Tjöruhúsið — Restaurant in undefined

On service and atmosphere: superb! my husband and I tried our luck for a walk-in on a Thursday night, but it was packed. The staff, although busy, checked on the next availability for us, and booked us in for another day. When we eventually had our meal there (for a lunch), it was wonderful. The staff took the time to explain the dishes to us, the atmosphere was cosy and vibrant, and they were as attentive to us as could be, despite how busy it was.

On food: my husband says — “if someone has said that they had the best fish in Iceland but have not tried this place, they’re missing out” 😅 This was an incredibly unique experience for us. Every single dish was tastefully made — from the soup to the fruit salad to each and every pan of fish! These were the freshest fish we have ever eaten in our lives. There was a variety of them too — from cod fillets to cod cheeks and salmon, cooked in different ways. In total, I think we managed to taste at least 6 variations within the hour and a half we were there. It spanned east-Asian flavours (e.g. Thai sweet chilli) to creams and pan fried — all of which were extremely tasty. They also offered potatoes (also great) and basmati rice to go with the fish (which I would recommend, as the flavours are a lot).

TIPS: make a reservation in advance! Especially if you intend to go for a dinner. Their timings for the buffet are fixed (lunch: 1200 / 1330, dinner: 1900 / 2030, as of my knowledge, but call to check) If it’s too late for a reservation on the same day (e.g. you’re an impromptu pal like us relying on google as you reach the town) , see if you can go by to get a reservation for LUNCH the next day (if you’re staying nearby). The staff told us that there may be a bit less variety (since it’s still early in the day and the whole day’s catch may not be in yet), but from our experience, it was more than enough. As a last resort, you could always have a seat on the outdoor tables! They usually have space for that, and the weather at lunchtime during summer is bearable. Drinks (except tea and coffee) are chargeable on top of the buffet fee, which I believe is 4500 for lunch and 8500 for dinner Go back for seconds — they cook the fish in different forms each time!

This was such a wonderful experience for us, and we were so glad we managed to get to try it (with some change of plans hehe). Hope you get...

We are frugal, and this was our one restaurant experience in Iceland. Definitely worth it. No regrets!

LOCATION: Follow Google Maps, park anywhere within the "you have arrived" area.

RESERVATIONS: You may be able to join for lunch without a reservation, but don't risk it. Make a reservation about three days in advance. Call the restaurant for a reservation (or if necessary, email or Facebook message them)

TIME: Lunch is from 12:00-2:00. Arrive on time so you can enjoy food during the whole reservation. Dinner 1 is from 6:00 - 8:00 and then dinner 2 is from 8:00 - 10:00.

MENU: Every day could be different. The restaurant serves whatever is fresh and available. For my lunch, we had the following: Appetizer: cod fish soup, warm bread and butter Entrees: Cod, salt cod, cod cheek, red fish, and plaice. More fish options are available for dinner, but this felt like plenty for us. Sides: Potatoes, potato salad, cauliflower, spinach salad, Desert: Apple salad, oranges, watermelon, and a vanilla wafer cookie. Coffee is available forever lunch. Tea is added for dinner.

ATMOSPHERE: There is mainly indoor seating for about 40 people. There are four tables outdoors. Visitors share benches with other guests, but you are not crowded next to others. The staff are friendly, but very busy and they may be strict if you "fall out of line", like serving yourself from a hot pot (they don't want anyone burning themselves). If it is crowded, the staff serve you and tell you what each fish is. If it is calmer, you can serve yourself. The restaurant has a charming ambiance with candles and and old fashioned record player. The restaurant is family owned which makes it feel even more worth visiting.

DRINKS: Beer and wine is available for an extra charge.

TOILETS: Free WCs are across the street.

We stayed the entire 2 hours and saw that new fish arrived later on. We ate seconds and thirds and felt like we got our money's worth! The food was excellent and flavorful! We relaxed in hot pots the rest of the day since we...

We went in June 2019. The food was exceptional. We were a little put off by the idea it was buffet. We had the motto good food, quality over quantity.

We began with the fish soup. This is the best soup, I have ever tasted better soup than in michellan starred restaurants. It's made from a lobster or crab bisque, flavored with butter, tomato, garlic, onions, parsley. The fish contained within it was cod, shellfish etc. It is served with fresh bread. Served with white French baguette bread and chunks of butter.

The buffet itself was a selection of salads: cold mash, Mediterranean salad, Chinese style salad, Greek etc. These were fine salad is all about fresh ingredients rather than great skill, I would argue? They were well dressed.

The fish in the buffet. One dish was fish stew, fish flaked through potato with cheese, garnished with sea parsley. It was excellent. There was cod in hoisin sauce with fresh spring onions and seeds, very nice. There was cod in lemon, onions and butter, traditional but well cooked. There was a white fish in brown sugar, dates etc. This was very good. There was plaice in batter, it was a little oily but I am being pedantic. There was cod tongue not my taste but fine.

People went up for seconds and thirds. This is the best I have eaten in Iceland.

There is table water. You can buy alcoholic drinks. There is tea and coffee for afterwards.

Seating area is long wooden tables but thankfully no forced social interaction.

There is parking near by. I think most people park by the Heritage Museum nearby. There is a ramp up but no space for pushchairs inside.

Seatings are at 1900 and 2100. 1900 is always busier.

You can pay...