My Top 10 Restaurants in Reykjavik vs TripAdvisor's Top 10

My top 10 go-to restaurants in Reykjavik recommended to friends visiting Iceland these days.

1. Dill , the only Icelandic restaurant awarded a Michelin star and for a reason. A small and intimate place featuring nordic-style local culinary journey par excellent.
2. Sumac , a new restaurant on my list this year (2018) which has the perfect balance between casual atmosphere and quality dining. Icelandic seasonal ingredients at its best fused with exotic spices and flavors from Marocco and Lebanom.
3. The Public House , an Icelandic Gastrobup with some good brews and rock-solid food. The perfect place to start the night out with a group of friends.
4. Messinn , a new casual fish resturant with fresh local fish mostly served pan-style with potatos and fresh salad. Basic but super tasty. Excellent place for lunch.
5. Kol , a small trendy restaurant with the best cocktails in Reykjavik and excellent food featuring Icelandic comfort cuisine which certainly does not dissapoint.
6. Nostra , a new restaurant on my list this year (2018) focusing on fine dining with locally grown and sources ingredients. Has some excellent tasting menus and an awesome cocktail bar.
7. Rok , a new hip restaurant focusing on small local plates to share. Also a great place to drop by for some small bites and their champagne happy hour.
8. Grill Market , local organic produce, great for the Icelandic lamb and other plates from their grill. Awesome decoration and ambiance.
9. Snaps , trendy Icelandic/French bistro, always crowded with locals and often hard to get a table.
10. Fish Market , great seafood restaurant with asian fusion influence. If you are looking for some great locally sourced seafood this place is your go-to place.

On the flipside, this is TripAdvisor's top 10 list of restaurants in Iceland (pulled on Feb 24, 2018). Interestingly only three of my top ten restaurants in Reykjavik make it to their list.

1. Icelandic Street Food
2. Forréttabarinn
3. Messinn ( also on my list )
4. Resto
5. Ostabudin (Top contender to get on my list - definitely one of the top places to grab lunch in Reykjavik)
6. Nostra ( also on my list )
7. Matarkjallarinn - Food Cellar
8. Fish Market ( also on my list )
9. Old Iceland Restaurant
10. Kaffivagninn

Also, if you are looking for more great spots for foodies in Reykjavik I wrote up a list of my top 5 coffee shops for working in Reykjavik . Additionally, I also highly recommend this article about bakeries in Reykjavik and try some traditional local food which you can find in multiple places in the city. By creating your own Wanderlist on Wonderguide, you can easily keep track of all the things you've read so far about Iceland. 

Note: My original version of this top restaurant in Reykjavik list was published on Feb 7th, 2017 and the list was updated on Feb 24th 2018. Please also note that this list represents my personal view of the local restaurant scene.