Jon Riki Brewery & Restaurant

Driving the Ring Road between Hofn and Skaftafell, you would be forgiven for thinking the landscape is too wild and remote for anything as civilised as a brewery. Then you spot the sign for Jon Riki, turn off the main road, and find yourself at a working farm where a family brews craft beer, bakes bread, and serves some of the most satisfying food in southeast Iceland.

What to Expect

Jon Riki is not a slick gastropub or a designed-for-Instagram taproom. It is a family operation on the farm Holmur, about 34 km from Hofn, where the brewery and restaurant occupy converted farm buildings. The setting is spectacular: Vatnajokull glacier dominates the horizon, sheep graze in surrounding fields, and the silence -- broken only by wind and the occasional bird -- is the kind you forget exists when you live in a city.

Inside, the dining space is warm and rustic. Wooden tables, simple decor, and the kind of genuine hospitality that comes from a family who clearly love what they do. This is not service in the hotel sense; it is more like being welcomed into someone's home. The owners are happy to talk about the brewing process, the farm, and the area's history, often at considerable length.

The Beer

Jon Riki brews a rotating selection of craft beers on-site, using quality malts and glacial water. The range typically includes a refreshing pale ale, a hoppier IPA, and seasonal specials that draw on whatever ingredients are available. By Icelandic craft beer standards, the brewing is accomplished and characterful.

The crucial detail: Jon Riki beer is only available here. You cannot find it in Reykjavik bottle shops or on restaurant menus elsewhere. This alone makes the detour worthwhile for any beer enthusiast driving the Ring Road.

The Food

The kitchen serves hearty, unpretentious Icelandic food. Lamb soup, made from local sheep, is the signature dish: rich, warming, and deeply flavourful. Seafood soup is equally good. Both come with freshly baked bread that is exactly the kind of thing you want after a morning of driving through Icelandic weather.

The menu is deliberately small, changing with the seasons and the availability of ingredients. Everything is homemade, and the portions reflect a farming family's understanding of appetite -- generous, to say the least.

Practical Tips

Jon Riki is seasonal. During summer (roughly June to August), the restaurant operates daily and welcomes walk-ins. Outside this window -- September through May -- it opens only by prior arrangement. If you are visiting in the shoulder season, call ahead on +354 783 0300 or email to check availability.

The farm is signposted from the Ring Road and easy to find. Allow 30-40 minutes from Hofn. There is ample parking on-site.

This is one of those rare places where the combination of location, food, and drink creates something greater than the sum of its parts. If you are driving the Ring Road and have any interest in craft beer, homemade food, or simply one of the finest views from any restaurant in Iceland, Jon Riki should be on your itinerary.