Loving Hut Iceland — Restaurant in Reykjavik

Stuck out on the edge of central Reykjavik, on a nondescript junction between residential low rises and indeterminate commercial units is this little gem. Alternatively, you could say it’s ideally placed around halfway between the national gallery and the botanical gardens. Either way it’s an easy going, relaxed joint, with booth seating, and views of the highlands. It’s part of a global chain, but, I am told, each one has its own thing going on. The vibes here are authentically south Asian, right down to the laminated menu, counter service, plastic ephemera, and freezers humming away in the dining area. The menu is extensive and covers most of the popular bases. We had Tom Yam and a Massaman curry with rice. The Tom Yam was searing, hotter than a steaming geyser, and needed a solid 5 minutes before diving in. Aside from that, they nailed it. Perfect balance of heat, sour, sweet and salty. Plentiful fresh ingredients - lime leaves, lemongrass, green chilli, galangal - and a clear, rich broth, often difficult to achieve in a plant based dish without certain ingredients, such as the nam prik paste. The massaman was similarly excellent, with the rice slightly glutinous, although not advertised as such.

Despite being Saturday lunchtime the place was almost empty, and largely silent, no music or screens, staff were in the kitchen quietly beavering away - just the dull thrum of traffic through the glass. The rows of posters advertising obscure vegan celebrities gives a cheerful, if cultish feel. It’s easy going, and good value, not exactly cheap, but for the same price as a sad sandwich and a coffee elsewhere in the city, you can bungee jump into the back streets of chiang mai for an...

Very well prepared and cooked, our vegetarian meal was nothing less than delicious. All the ingredients were fresh and tasty, and there was a very good nutritional balance. It was all served nice and hot, like it had been cooked just for us - which it had :-) There was also plenty of food provided; so much food in fact, that we took some away as well!

Staff were friendly and polite, the service was quick, and everything was clean.

The city of Reykjavic is not known for being low-cost for visitors such as us. I thought Loving Hut prices were very reasonable - and a fraction of fancy restaurant prices.

Sure, Loving Hut does not have the ambiance of a posh place, but if there is a group of you, you'll create your own ambiance, anyway :-)

I wish there were more simple, yet good places to eat like this. I would definitely go there again, and I am happy to recommend Loving Hut for good food.

If you want good vegetarian food quick, you can't go wrong at Loving Hut. I hope the business goes from strength...

Stumbling upon this spot on Google Maps was a great find for a vegetarian lunch in Iceland. It's entirely vegan/veg, which is a nice change.

The restaurant has a very unfussy, no-frills aesthetic—just a clean, simple space with tables. It feels like a very local, family-run operation. The cuisine leans heavily towards Asian, Thai, and Oriental flavors, setting it apart from the typical Indian vegetarian places you often see globally.

You order at the counter and the friendly, helpful staff brings your meal to the table, ready to answer any questions about the menu.

While I'm a picky eater and only found the food quality to be 'okay,' my wife really enjoyed her rice dish and the food overall, especially since she prefers Asian-style cuisine.

It was a good overall experience. The people are genuinely nice, and despite the simple decor, the place is clean. We'll definitely try it again on our next trip...