What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Forrettabarinn
Review
About
Travelers' Choice
2024
Forrettabarinn offers a range of appetizers and desserts of various sizes. The menu focuses on fresh, Icelandic ingredients with a Southern European influence. It also offers a range of vegetarian dishes and a choice of four-course set meals. The bar offers a good range of beers, locally brewed along with international brands. Wine is offered by the glass and the colorful cocktail selection is carefully crafted by their skilled bartenders. Don’t miss the happy hour from 16 – 18 every day with special offers on draft beers and the house wines. Forrettabarinn opened in 2011 and is owned and run by chef Róbert Ólafsson. He has extensive experience dating back to 1994 and has worked in hotels and restaurants all over the world, including Iceland, Germany, USA and France. The restaurant’s interior is modern with minimal Scandinavian influence. It is decorated with artworks, high ceilings and an open kitchen. The main bar is crafted from timber from the old harbor.
Features
CUISINES
Seafood, International, European, Scandinavian
Meal types
Dinner, Drinks
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
American Express
Discover
Free off-street parking
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Gift Cards Available
Highchairs Available
Live Music
Mastercard
Parking Available
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Street Parking
Table Service
Visa
Wine and Beer
Location
Free off-street parking, Parking Available, Street Parking
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 4:00 PM
Sunday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Monday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Friday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Contribute
4.7
(1,571)
Excellent
1,167
Good
335
Average
47
Poor
11
Terrible
11
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Jonathan G
Amboise80 contributions
Feb 2025 • family
Recommended by our travel agency, we had a great time! At the foot of the port, it offers a diversified but very high quality menu with the influence of a French chef!
Visitors to Reykjavik must spend a passage because it is a real restaurant for locals.
With 2 children and a few glasses of wine we paid ISK 27,000 which I find balanced considering the quality.
Automatically translated
Written February 13, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Retired and Traveling a lot
Chicago121 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
Reservations: easily made and then honored immediately upon our arrival.
Ambiance: Attractive, not too noisy, comfortable. Noticed it was filled with locals, though the menu was written in both Icelandic and English.
Service: excellent. They were short staffed, but working mightily. They went out of their way for us for our drink orders, making some variations that we requested.
Appreciated their professionalism.
Food: Just delicious. Interesting offerings (my husband had a horse filet, which he enjoyed very much); flavored and spiced well; served hot.
Value: Well, everything in Iceland is expensive, and this restaurant is no exception. Prices at restaurants have increased in our area (Chicago and suburbs) quite a lot, and the prices in Iceland are even higher. Just be prepared and enjoy.
Highly recommend.
Written October 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruno D V
West Flanders Province5 contributions
Jul 2024 • family
Great, cozy restaurant / bar, near the harbor. Friendly welcome by the staff, despite late reservation by our children, nicely set table. Cozy interior, professional service, open kitchen... dishes were top, we chose the 3-course menu, 2x fish menu, 2x meat menu and 1x vegetarian... was no problem! Top ! A nice kaffi afterwards decided on a culinary perfect evening! Highly recommended!
Automatically translated
Written July 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JadeSheardown
Grantham24 contributions
Feb 2023 • couples
We were given this recommendation from the hosts of our air b n b. We had a wonderful meal trying the four course taster menu, myself having the Fly Fish option and my husband having the Smokey Bay option. All were very tasty!
We also had a few beers, more reasonable at around £8/pint compared to £10 at many others. They also have complementary bread with an olive tapenade.
Definitely would recommend!
Written February 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
5bottomspink
Fredericksburg91 contributions
Jun 2023 • solo
Other than having trouble getting in because the door handle was broken this was perfect. The food was excellent, well seasoned and felt like a complete meal. The portion was excellent for me, if a little big. Someone who really likes to eat would be better off with their price fixed meal. For someone who wants a smaller portion a choice off the side was perfect. The wine was good and serving size didn’t made me happy. The staff was friendly.
Written June 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pasi H
5 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
Really excellent experience. I have been travelling since mid of eighties in many countries and allways loved to eat well. This "S M O K E Y B A Y" menu was maybe the best dinner I have ever taste in any place. Service was amazing polite, exceptionally quick and very professional. If I would educate restaurant personals, that would be absolutely example of the place where customer is taken into account as it should be every restaurant.
Written February 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mshapiro99
Sterling1652 contributions
Jul 2023 • couples
Tucked into a side street of the tourist area (near the harbor) is this cozy restaurant, featuring local, deliciously prepared cuisine. We had a variety of dishes, light but satisfying, including seafood dishes and a smooth langoustine bisque. Somewhat spartan interior, but friendly service and delicious food make this a restaurant that is recommended by local tour guides and other travelers (A Trip Advisor Travelers' Choice Award Winner!) alike.
Written August 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aspyn
Luxembourg City72 contributions
Dec 2021 • friends
One of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to! Not only was the food incredibly good, but the staff is wonderful. I believe our waitress’ name was Dany and she was very mindful of my gluten allergy and was so nice and sweet. The four course dinner is quite big, too big for me, and I was able to change it to only two courses, which was very much appreciated. The langoustine bisque was probably the best I’ve ever had. A must if you’re in town!
Written December 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriela Alvarez - Caminito Amor
Santa Cruz801 contributions
Mar 2023 • none
After touring around Reykjavik, nothing better than ending the day with a delicious meal, I ordered a 4 course tasting menu with delicious dishes.
Everything was really mouth-watering and the cocktails were even better, the place has a very nice atmosphere and even has a space with a bar if you want to stay and continue having drinks after dinner until 23 pm which is the closing time.
I would also like to highlight the service of the staff, which was at the same level as the chef's work. To eat well in Reykjavik I recommend this place.
Written March 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
patti c
Ann Arbor13 contributions
Oct 2024 • family
The food—the food tasted amazing. It was reasonably priced but far far exceeded any other meal we had. Maybe some dishes were over sauced for our taste (hot smoked salmon and chicken quesadilla) but sauce was easily moved to the side. The flavors were outstanding. Beef carpaccio was a table favorite. Lamb ribeye was the best. Wolffish Florentine—top notch. It’s all about the food here. Servers were overwhelmed at times and didn’t check back, refill drinks etc but the food —it’s on another level. Truly. Even the Cajun burger was heads above an average burger. Desserts were very good but didn’t blow our minds like the starters and entrees. Great atmosphere too. 5 star
Written October 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Claire
Oxford10 contributions
Sep 2023 • friends
This bar/restaurant was recommended to us by one of the staff members from our hotel which was just around the corner. We were so glad that she did as we had a very enjoyable evening. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was excellent. There were plenty of locals eating and drinking there which is always a good sign and I would 100% recommend booking a table here.
Written September 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
onefifty
Cowes12 contributions
Dec 2023 • friends
Loved this friendly, welcoming restaurant and bar - great place for both a pre dinner drink and dinner itself - beautifully cooked Icelandic tapas style and larger plates served by charming staff. We went back number of times during our short stay in Reykjavik. Highly recommended.
Written January 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
balenadorme
Milan5074 contributions
Jan 2024 • friends
One of the many places nestled around the ancient port, it stands out for its warmth and attendance. Many tourists in a family and enveloping atmosphere. A few planets hanging on the walls and rare tempera stains. Traditional city dishes such as lobster bisque, shrimp taco or the catch of the day are tasty and delicious. For meat lovers, horse isn't bad either. Prices more than fair for the city average.
Written January 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JM598132
Sydney6 contributions
Jan 2023 • couples
We were recommended this place by our wake up Reykjavík food tour. Mostly because we really wanted to try the horse. We got the smoked duck, smoked salmon, grilled horse and croquets and WOW! Food was the best we had in Iceland. The chef was also our waiter and you could tell how much time and precision he put into his work. Would absolutely recommend! Also horse is a definitely must try when in Iceland.
Written January 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fiona I
73 contributions
Jun 2022 • none
We chose this restaurant after walking away from a couple of others because the others had whale meat on their menu and as tourists the best thing you can do is not support the whaling industry and make sure your money goes to places that don’t serve whale. Anyway, we were so happy with our choice, this was our favourite meal in Iceland. We had a set menu which was incredibly good value for money by Reykjavik standards. The service was friendly and efficient and the waitress let my picky husband swap out a dish on the set menu! The atmosphere was very relaxed and welcoming and we also noticed quite a few locals eating there - which is always a good sign!! Every single dish was delicious and generous. It was fresh Icelandic ingredients and local cuisine done in quite a modern style. The fish dish (ling) was particularly delicious. They also had quite a broad menu with plenty range of vegan dishes. Definitely highly recommended!
Written June 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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