Efstidalur

There are farm-to-table restaurants, and then there is Efstidalur — a place where "farm-to-table" means the cows are literally on the other side of a glass wall while you eat ice cream made from their milk. It is a concept that sounds gimmicky on paper but works with complete sincerity in practice.

The Farm

Efstidalur II is a working dairy farm in the Golden Circle, operated by the same family for generations. The setting is classically Icelandic: rolling green pastures, mountains in the distance, and a sense of quiet that city-dwellers find almost startling. The farm produces milk, cream, cheese, skyr, and beef — and all of it ends up on the menu in the restaurant next door.

The Restaurant

The restaurant occupies a converted farm building with the now-famous glass wall looking into the cow barn. Yes, you eat while watching cows. It sounds absurd, and it is — in the most delightful way possible. Children are mesmerised, adults are amused, and somehow the whole thing adds to rather than detracts from the meal.

The menu is unpretentious: burgers made with the farm's own beef, pizza (surprisingly good), soups, and sandwiches. Everything is made with ingredients that have not travelled far — most of them have not travelled at all. The quality of the dairy products is immediately noticeable. The milk tastes different when it is this fresh, and the cheese has a richness that supermarket alternatives simply cannot match.

The Ice Cream

The ice cream barn is the real draw, and with good reason. Made from the farm's own cream, it is exceptionally smooth, rich, and available in a rotating selection of flavours. The vanilla is outstanding in its simplicity. On a sunny Golden Circle day, eating Efstidalur ice cream on the front porch with a view of the Icelandic countryside is as close to perfection as dairy gets.

Practical Tips

Efstidalur sits between Thingvellir and Geysir on the Golden Circle route, making it a natural stop for lunch. Most visitors drive, and there is ample parking. No reservations are needed unless you have a large group. The restaurant can get busy during peak summer hours (12:00-14:00), so arriving slightly off-peak is wise.

Winter hours are shorter, and the experience is quieter but no less charming. The farm operates year-round, and there is something particularly appealing about eating here when snow covers the surrounding pastures.

Come for the ice cream. Stay for the burgers. Leave with a mental image of happy Icelandic cows that will make you smile for the rest of the day.