon and other surprising treats.

Dill Restaurant

www.dillrestaurant.is/EN/Location.html

A 15 minute walk from downtown Reykjavik, across from the University, you’ll find this delightful, delicious restaurant. With a spectacular view of the city, here you can enjoy a three, five or seven course meal that is hand-selected by the chef with complimentary wines. The menu changes weekly, based on what the freshest ingredients are, and which herbs have grown in their own garden. With only a handful of tables, the restaurant fills up quickly especially on Friday and Saturday nights so book a reservation ahead of time to make sure you have a table.

The Fish Market

http://fiskmarkadurinn.is/

Located in downtown Reykjavik, just near the main square, you’ll find Fishmarkadurinn, The Fish Market. It’s a modern space with bamboo and stone sinks in the bathroom, and a fun waiting room where you can order a pre-dinner drink.  Here you can get an assortment of seafood, including sushi as well as other unusual dishes including a refreshing watermelon salad with avocado.

Fjalakotturinn

http://www.fjalakotturinn.is/english/

In an intimate room, just steps away from the main square in downtown Reykjavik, you’ll find Fjalakotturinn, a fine dining restaurant. Ranging from an assortment of meat and fish, the cuisine has a strong Nordic influence with a modern flare.

Stuck on a layover at Iceland’s Keflavík International Airport (KEF)? The airport, located about 31 miles from the capital of Reykjavik, is the largest in the country and the hub of Icelandair. The airport handles all international flights, and domestic flights operate out of the Reykjavik Airport which is just outside Reykjavik’s city center. If you’re trying to figure out if you can leave the airport during your layover, click here for useful tips.

If you’re stuck in the airport during your layover, there’s plenty to do to keep you entertained. The Keflavik airport is one of the few in Europe that is allowed to sell tax and duty-free products to arriving and departing passengers. For shops and restaurant information click here. The airport also offers banking, children play areas, and Internet access. Wireless connection and Internet kiosks are available – for more information and pricing, click here.

Passengers traveling from the Leifur Eiríksson Air Terminal to outside the Schengen area can now view a new promotional video on Iceland, in the tourism promotion space on Level 1.

For Layover Guide’s top restaurant picks in Reykjavik, Iceland CLICK HERE!

For those arriving at night or looking for a place to rest in between flights, the airport suggests these airport hotels. Suggested travel agents can be found here.

If you’re planning on leaving the airport, taxis www.airporttaxi.is are available outside the terminals. Taxis to Reykjavik are metered and the taxi company also offers day trips for varying hours to different locations in Iceland. Tours will accommodate small groups of 1-8. For a list of their tours, click here. Taxi tours are also available through this company.

The airport also offers rental cars through Budget, Avis, Hertz and Europcar. The Flybus public bus service is located outside the airport and leaves 35-40 minutes after the arrival of each flight. The travel time to Reykjavik takes approximately 45 minutes.

LayoverGuide.com’s Suggestions Of Things To Do In Reykjavik:

Blue Lagoon
A 20-minute drive from the Keflavik Airport (40 minutes from Reykjavik), the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is located in the heart of the Svartsengi Resource Park and is one of Iceland’s main attractions. The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur and the water temperature is around 104 degrees Ferenheit.

Reykjavik Tour
If you have limited time in Iceland, a tour may be the way to go. There are many day tours to choose from of varying lengths (including the taxi tours listed above that can pick you up from the airport) such as Reykjavik Excursions, Reykjavik Bike Tours, Go Travel Iceland, Iceland Horizon Golden Circle Tour, Northern Lights Tour, and tons more!

Golden Circle Route
A great driving route that encompasses Iceland’s main tourist attraction, the Golden Circle Route is 190 miles long. The route includes the Geysir, the Gullfoss falls and Tjomgvellir.

Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach
With golden sand imported from Morocco and an artificial hotspring, the Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach has everything from the sand and warm water to canoes, rowboats, changing area and eateries. Nautholsvik beach is open daily 10:00am to 8:00pm from May 16 to August 31st and select days/hours in the winter.

Have a suggestion or advice for Iceland layovers? Leave a comment below!