The Bulandsnes

The Westfjords are where Iceland stops pretending to be accessible. This jagged, remote peninsula in the northwest of the country is home to some of the most dramatic landscapes on earth, a population that can be counted in hundreds rather than thousands, and a handful of places to eat that are as much about the journey as the food. The Bulandsnes is one of those places.

The Setting

The restaurant sits in a landscape that seems almost deliberately designed to humble you. Fjords cut deep into the mountainous coastline, their waters dark and still. Mountains rise steeply on all sides, their slopes streaked with snow well into summer. The light in the Westfjords has a quality unlike anywhere else in Iceland -- softer, more diffuse, as if filtered through layers of sea mist.

From The Bulandsnes, the views over the surrounding fjords are extraordinary. This is the kind of setting that makes you put down your fork and simply look, which is both the greatest compliment and the greatest challenge a restaurant in the Westfjords can face.

The Food

The kitchen works with what the land and sea provide, which in the Westfjords means supremely fresh seafood and lamb raised on the sparse, herb-rich pastures that climb the fjord walls. Fish might arrive at the kitchen hours after being pulled from the fjord. Lamb comes from farms within sight of the restaurant.

Preparations are straightforward and let the ingredients speak. Fresh fish is grilled or pan-fried with minimal embellishment. Lamb is slow-cooked with the patience that this environment demands. Soups are warming and substantial. The cooking is not fancy, but when your cod was swimming that morning and your lamb has been grazing on wild thyme, fancy is beside the point.

The Journey

Getting to The Bulandsnes is an adventure in itself. The Westfjords roads are narrow, winding, and occasionally unpaved. The drive from Reykjavik takes five to six hours, through increasingly dramatic scenery that builds towards a crescendo as you enter the Westfjords proper. From Isafjordur, the regional capital, it is roughly two hours.

The remoteness is part of the appeal. By the time you arrive, you have earned your meal in a way that a Reykjavik restaurant cannot replicate.

Practical Notes

Book ahead. The restaurant's remote location and limited capacity make reservations essential, particularly in summer. Check opening hours before travelling, as the Westfjords operate on a different rhythm from the rest of Iceland, and winter accessibility can be severely limited by weather and road conditions.