Graena Kannan (Solheimar Eco-Village)

There is nowhere quite like Graena Kannan. Tucked inside a converted greenhouse at Solheimar, Iceland's oldest and only eco-village, this small cafe operates on a different rhythm from the tourist restaurants of Reykjavik and the Golden Circle. The food is grown on site, the coffee is roasted in-house, and the people serving you are residents of a remarkable community that has been practising sustainable living since 1930.

The Setting

Solheimar sits about 80 kilometres east of Reykjavik, just off the road that connects Thingvellir to Geysir. Founded by Sesselja Sigmundsdottir as a home for children with disabilities, it has evolved into a thriving eco-village of roughly 100 residents who live and work together, running organic greenhouses, forestry projects, and creative workshops. Graena Kannan — "The Green Jug" — is the village's cafe and informal community hub, housed in a bright, airy space that still feels like the greenhouse it once was.

What to Eat

The menu is modest but honest. Expect hearty soups made from vegetables grown in the village's geothermally heated greenhouses, freshly baked bread, sandwiches, and a small selection of cakes and pastries. Nothing is complicated; everything tastes of what it actually is. The coffee deserves particular mention — Solheimar imports and roasts its own beans, and the result is a cup with more character than you will find at many dedicated coffee shops in the capital.

If you are driving the Golden Circle and want lunch somewhere that is not a petrol station or a tourist canteen, Graena Kannan is your answer. The quality is genuinely good, the prices are fair, and you are eating in a place that practises the sustainability that so many Icelandic businesses merely talk about.

Practical Tips

Check the season. The cafe operates daily during the summer months (roughly June to August) from 13:00 to 18:00. Outside this period, hours are reduced and sometimes by appointment only. A quick phone call before visiting will save potential disappointment.

Allow extra time. Even if you come only for coffee, you will likely want to wander the village. The art workshops produce beautiful ceramics and candles, the greenhouses are worth a peek, and the general atmosphere is quietly wonderful.

Driving route. From Reykjavik, take Route 1 east to Route 35 towards Geysir. Solheimar is signposted and requires a short detour from the main road. It adds perhaps 20 minutes to a Golden Circle day trip, but those 20 minutes feel like entering a different world.

Graena Kannan is not trying to be anything other than what it is: a small, organic cafe run by a community that cares deeply about its food and its land. In a country where tourist infrastructure can sometimes feel cynically commercial, that sincerity is refreshing — and the soup is excellent.