Mat Bar

Hverfisgata has quietly become one of the most interesting dining streets in Reykjavik, and Mat Bar is a significant reason why. This compact, chef-driven restaurant serves some of the most creative food in the city, blending Icelandic produce with Italian sensibility and a global curiosity that keeps the menu in constant, exciting motion.

What to Expect

Mat Bar is small. There are perhaps thirty seats in a space that feels intimate without feeling cramped, with an open kitchen that puts the cooking team in full view. The design is pared-back and modern: clean lines, warm materials, and the kind of understated elegance that lets the food command attention.

The atmosphere on a busy evening is electric in a quiet way. Tables are close enough to catch fragments of conversation from neighbouring diners, and there is a collective energy that comes from everyone in the room eating food that is clearly a step above the ordinary. Service is attentive and well-informed, with staff who can walk you through each dish with genuine enthusiasm.

The Menu

Mat Bar's menu changes with the seasons, the availability of ingredients, and -- one suspects -- the mood of the kitchen. This means the specific dishes you encounter will depend on when you visit, but the philosophy remains constant: Icelandic ingredients treated with Italian craft and an openness to flavours from anywhere in the world.

The set sharing menus are the recommended approach, particularly for first-time visitors. The three-course option offers a solid introduction; the five-course "Best of Mat Bar" is the full experience. Past dishes have included rabbit-filled dumplings, reindeer steak with Arctic berry glaze, and inventive preparations of Icelandic seafood that reveal new dimensions in familiar ingredients.

Small plates and starters -- marinated olives, house pickles, freshly baked bread -- are designed for grazing alongside the main event. They are simple but perfectly executed, setting the tone for what follows.

The wine list deserves attention. Curated with the same creative sensibility as the food, it leans towards natural and biodynamic producers. If you are open to adventurous pairings, ask the staff for guidance -- they clearly enjoy matching wines to the kitchen's creations.

Practical Tips

Reservations are essential. Mat Bar's small size and growing reputation mean that tables -- especially on Friday and Saturday -- fill up quickly. Book through the website at matbar.is, ideally several days in advance during summer.

The restaurant is dinner-only, opening at 17:00 and closing at 22:00, Monday through Saturday. Sunday is closed. If you are in Reykjavik for a limited number of evenings, make Mat Bar one of them.

Hverfisgata 26 is in the heart of downtown Reykjavik, parallel to Laugavegur. The restaurant does not shout for attention from the street -- there is no garish signage or pavement menu board -- but that restraint is part of its appeal. Find it, walk in, and prepare to eat some of the most interesting food in Iceland.