Hereford — Restaurant in Reykjavik

This was one of the worst dining experiences that I've had in my life, and it definitely left me feeling like I had wasted part of my day on my wedding vacation trip.

My new husband and I went on a double date with two of our guests, and from the instant we were greeted by the server, I was unhappy. My husband and I both have experience working in a fine dining background, so to be treated so condescendingly was appalling. Our server NEVER introduced his name. He realized we were American and then he "fistbumped" my husband as a greeting. I know this seems trite, but he made a fistbump with explosion noises; it was childish. He never introduced himself or the restaurant, and instead came off patronizing like we weren't good enough to be there. He didn't teach us about the menu, talk to us about the dishes or the qualities that made the restaurant unique, etc. He came by a couple more times, fistbumping my husband for greetings, but failing to ask about our meal or satisfaction with the food. That completely took away from the fine dining experience.

One of the people we were with ate the puffin, and he showed up while she was eating with a stuffed puffin and put it in her face to scare her; that would be completely unacceptable in any other fine dining places. To be fair, we didn't see any other servers behaving like him, so perhaps other servers are better suited for fine dining.

Towards the end of the meal, we asked for the check, and another server brought our desert but never brought our check. We waited for a half hour after finishing the dessert, but he never came back at all, nor did another server come by our table. We could have easily walked out without paying. We eventually went to ask for our check only to find that our server disappeared entirely that night, and he was gone.

The food itself was just alright. We have been to Chicago Chop House, which is a similarly styled restaurant, but the food is so much more high quality, and the servers there are knowledgeable about the company and the food. The food felt lower quality than other places we had been which were cheaper and had better service. Steaks were not cooked to the temperatures we requested, and the whale was bland.

For something that was supposed to be such a wonderful date night post wedding, this one server really ruined the...

You can get excellent wine at Hereford Steakhouse in Reykjavik. Unfortunately, the food is only average.

Hereford Steakhouse in Reykjavik is located centrally on the main shopping street.

When I arrived, I read through the menu and the only starter that appealed to me was the beef carpaccio. It tasted fine, an average beef carpaccio I must say - mainly perhaps, because I do not eat beef carpaccio very often, and if I do so, mostly at very good restaurants.

The complimentary bread was served with olive paste - not really my taste, but it tasted okay.

The highlight of my dinner was perhaps the wine I had with it, a delicious Riesling from Alsace with the typical mineralic character, simply an excellent Riesling.

As my main I ordered a fillet steak, cooked medium, with bearnaise sauce and fries. The steak was good, but a large part of it was more like medium rare than medium, some bits were a bit too rare for my taste, given that I ordered medium. The fries tasted really good and the sauce was a nice addition to the steak.

For dessert I had deep fried ice cream - an interesting dish, but I am not happy if your menu promises strawberries, and you do not deliver on that promise.

The service was mixed. I appreciated that I got water without the need to order it. My water was also refilled very quickly. Once. The second time I ran out of water, nobody noticed - and it was not too bust that evening. I liked the room, however, the background music was a bit on the annoying side.

At one point, someone forgot to close the door or a window was opened, however, and being in Iceland, I noticed quickly that even in early September, it’s better to close the doors, it became unpleasantly chilly.

One thing I noticed was that most, if not all, guests spoke Icelandic. Despite being on the main tourist trek, the restaurant seemed more popular with locals than tourists, at least on that evening. In general, I think that’s a good sign.

Overall, there were ups and downs, the wine was easily the highlight. The food and the service at Hereford Steakhouse were okay, but there is still quite some room for improvement. Not the worst place for a steal in Reykjavik, but certainly not the...

A bold Icelandic experience—puffin, whale, and a steakhouse worth the visit.

After many trips to Iceland, I finally decided to try the famous Puffin & Whale menu at Hereford Steakhouse, a restaurant often recommended by locals as the best place for steak in Reykjavík.

Let’s get this out of the way: yes, I felt a little bad. Puffins are cute. Whales are intelligent. But for the sake of cultural experience—and curiosity—I gave it a go.

The puffin, served as a starter, had a texture somewhere between chewy duck and salty chicken liver. Not bad, but personally not worth the guilt-to-flavor ratio. Once was enough.

The whale, however, was a different story. Served rare (as it should be), it was tender, rich, and surprisingly close to a perfectly cooked steak—just with a mild, oceanic twist. I’d absolutely recommend trying it once, especially if you’re after something uniquely Icelandic and aren’t opposed to the ethics of a single taste.

Beyond the adventurous menu, the experience was lovely. The staff was attentive and warm, even joking about our Danish friend who was fashionably late to dinner. Classic Nordic banter.

If exotic meats aren’t your thing, don’t worry—they still offer top-tier steaks and more traditional fare. Either way, Hereford is worth a visit.

P.S. Skyr cake in this country is ALWAYS divine— save room...