Papas' Restaurant — Restaurant in undefined

CAVIAT: This one-star review is NOT reviewing the quality of the food, because, well, I did not get a chance to eat it, let me tell you why.

I feel extremely disappointed with the service at Papa’s Restaurant. I have been living in Iceland for a year and a half, and I have never experienced this type of, well… LACK of service really. I was in the food and beverage industry from many years, and I know what it is to provide excellent customer service and what it looks like to not providing any at all. Let me explain.

Today, I decided to eat at this restaurant, for the first time, because of their amazing reviews. I thought, how can I go wrong right? I am about to start work, and I really wanted to go out and enjoy lunch with my husband before we had to pick up the kids from school and before starting our workday. My husband and I decided to show up right after the restaurant opened for lunch, so that we could just go in, enjoy our meal and leave.

We walk in, and there is a large party ordering ahead of us, no problem! We are next. We place our order and sit down with a drink. Some time goes by, and the large group ahead of me get all of their meals served. Great!, (or so I think) But what happens, what went wrong?

Well, let me tell you...while the large group before us gets served, 3 other customers (3 different parties) place their order and sit down. As I sit there, I see that after the large group is served, the customer that came after me gets served. I find it odd, because, well… I ordered right after the large group that was already served, immediately when the restaurant opened...but I do not think much of it… like I said, I can be reasonable, and maybe their meal was faster to prepare than ours (mind you I ordered a salad).

I get up and approach the counter to order another drink, because well… I was able to drink my entire beverage slowly, and still, I did not have my food… and at this point, I was still willing to wait. As I wait to order my drink, I see another table get served before me. I just could not believe it. I do not know why they totally skipped us more than once… but I have to say that it is unacceptable service. Although we had already paid for the meal (in this restaurant you pay before being served), I just could not stay, I had to walk out.

I left hungry, disappointed, and well, not interested in visiting this restaurant ever again. I read in the reviews that this was a family restaurant… well, I have 4 children, and I would most definitely would not bring them here, not for this type of service or better said... lack of service.

I leave this review to encourage the manager or owner of this establishment to take a hard look at the way the back of the house is being handled. I can understand that in a busy restaurant, I must wait to be served, but to see 2 parties served before me when I was the second party placing an order right after opening…...

I visited Papa’s restaurant this week along with 19 international students and 3 teachers. My experience at Papa’s restaurant will be a moment in my life I will never ever forget. I have shared the story with hundreds of people already and will pass this story along to my future children.

My group visited on May 1st, the first official day by authorities for travelers to visit this community in Grindavik. We were warmly greeted by the owner and staff, sat down to have THE BEST FISH I HAVE EVER TASTED, along with friends and refreshing citrusy sparkling water. The crispy battered fish melted in my mouth. I broke it apart and shared pieces with all the students eating yummy burgers so they could experience it too. It was a 10/10 meal. The students had a great time playing pool and bonding together in a fun environment.

Seeing the loss and damage in Grindavik broke my heart in so many ways. My heart goes out to the families in this area that have lost so much. The atmosphere felt somber, but stepping into Papa’s, that changed. I felt hope. I felt resilience. I felt joy and gratitude. I felt life breathing back in to the community. I am honoured to have been one of the first customers back here since November.

Thank you for this life changing meal. I cannot wait to come back. If you’re reading this, I urge you to check it out and pass your story along to others...

Excellent Fresh Fish Dishes!

Food: a selection of fish dishes, burgers and pizzas Icelandic beer in reasonable sizes (0.5 litres) and with affordable prices

Personal Highlights: wonderfully fried fresh “fish and chips” super-tasty oven-baked cod

Service: friendly quick considerate of our extra wishes (my companion also wanted sou coleslaw even though it wasn’t part of his selected dish)

Location: enough space to sit comfortably at tables indoors diner-like restaurant restaurant is located close to the harbour — great for a walk at the sea after the meal parking spots right in front of the building

Ideas for Improvement: Unfortunately, my fries were not salty enough, but that’s my personal preference. The coleslaw was too much based on mayonnaise. I suggest something acidic instead, like lemon juice or vinegar in it.

We’re travelling through Iceland and were hungry. We went to this restaurant tonight. We both enjoyed the delicious fresh fish dishes and had a lovely time! Thank you to the team of Papa’s Restaurant for the delicious fish.

— state of the...