Kringlukrain

Opening a restaurant on the day beer became legal in Iceland is either a marketing stroke of genius or a happy accident. Either way, Kringlukrain has been pouring pints inside Kringlan shopping mall since 1 March 1989, and the fact that it is still there, still family-owned, and still full most evenings tells you that it has figured out something that many more fashionable restaurants have not.

The Food

The menu is deliberately broad. Pizza and calzones form one pillar — the pizza menu alone runs to a dozen or more options, from margherita basics to loaded Icelandic variations. The other pillar is European-Icelandic mains: lamb chops, duck, steaks, burgers, and a respectable selection of soups and salads. It is the kind of menu designed to satisfy a family where everyone wants something different, and it does that job well.

Nothing on the menu is going to make a food critic reconsider their career. But the cooking is competent, the portions are generous, and the consistency — day after day, year after year — is the real achievement. In a city where new restaurants bloom and wilt seasonally, Kringlukrain's three and a half decades of steady operation deserve respect.

The Setting

Yes, it is in a shopping mall. No, it does not feel like a food court. Kringlukrain has carved out its own space within Kringlan with proper table service, a full bar, and an atmosphere that is more neighbourhood restaurant than retail afterthought. The decor leans cosy rather than corporate, and the staff have the unhurried confidence of a team that knows its regulars.

Happy Hour

The daily happy hour from 15:00 to 18:00 is a natural companion to a shopping trip at Kringlan. Cocktails, beer, and wine are discounted, and the bar area fills with a mix of shoppers taking a break and locals who have discovered that a mid-afternoon drink at Kringlukrain is one of the more pleasant ways to pass time in suburban Reykjavik.

Practical Tips

Getting there. Kringlan shopping centre is east of downtown Reykjavik, about a 20-minute walk or a short bus ride. Several bus routes stop directly at the mall, and parking is free.

Best for. A meal while shopping at Kringlan, a family dinner where the menu needs to accommodate all ages and tastes, or happy hour cocktails in an unexpectedly pleasant setting.

Pizza tip. If the rest of the menu feels too broad to navigate, default to pizza. The oven produces good results, and the variety ensures everyone finds something they want.

Staying late. Kringlukrain stays open until 21:00, well after the other shops in Kringlan close. This makes it a viable dinner option even if you arrive after the mall's retail hours.

Kringlukrain is not the restaurant you will tell your friends about when you return from Iceland. It is the restaurant you will return to yourself — reliable, comfortable, and run by people who have been doing this for 35 years and show no signs of stopping.