Aurora Restaurant
Where? Aurora Restaurant (Akureyri, Iceland) Map Menu
When? Monday March 25, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Icelandic
My guide to Dettifoss today said he was a professional chef, so I’ve asked him for a recommendation for Akureyri’s best burger. He’s told me the Aurora Restaurant, which is situated in the Akureyri Berjaya Hotel. Lucky for me, he’s dropping off two of the tour group there so I can grab some food before walking home and taking a break before tonight’s aurora hunt. I'm a little disheveled from a day touring Northern Iceland, and I feel a little out of place in amongst the well-dressed cliente here, but I'm never seeing these people again and I'm hungry, so let's just get the food and go. Though there's a "Deluxe Hamburger" option, I've opted for the more simple of the two.
Yay free bread. It’s nice and dense, and the butter is really creamy and well seasoned. A testament to the dairy industry here.
Mains
Hamburger: ketchup, mustard, cheddar, salad, onion, tomatoes, pickled cucumber
The fries are thin cut but thicker than packet chips. They’re really nice and the chipotle mayo accompaniment hits the spot. I’ve ordered my burger medium, and it’s cooked perfectly. Still juicy, and a hint of smokiness from the grill on both the patty and the bun. The toppings are ordinary but work well. All in all, this is a solid but simple burger, but as with many Icelandic things, quite pricey for $37.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:54pm on Wednesday October 22, 2025 :: 0 comments :: 
Greifinn
Where? Greifinn (Akureyri, Iceland) Map Menu
When? Sunday March 24, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Icelandic
My local restaurant in Akureyri is about ten minutes walk away, and seems to be a popular joint for families (as I’m writing this, there’s a kid on the other side of the room yelling). Tourism season is summer, so I imagine most people here today are locals. Really I’m only here for convenience and because my hostel gave me a 10% discount voucher. I’ve got an aurora tour to catch in just over two hours so I need something quick. Since I had seafood yesterday, I’m going for the other famous Icelandic protein - lamb. This is costing me 6790 ISK, which is just shy of $70 CAD.
Mains
Lamb bearnaise: Grilled lamb rib eye, served with bearnaise sauce, roasted vegetables and French fries
Oops. Didn’t realise there were mushrooms. Not really a fan of the bean sprouts either. The chips are really good though, solidifying my opinion that thick cut is superior to shoestring. The bearnaise is luscious and rich, but the protein is perhaps a little over medium rare. I think the sear isn’t strong enough, but it tastes very good and it’s very tender. As I’m finishing the chips, I spot a bottle of a mystery liquid with the salt and pepper shakers and I decide to try some. It’s garlic oil. What a great idea. I think every restaurant should have a bottle of garlic oil on the side.
I think I’ll pass on the ridiculously expensive desserts, but I do want something sweet to finish off so I’ll go with a hot chocolate instead. It’s no suizo, but it’ll do.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:18pm on Wednesday October 22, 2025 :: 0 comments ::
Centrum Kitchen and Bar
Where? Centrum Kitchen and Bar (Akureyri, Iceland) Map Menu
When? Saturday March 23, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Icelandic
Akureyri is a small town in North Iceland, and though it has been difficult logistically to get here, I’m well settled at my hostel and I’ve been out walking around town. It’s been slightly warmer here than in Toronto (lol) and now I’m ready to grab some food on the main street of the city. Food here is very expensive - mains are usually 4,000 to 7,000 Icelandic krona, which equates to $40 - $70 Canadian dollars.
Today I’m at the Centrum Kitchen and Bar, which is attached to the hotel of the same name. My drink is a local ginger beer with lots of kick and not much sugar. It’s perfect and has that spiciness with every sip. 
Mains
Langoustine Pasta: Black linguini pasta with langoustine, cream langoustine sauce, cherry tomatoes, basil pesto and parmesan
Langoustine is one of the most important seafoods commercially in Europe and while it is related to the lobster, it only grows up to about 20cm in length. It’s abundant in Iceland waters and so I’ve decided to have some today in an octopus ink pasta. When it comes out - wow. It smells fantastic, rich, creamy, cheesy and seafoody at the same time. There’s lots of sauce, which is a must for a dish like this, since the pasta is merely a vessel to soak up all that delicious langoustine sauce. There’s some nice chunks of the protein strewn through and this is extremely delicious. I don’t think the spring onion is quite the right garnish for this, but I’m at a loss to provide an alternative. It does give a bit of crunch and freshness though, and the tomato provides that sweetness to balance out all the flavours on the plate. Not a single drop of that sauce is going to be wasted on my watch.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:13pm on Wednesday October 22, 2025 :: 0 comments ::