Nostra

Nostra takes the New Nordic philosophy and pushes it further than most Reykjavik restaurants dare. The menu here does not just change with the seasons — it transforms completely, four times a year, reimagining itself around whatever Iceland's landscape is producing at that moment. Spring brings foraging and new growth. Summer offers the midnight sun's bounty. Autumn means preservation and fermentation. Winter is about depth, richness, and the stored flavours of the year.

The Menu

There is no a la carte at Nostra — the tasting menu is the only option, and it is the right choice. Each season's menu tells a story through seven to nine courses, moving from lighter introductions through increasingly substantial dishes before closing with something sweet and reflective.

The cooking is precise but never clinical. There is a warmth to the food at Nostra that comes from the personal connection the kitchen maintains with its ingredients — many foraged, many sourced from specific farms the team knows by name. The langoustine, when it appears, is treated with extraordinary delicacy. The lamb is robust and deeply flavoured. The vegetable courses, often the most surprising, demonstrate a kitchen that takes plant ingredients as seriously as protein.

The Setting

Nostra is intimate — intentionally so. The dining room is small, the lighting warm, and the pace unhurried. Courses arrive with explanations from the kitchen, and there is a sense that each table is receiving personal attention rather than being processed through a service. It is the kind of restaurant where you put your phone away and pay attention.

Practical Tips

Reserve early, particularly for weekend evenings. The wine pairing is worth the additional investment — the sommelier works with interesting producers and matches thoughtfully to the menu. Allow three hours for the full experience. Dietary restrictions should be communicated when booking.

Nostra is not the most famous restaurant in Reykjavik, and it seems content with that. What it offers instead is one of the most thoughtful, personal, and genuinely seasonal dining experiences in the city.