Gamla Smidjan

Some restaurants succeed through innovation. Others succeed by doing one thing well for long enough that the city cannot imagine life without them. Gamla Smidjan is the latter. This cellar pizza joint on Laekjargata has been producing stone-baked pizza for years, and its reputation among Reykjavik locals is the kind of endorsement that no marketing campaign can buy.

The Pizza

The pizza at Gamla Smidjan is stone-baked, producing a crust that is slightly thick, chewy in the middle, and properly crispy at the edges. The dough has genuine flavour — not the bland, characterless base that lesser pizzerias produce — and it holds up well under generous toppings. This is pizza with substance.

The topping combinations range from classic (margherita, pepperoni) to more adventurous options that incorporate Icelandic ingredients. The lamb-topped variations are worth trying, and the vegetarian options are treated as seriously as the meat-based ones. Cheese is applied with a generous hand, and the sauce has the brightness that comes from using quality tomatoes.

If you are in Reykjavik for several days and eat pizza more than once — which is entirely reasonable given the number of good pizzerias in the city — Gamla Smidjan should be one of your stops. The style is different from the thin, wood-fired approach of Flatey or the Neapolitan style of Rossopomodoro. This is its own thing, and it does it well.

The Cellar

The restaurant is below street level, accessed via stairs from Laekjargata. The cellar setting gives it a warm, enclosed atmosphere that suits pizza perfectly. Low ceilings, close tables, and the smell of baking dough create the kind of environment that makes you want to settle in, order another beer, and stay longer than planned.

The space is not large, which contributes to both the atmosphere and the occasional wait for tables during peak hours. The intimacy is a feature, not a limitation.

The Late-Night Factor

Gamla Smidjan stays open until 01:00 on Friday and Saturday nights, which is a significant detail in Reykjavik's nightlife landscape. When the bars start to thin out and hunger strikes, a stone-baked pizza in a cosy cellar is exactly the right response. The late-night crowd adds energy to the space, and the kitchen maintains quality even at the end of a long service.

Practical Tips

Walk-ins are standard. Peak hours (19:00-21:00 on weekends) may involve a wait, but the turnover is steady. Lunch is quieter and more relaxed. The Laekjargata location is central — a short walk from Austurvollur, Laugavegur, and the harbour. Prices are fair for central Reykjavik. Bring cash or card — both accepted. If you want pizza with character and atmosphere, Gamla Smidjan is one of the city's best options.