Brynja

There are certain truths about Iceland that every traveller eventually learns. The weather will surprise you. The roads are longer than they look on the map. And at some point, someone will tell you that you absolutely must visit Brynja in Akureyri for ice cream. They will be right.

The Ice Cream

Brynja's ice cream is exceptional, and I do not use that word lightly. The texture is dense, rich, and extraordinarily smooth -- the result of using natural ingredients and a recipe that has been refined over decades. There are no artificial colours, no synthetic flavours, no shortcuts. This is ice cream made properly, and you can taste the difference from the first lick.

The soft-serve is the signature order, dispensed in generous spirals and optionally dipped in chocolate, caramel, or other coatings. The vanilla is pure and intense, the chocolate is dark and satisfying, and the seasonal specials often incorporate Icelandic ingredients like berries or liquorice.

The Ritual

Eating at Brynja is as much ritual as it is snack. Locals treat it with a reverence that might seem disproportionate to an ice cream shop, but once you have tasted it, you understand. Families come here after dinner. Teenagers gather on summer evenings. Couples on evening walks make a detour that everyone knows was the real reason for the walk in the first place.

The queue -- and there is almost always a queue -- moves quickly. You choose your flavour, receive a cone or cup that is larger than expected, and find a spot outside to eat it. In summer, the long Arctic evenings and the view down Adalstræti towards the fjord make for a perfect setting. In winter, eating ice cream in the cold feels delightfully defiant.

Practical Details

Brynja is open daily from 09:00 to 23:30, which means you can have ice cream for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a midnight snack if you choose. The shop is small, so most people eat outside or take their ice cream on a walk. Prices are remarkably reasonable -- this is one of Iceland's best bargains.

The Verdict

Brynja is not just the best ice cream in Akureyri. It is the best ice cream in Iceland, and a strong contender for the best in Northern Europe. If you are driving the Ring Road and passing through Akureyri, stopping here is not optional -- it is obligatory. No trip to North Iceland is complete without a Brynja cone.