Bakkabud

Some of the best food experiences in Iceland are not found in restaurants at all. They are found at places like Bakkabud — a small shop and cafe perched on the edge of Eyjafjordur, where the fjord stretches out before you and the mountains rise on the opposite shore, and someone has just pulled a homemade cake out of the oven.

The Setting

Bakkabud sits on Route 76 between Akureyri and Dalvik, on the western shore of one of Iceland's most beautiful fjords. Eyjafjordur is long, deep, and framed by mountains that catch the light differently at every hour of the day. On a clear afternoon, the view from Bakkabud's windows — or better yet, from the outdoor seating — is the kind of scene that makes you understand why people fall in love with North Iceland.

The building itself is modest: part shop, part cafe, with the unpretentious charm of a place that exists to serve its community rather than to impress tourists. That it does both is a happy accident.

The Food

The homemade cakes are the reason to stop — and they are genuinely excellent. Traditional Icelandic baking, done with care and skill, producing the kind of cakes that taste like someone's grandmother made them. Because, in a sense, someone's grandmother probably did. The recipes are traditional, the ingredients are local, and the result is the sort of baking that commercial bakeries cannot replicate.

Beyond the cakes, the cafe serves good coffee, light lunches (soup of the day, sandwiches), and snacks. The soup is typically Icelandic — hearty, warming, and made from whatever is fresh and available. It is simple food, but when the setting is this good and the prices are this fair, simplicity is all you need.

The Shop

The retail section stocks local products, handicrafts, and Icelandic staples. It is the kind of small-scale local shop that is increasingly rare, selling items that reflect the community rather than a marketing strategy. If you are looking for locally made gifts or provisions for the next stretch of driving, Bakkabud delivers.

Practical Tips

Bakkabud is an ideal stop if you are driving between Akureyri and Dalvik, or heading to Siglufjordur and the Arctic Coast Way. It is approximately 30 kilometres north of Akureyri and clearly visible from the main road. Parking is easy, prices are low, and the whole experience — cake, coffee, fjord view — takes about 30 minutes.

Open daily until 18:00. No reservations needed or possible. Cash and cards accepted. Stop here. You will not regret it, and you will think about the cake for the rest of your trip.