Já Sæll

This restaurant has been one of the most memorable parts of my trip to Iceland — here’s why:

My partner and I had trouble finding food after a long travel day and noticed this place was open until 1 AM. We arrived just 10 minutes before closing, unsure if we’d even be served. But instead of turning us away, the owner warmly welcomed us in. 🥹

He fired up the grill just for us and insisted we sit down to eat, even though we offered to take it to go out of courtesy. As he cooked, he told us he was the owner and shared a bit about his life in this small town. It was such a genuine, human moment that made the meal even more special.

And the food? Incredible. The lamb chops were perfectly cooked, the chips were delicious, and the presentation was sweet and thoughtful. My partner had the fish (apparently caught locally and purchased rom the fish factory down the road) and it was phenomenal.

But the true memory was the owner’s hospitality. For example, we noticed fermented shark on the menu — something we’d hoped to try for the Icelandic history, and he generously offered us a taste with no hesitation. Turns out, it was caught and prepared by him and his family, which literally made it even more special.

We shared a bite together to close out the night, and he even taught us how to say “cheers” in Icelandic before eating it. The taste was.. well. 😂As someone from Southeast Asia, the taste reminded me of fermented fish back home — just without the Thai chilis and with a strong ammonia kick. 😅

All this to say-- I can’t recommend this place enough. It may be a bit off the usual Ring Road route, but it’s well worth the detour, not just for the food or the town (and its puffins!), but for the...

Very genuine friendly service here. We came later in the evening on a Tuesday for beer and fries. Although we try to blend in, we are obvious tourists.. the man at the counter noticed us looking at a hiking map and walked over, sat at our table, and spent 15 minutes talking about the trails and surrounding area with us. He was extremely sincere and patient. The beer selection is good.. Borg bottles and two taps from Beljandi in Breiddalsvik. He talked to me about the IPA, which turned out to be very nicely balanced and delicious. Food prices looked very decent and we will probably stop in again tomorrow after hiking the trail he recommneded. You can tell a place is good in Iceland when it is filled with locals and other Icelanders on their summer vacation. The lively conversation in here makes it clear that this is one of those places.

If you find yourself in Borgarfjordur Eystri, this is definitely the place...

Imagine walking to a restaurant and asking if they are opened. They initially said in 6 minutes but proceeded to let you in early which was initially welcoming. Walked in, sat down and was patiently waiting to place an order at the opportune time. A few minutes later and family walked in only to be seated and immediately served with burgers after placing their order. The family were approached by the server to place their order fyi. This prompted me to walk to the bar to ask if I can place an order which I did. Verbally. Went back to sit and a group is senior’s waked in and were well received and seated and drinks were placed on their table including water. After waiting for an inconvenient 25 mins after being utterly ignored, I hastily assembled my belongings and left the establishment. Let’s just say, I experienced racism but you can already deduced that from the context. If you are black, don’t go here. You...