Kaffivagninn – Iceland’s oldest restaurant

Kaffivagninn – Iceland’s oldest restaurant

Kaffivagninn is truly a authentic dining experience in Iceland.

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Kaffivagninn – Iceland’s oldest restaurant

Seafood, European, Scandinavian, Cafe, Soups

THE HISTORY

Kaffivagninn was founded in 1935 bu Bjarni Kristjánsson and was located at Ellingsplanið at the corner of Pósthússtræti and Tryggvagata in Reykjavík. At the time the restaurant was a food truck. Through World War II Kaffivagninn was owned and operated by Bjarni, the founder.

In the early 50s the ownership changed and Guðrún Ingólfsdóttir took over. At that time Kaffivagninn was located at Grandagarður and was a small building on wheels, that would fit 10 to 15 people.
Located by the booming harbor area of the 50s Kaffivagninn was popular with fishermen as it opened early and closed late.

Guðrún put in the first lifebuoy rings at Kaffivagninn and for a while the restaurant had the only telephone at Grandagarður.
In the early 60s Kaffivagninn got a face-lift and was expanded in size. Ásta Thorarensen became co-owner and the now larger restaurant became popular with not only fishermen, but also students, taxi drivers, and truck drivers.

Since 1975 Kaffivagninn has looked about the same, only minor improvements and changes have been made to meet changing requirements.

History is still a large part of Kaffivagninn as it is now the oldest operating restaurant in Iceland. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner 7 days a week. Kaffivvagninn is also a wonderful place to sit down for a cup of coffee and offers a variety of coffee drinks, pasties, and cakes.