Vegan in Iceland 2023

My ex and I went to Iceland together (we’re no longer dating but still the best of friends!!) and we had a BLAST! The waterfalls we saw were some of the most gorgeous sites I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes, the Edition hotel we stayed at was a 10/10 experience, and the vegan food options were EVERYWHERE. Iceland is one of the most vegan-friendly cities I have ever been to. So if you hate traveling as a vegan because of the limited food options, just know that Iceland has you covered. I recommend using the Happy Cow app anywhere you travel beacuse it’s a total lifesaver when it comes to finding vegan food around the world.

If you do go to Iceland, I recommend Vik’s Horse Riding on Black Sand Beach, visiting the Hallgrimskirkja church, northern lights tour with Troll, and renting a car and driving to see Seljalandsfoss waterfall and Skogafoss waterfall. Both were unbelievably breathtaking. If you go on a sunny day like we did, you’ll even see a rainbow crossing the waterfall!

I will say though, outside of the hotel, Icelandic people aren’t very friendly and are, in fact, very dismissive and cold towards tourists. They have a reputation for being kind and welcoming but I didn’t quite experience that. I will say our Northern Lights tour guide was SO kind, our horseback riding instructor was very kind (she was from Finland), the cute and nice barista from Te and Kaffi (he was from Switzerland), and everybody at our hotel had impeccable customer service (Shoutout to Lorena at the spa). The rest of Icelandic people…. not so much. But I’m not going to generalize a whole island of people based on a few bad eggs. So maybe see for yourself and report back your findings!

BUT! Enough about the people, let’s dive into the food.

Braud and Co

This cute little pastry shop sells a bunch of breads and sweets. They have one vegan pastry (that I’m aware of) called a vegan Snudar which is an Icelandic cinnamon roll. And let me tell you, this was in the top 2 cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had in my life. It was soft, moist, cinnamony, and just all around the perfect level of sweetness without being too sweet like American cinnamon rolls. Each layer had a moist cinnamon sugar swirl going on and the pastry itself was so delicious. There was no icing on top which I preferred because a sweet icing would have overpowered the delicate cinnamon swirl. (Should I become a judge on Great British Bakeoff?) Deff reccomend

2. Edition Hotel

If you are looking for a five star hotel to stay at in Reykjavik with A+ service and an impeccable spa, then look no further. The Edition is worth every penny. Customer service was amazing, the spa has a giant jacuzzi, sauna, and steam room. There are restaurants and cafes in the hotel. And the hotel is perfectly located near town, but not right in the hustle and bustle of it.

We didn’t try the restaurant (although if I’m correct they do have a vegan risotto on the menu and potentially a hazelnut gelato? Don’t quote me on that) but we did try room service and the Tides Cafe!

The Tides Cafe has delicious matcha lattes that I would get before a day of exploring. I also ordered an oatmeal (that I think was from the room service menu?) that they made specially for me there. When I tried to order it the next day, they were confused. So idk lol but it was DELICIOUS. It had like an apple compote, almond butter, and crushed nuts and it was the perfect mix of sweet and salty. The actual oatmeal was so creamy and warm too. Perfect for a fall day in Iceland.

Room service was hit or miss in my opinion! I got this amazing greek salad (I modified by taking out the feta) and it was SO fresh and came with these crunchy yet fluffy pita bread slices that tasted so good when dipped in the leftover dressing. I also ordered coconut rice but really didn’t like it. It was wayyyyy too sweet and tasted more like dessert which gave me the ick. We ordered a pasta with tomato sauce the next day and I thought the sauce was a bit too tart for my liking but my ex loved it and ate the entire thing. So idk folks!

Mini bar had a vegan chocolate bar with coconut in it! I didn’t try it but it looked good!

3. Blue Lagoon Cafe

If you go to Iceland, of course you have to visit the Blue Lagoon. It’s like a right of passage as a tourist. I will say I preferred the Sky Lagoon as it was more private and less touristy but Blue Lagoon was a cool experience and you get a free drink while you’re in the lagoon. I think I got a fresh juice but I can’t remember. We came a little early to our appointment so we sat at the cafe for a bit. They had an entire vegan sushi box filled with unique types of vegan sushi, including INARI. I was straight up in heaven. Deff recommend.

4. Emilie and the Cool Kids

This cute, little, trendy breakfast place has all kinda of bagels and coffees. It’s not all vegan but they have some bomb vegan options, including VEGAN CREAM CHEESE. I got the ‘Vegan Mike’ bagel which came with melted vegan cheddar, avocado, fried onions, and sweet mustard. It was really yummy!! I wouldn’t say my mind was blown (I’m from NY so my standards for bagels are high af) but I loved the unique flavor combo and it hit the spot!

5. Dominos

Yes, I know what you are thinking. Why would you come all the way to Iceland and eat Dominos out of all places. WELL, I’LL TELL YOU WHY you sneaky brown-noser with a hidden agenda (Lizzie Maguire anyone?). The Dominos in Iceland has SOOOOO MANY VEGAN OPTIONS. Like a crazy amount. I got a vegan pizza with vegan cheese, vegan meat, pineapple, red onions, basil, olives, and barbecue sauce. And I swear it was one of the BEST vegan pizzas I’ve ever had in my life. They also slice the pizza into these baby slices that make it SO fun to eat. I’m gonna forever be sad that I don’t have access to Icelandic Dominos on the regular. Like I’m craving it SO BAD right now. They also had spicy breadsticks with marinara sauce which we got. I didn’t love them or hate them but wouldn’t order again. And the cherry on top!? THEY HAD CINNAMON STICKS WITH ICING FOR DESSERT THAT WERE ALL VEGAN. And they were fucking divine. Like this may have been my favorite meal in Iceland. Yes, a fast food place.

6.) Momo Ramen

Cute little ramen shop. Rude customer service. Little to no seating space. Some vegan options. RUDE RUDE RUDE customer service. 0/10 recommend. Also the ramen was flavorless. NEXT. (Cute tip jar tho)

7.) Discount Supermarket near Vik’s Horseback Riding

After we rode the cutest Icelandic horses (shoutout to my horse Tinder), we were a little hungry so we stopped at the supermarket right next-door. And what do you know… EVERYTHING that is Vegan is labeled VEGAN on the little supermarket placard below every item. I WISH they had that everywhere. How easy would life be. Iceland is so vegan friendly that even a random supermarket had vegan cinnamon rolls, a bunch of clearly labeled vegan snacks, and even things like vegan ramen packets. I will say the customer service was rude, but the actual supermarket was great. The cinnamon rolls tasted like discount supermarket cinnamon rolls but STILL. Vegans finally get janky discount supermarket options and we AINT COMPLAINING.

8.) Eldur og Is Crepes

This little crepe place is in the heart of town and very close to the iconic rainbow road. I saw it randomly walking by and it said “vegan crepes” on the window! It’s not all vegan but they do have vegan crepes (I think both savory and sweet). I got the dark chocolate, strawberries, and oreos. I was a little scared the dark chocolate would be bitter but it was SO sweet and delicious. The crepes were really yummy and sweet and the perfect afternoon treat. I totally recommend if you are a crepe girlie like me!

9.) Herastubbur Bakari

This bakery was near the Blue Lagoon which is in the general area between the airport and Reykjavik, so we stopped for a post-flight/pre-lagoon treat. It’s not all vegan but they had a ton of vegan pastries including these giant cinnamon buns with the most delicious frosting. My ex said his non-vegan donuts were some of the best he ever had. I got the giant strawberry icing roll, a little cinnamon sugar twist, and a chocolate donut. My favorite was the strawberry roll. It was SO SO SO good. So fluffy and perfectly sweet and the strawberry flavor wasn’t artificial. It was 10/10. My next fave was the cinnamon sugar twist, it tasted like an actual CHURRO with the texture of a donut. SO good. I didn’t love the chocolate donut because I didn’t love the flavor of the chocolate frosting. Could not tell you why. But deff recommend this on your way to/from the airport or on the way to the Blue Lagoon.

10.) Glo

My sister had been to Iceland in 2017 and recommended I go to this place called Glo. They have a few in Reykjavik (we saw two). The one we went to was right next to a Joe and the Juice! How wild. Anyway, this place has a bunch of bowls and raw desserts which sounds lame but don’t be fooled. The Mexican bowl I got was FIRE. I don’t even know how they made it or what made it different from other Mexican bowls I’ve gotten in the past, but everything was 10/10 delicious. Dipping the chips in the bowl was an orgasmic experience. Craving it right now. For dessert, we got the raw snickers which sounds lame, but actually was 10/10. It was SO good. So good that my non-vegan ex bought another one to-go. Deff come here for some fresh food and good vibes!

11.) Vinberio Candy Shop

This candy shop in town has an ENTIRE wall section labeled VEGAN with vegan candy bars, vegan fudge, vegan truffles, vegan sweets, etc. I wish every candy store in America was like this!!! I got the most delicious fudge here and bought my sister some goodies to bring back as well!!!

12.) Gulfoss Falls Cafe

If you visit Gulfoss, I recommend you go on a sunny day, esp so you can see the rainbow. We went on a VERY VERY VERY windy day (Legit almost got blown off my feet. felt like someone was pushing me from behind) and it was very cold and rainy and wet. The falls were still beautiful of course but I think a sunny day would be preferable. Anyway, they had a little cafe/gift shop inside so we went to go check if there was anything vegan (Silly me, I should have known. We’re in Iceland! Vegan central!) They legit had VEGAN NUGGETS on the menu. Vegan nuggets/fries after sightseeing. HELL YES?!?!!? They even had a vegan pizza on the menu but I only got the nuggets!

They were super delicious and warm after such a cold adventure and if you see Gulfoss, I suggest warming down with a cappuccino and some vegan nuggets 🙂

13). Te and Kaffi

Fun Fact: Starbucks doesn’t exist in Iceland. BUT they do have this coffee chain called Te and Kaffi which became my STAPLE when I was there. Both their coffee and matcha KNOCK Starbucks out of the park by a landslide. They also have vegan WHIPPED CREAM (it tasted kinda bland but I’m never going to complain about vegan whip) and vegan hot chocolate. Also the baristas were cute and nice. So 10/10 recommend this place for your caffeine fix. Great, cozy vibes and vegans are welcome!

* cough couch, Starbucks, take notes *

14.) O’Hare International Airport (Chicago)

We had a layover in Chicago and I found a vegan hot dog at America’s Dog which I topped with onions, relish (which was neon green?) onions, and a side of bbq sauce. It wasn’t like award winning but it hit the spot after a long flight. And then close to our gate, we found this little market place that had an entire VEGAN section with all different types of vegan food including lots of noodles. I went with the Thai Drunken Noodles and they were SOOOOOOOOOO good. So if you see those noodles at the airport, GET THEM.

14.) United Airlines food

Here are some pics of my specially requested vegan meals. I did get a gluten-free chocolate muffin with eggs in it, that I didn’t eat (it had a label on it). I did get another unlabeled chocolate muffin on the other flight, and assumed it was vegan, but it makes you question if these airlines even really know what veganism is lol.