Farmer's Soup

Sometimes the best meals are the simplest. Farmer's Soup, located near Hallgrimskirkja in the heart of Reykjavik, serves exactly one thing well: soup. Traditional Icelandic soup, made with care, served with bread, and priced at a level that feels almost charitable in a city where lunch can easily cost ISK 4,000 or more.

The Soup

There are two main options: lamb soup and fish soup. Both follow traditional Icelandic recipes and are made fresh daily. The lamb soup is the signature -- a hearty, warming bowlful of slow-cooked lamb, root vegetables, and herbs in a rich broth. It is the kind of soup that makes you understand why Icelanders survived centuries of brutal winters. One bowl and you feel invincible.

The fish soup is equally well made -- creamy, deeply flavoured, and loaded with whatever fish is fresh that day. A vegetarian option is available for those who need it.

Both arrive with fresh bread, and the combination of hot soup and good bread on a cold Reykjavik day is one of life's simple, profound pleasures.

The Setting

The space is tiny and functional. This is not a sit-down restaurant with tablecloths and wine glasses -- it is a soup kitchen in the best sense of the word. You order, you sit, you eat, and you leave feeling warm and satisfied. The turnover is quick, which means even when it is busy, you should not have to wait long for a table.

The Value

In a city where restaurants routinely charge ISK 3,500 or more for a basic lunch, Farmer's Soup is a revelation. A filling bowl of soup with bread costs around ISK 1,500-2,000. For budget travellers, this is essential knowledge. For everyone else, it is a reminder that good food does not need to be expensive.

When to Go

Lunchtime is the obvious choice, and the location near Hallgrimskirkja makes it a natural stop during a day of sightseeing. The soup keeps you going for hours, which is useful when you have an afternoon of walking ahead. Arrive before the midday rush for the shortest wait.

Farmer's Soup is proof that a restaurant does not need a complex menu, a famous chef, or a designer interior. It needs good ingredients, a recipe that works, and the good sense to keep things simple.