Vegan Paradise: Exploring Plant-Based Cuisine in Iceland
Iceland looks terrible for vegans on paper. Lamb, fish, skyr, and cream in everything. But the reality on the ground is much better than the reputation, especially in Reykjavik and the bigger towns. The plant-based scene has grown a lot in recent years, and with some basic planning, you can eat well the whole trip.
Key Takeaways
- Reykjavik is surprisingly easy for vegans, with fully vegan restaurants, vegan bakeries, plant-based supermarket sections, and most cafes offering at least a few solid vegan options.
- Vegan travel around Iceland is very doable, but once you get into remote areas like the Westfjords or the Highlands, having groceries and backup food matters a lot more than restaurant recommendations.
- Krónan and Bónus are the best supermarkets for vegan travelers, with good selections of oat milk, tofu, vegan meats, dairy-free yogurt, vegan cheese, and affordable basics for road trips.
- The easiest way to eat vegan in Iceland is to mix restaurants with supermarket food, stock up before long drives, and stay somewhere with a kitchen whenever possible.
- N1 gas stations are the most reliable stop for hot vegan food on the road, while most other stations are better for snacks like nuts, fruit, chips, oat milk drinks, and protein bars.
- Iceland is expensive, especially for restaurant meals and imported vegan products, so cooking some of your own food can save a huge amount of money during the trip.
Is Iceland Good for Vegans?
Yes, mostly. Reykjavik is genuinely easy. Outside the capital, it depends on where you are and how much you've prepared.
Traditional Icelandic food is built around lamb, dried fish, skyr, and dairy. That's not going away. But there's also a real plant-based scene that's been growing, driven by locals and the large number of international tourists coming through. One Icelandic vegan Facebook group has over 22,000 members, which says a lot about the demand.
HappyCow lists 374 vegan, vegetarian, and veg-option spots across the country, with Reykjavik making up the biggest chunk. Nearly every restaurant in the capital has at least one or two clearly labeled vegan dishes, and the supermarkets have proper plant-based sections.
Outside Reykjavik, things get thinner. Akureyri, Selfoss, and Vik are all fine with a bit of planning. Remote Ring Road stretches, the Westfjords, and the Highlands are a different story. In those areas, a well-stocked car matters more than any restaurant recommendation.
For most vegan travelers, finding food isn't actually the hard part. The cost is. Iceland is expensive, and imported vegan products are some of the priciest things on the shelf. Picking up staples at Bónus or Krónan and cooking some of your own meals goes a long way, both for food quality and for your wallet.
Where Vegan Food Is Easiest to Find in Iceland
Where you eat well as a vegan in Iceland comes down largely to your route. Some towns are great. Others will have you surviving on gas station chips.
Reykjavik
Reykjavik is by far the easiest place in the country for plant-based travelers. Fully vegan restaurants, vegetarian cafes, food halls, vegan bakeries, supermarkets with wide plant-based selections. You can show up with zero plan and eat well. I'd spend at least a full day eating around downtown before heading anywhere else.
Akureyri
Akureyri is the top pick in northern Iceland. It's big enough to have supermarkets, cafes, and several restaurants with vegan options. Not as good as Reykjavik, but you won't go hungry. HappyCow lists around 20 spots in and around the city.
Selfoss
Selfoss is a useful stop if you're doing the Golden Circle or driving the South Coast. A few vegan-friendly restaurants and supermarkets to stock up at before heading east.
Vik
Vik is a small town with a lot of tourist traffic, which helps. There's a Krónan supermarket and a few restaurants with vegan dishes. Don't count on it for a sit-down dinner late in the evening, but it's a good stop during the day.
Egilsstadir
East Iceland doesn't have many dedicated vegan spots. But Egilsstadir and nearby Reyðarfjörður are the most useful towns for restocking on the Ring Road. Reyðarfjörður has a Krónan, which matters a lot when you're far from the capital.
Tourist-heavy areas vs. remote regions
Areas near the Golden Circle, South Coast, and the Blue Lagoon cater to international tourists and tend to have better plant-based coverage. The Eastfjords, Westfjords, and the interior are genuinely tough. Self-catering is the smart move in those areas.
| Area | Vegan Ease |
| Reykjavik | Easy |
| Akureyri | Moderate to good |
| Selfoss / Golden Circle | Moderate |
| Vik / South Coast | Moderate, seasonal variation |
| Egilsstadir / East Iceland | Limited but workable |
| Westfjords, Highlands, small villages | Difficult without groceries |
Best Vegan Restaurants in Reykjavik
Reykjavik has a proper restaurant scene for plant-based travelers. Not just places that can technically feed vegans, but places that are actually good.
Fully Vegan Restaurants
- Vegan World Peace is probably the most well-known fully vegan spot in the city. It's on Aðalstræti in downtown Reykjavik and serves pan-Asian comfort food: pho, Korean noodles, mapo tofu, Kung Pao dishes. The food is good and the place is relaxed. Personally, I'd put this one first on any Reykjavik vegan list.
- Mama Reykjavik on Laugavegur is a plant-based restaurant with big soups and sourdough, grain bowls, curries, smoothies, and raw-style desserts including vegan cheesecake. It also hosts community events, which makes it feel like more than a typical restaurant.
- Loving Hut Reykjavik is the casual, cheap option. It's part of the international Loving Hut chain, so if you've been to one before, you know what you're getting: fully vegan Asian comfort food, noodles, burgers. Good for a quick, no-fuss lunch.
- Plantan Kaffihús / Plantan Bistro is a fully vegan cafe and bakery. Good for coffee, a pastry, a sandwich, or soup.
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants and Cafes
- Chickpea is vegetarian rather than fully vegan, but it's one of the better spots for a fast, customizable lunch in central Reykjavik. Falafel wraps, grain bowls, everything made fresh.
- Kattakaffihúsið is a vegetarian cat café with a solid vegan menu. It currently offers vegan grilled avocado sandwiches, vegan cheddar, vegan chipotle mayo, vegan mozzarella, pesto sandwiches, vegan cream waffles, and several plant milks. A nice stop for coffee and something sweet.
- Garðurinn (Ecstasy's Heart Garden) is one of Reykjavik's older vegetarian restaurants, with vegan soups and a daily-changing menu. Low-key and reliable.
For Indian, Middle Eastern, and Asian food, Himalayan Spice, Saffran, Mandi, and Sumac all have solid vegan options and will generally adapt dishes if you ask.
Best Vegan Bakeries and Desserts
Plantan is the safest bet for fully vegan pastries. Hygge, Brauð & Co., and Sandholt are popular bakeries where vegan-friendly sourdoughs and baked goods often show up, but ask before you order. Kattakaffihúsið has vegan waffles and cakes. For ice cream, Valdís has sorbets and occasional coconut-based options.
The most popular vegan restaurants in Reykjavik fill up fast, especially in summer. I'd recommend booking Vegan World Peace and Mama Reykjavik in advance for dinner. Neither takes walk-ins for granted.
Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurants Outside Reykjavik
Outside the capital, fully vegan restaurants are rare. What you'll mostly find are places willing to work with you, plus a handful of spots worth knowing about ahead of time.
South Coast
Fröken Selfoss in Selfoss is one of the better options on the South Coast, with vegan dishes like Oumph pasta on the menu. Pylsuvagninn Selfoss does vegan hot dogs. Menam Selfoss has clearly labeled vegan options.
In Vik, the Soup Company does a daily vegan vegetable soup with bread. Nothing fancy, but very welcome after a long day of driving. Black Crust Pizzeria in Vik can do a vegan pizza. For the Golden Circle, Friðheimar is a greenhouse restaurant with tomato-based dishes that can work for vegans, though you should check what's actually on the current menu before heading there (although just the soup and the bread will do).
Golden Circle and Geysir Area
The Geysir Center handles food better than most tourist centers. You’ll find entrees, salads, a vegan risotto, and some desserts. Selfoss is your best backup after the Golden Circle.
Akureyri
Akureyri has the best options in the north. Vegan hot dog stands, an Indian curry house, pizzerias, Asian restaurants, and cafes like Bláa Kannan. I'd check the current HappyCow listings before you arrive to see what's open and rated well at that point.
Ring Road Stops and Small Towns
In smaller and more remote towns, keep expectations realistic. Vegetable soup, salad, fries, basic pasta. Most pizzerias will leave off the cheese if you ask. Tourist centers along the main routes usually have something. Just don't rely on remote restaurants as your main plan.
Vegan Options at Icelandic Supermarkets
Supermarkets are what make vegan travel in Iceland work. Learn the chains, and you'll eat well for a lot less than restaurant prices.
Krónan
Krónan is the best supermarket for plant-based shopping in Iceland. It has a dedicated vegan section, the widest range of meat substitutes and dairy alternatives, frozen vegan meals, vegan cheeses, and good fresh staples. There are 26 stores around Reykjavik and across the country, including in Vik, Akureyri, and Reyðarfjörður. If you're doing a Ring Road trip, I'd recommend figuring out which Krónan stores fall on your route before you leave Reykjavik.
Bónus
Bónus is the budget option, and a good one. It has 33 stores across Iceland and focuses on low prices. You'll find bread, pasta, rice, fruit, vegetables, oat milk, hummus, peanut butter, and plant-based brands like Beyond Meat, Anamma, Tofurky, Linda McCartney, and Sojade. Plant milks include Oatly, Dream, Yosa, and Provamel. The range isn't as wide as Krónan, but the prices are hard to beat for everyday staples.
Nettó
Nettó has 21 stores across Iceland and is a useful backup, especially outside Reykjavik. It tends to carry decent plant milks, vegan cheeses, bread, fruit, and vegetables.
Hagkaup
Hagkaup is more like a department-store-style supermarket and noticeably more expensive than the others. Worth knowing about if you need specialty or imported vegan products you can't find at Bónus. Not where you want to do your main grocery run.
Common Vegan Products You Can Find in Iceland
Iceland's supermarkets are better stocked for plant-based travelers than most people expect. Here's a realistic sense of what's actually available.
Oat Milk and Dairy-Free Alternatives
Oat milk is everywhere. Oatly is the most common brand and the default plant milk at most cafes. Soy milk and almond milk are available in supermarkets too. You won't struggle to find plant milk in Reykjavik, and most towns with a Bónus or Krónan will have at least a couple of options.
Vegan Yogurt and Skyr Alternatives
There are a few plant-based yogurt options in supermarkets. Yosa oat products are a reliable find. Plant-based skyr-style alternatives also exist, though the selection varies by store.
Tofu and Meat Substitutes
Tofu is stocked in the bigger supermarkets. Oumph, a soya-based product popular across Scandinavia, is widely available and great for cooking in a guesthouse or campervan. Beyond Meat, Anamma, vegan sausages, mince, and nuggets are also available, especially at Krónan and Bónus.
Vegan Cheese
The vegan cheese selection in Iceland is better than most people expect. Violife and similar European brands come in block, shredded, and spread formats. Prices are higher than for regular cheese, but roughly in line with other Northern European countries.
Protein Bars and Snacks
Protein bars, nuts, chips, hummus, and dark chocolate are easy to find. Omnom, an Icelandic chocolate brand, has vegan dark chocolate options worth picking up. Good for long drives and hiking days.
Frozen Vegan Meals
Frozen vegan pizzas, ready meals, and dumplings show up in the bigger supermarkets. Handy if you're staying somewhere with a kitchen and just want something easy.
Bread, Soups, and Convenience Foods
Icelandic rye bread (rúgbrauð) is often vegan and worth getting. Check the label for butter or dairy in commercial versions. Canned beans, lentil soups, wraps, and crispbread are easy to find in most stores.
Vegan Food at Gas Stations and Convenience Stores
Gas stations are just part of life on a Ring Road trip. Some are a lot more useful than others.
N1 Stations
N1 is the best chain for hot vegan food on the road. Its current grill menu includes a vegan burger meal with a shiitake mushroom burger, vegan cheese, fries, sauce, and a drink. That's an actual meal, not just a snack. N1 has grills at stations including Akranes, Blönduós, Borgarnes, Egilsstadir, Húsavík, Hvolsvöllur, Sauðárkrókur, and Staðarskáli.
Olís and Orkan
At Olís and Orkan stations, you're mostly looking at packaged options: crisps, nuts, fruit, dark chocolate, energy bars, packaged sandwiches or wraps. Hot food varies a lot by location. Orkan leans more toward fuel and self-service.
Prepackaged Vegan Snacks and Emergency Options
At most gas stations you can find nuts, chips, fruit, dark chocolate, oat milk drinks, coffee (sometimes with plant milk), bread, and crackers. Fries come up sometimes, but ask whether they're cooked in the same oil as fish or meat.
Gas stations are useful, but they're repetitive and unreliable for full meals. Always have at least one backup meal in the car — nuts, a wrap, oat milk, a protein bar — before you drive into a remote stretch of the Ring Road.
Vegan Options on the Ring Road
Doing the Ring Road as a vegan is very doable. It just means treating grocery shopping as part of the trip planning, not something you figure out as you go.
Best Regions for Vegan Travelers
The South Coast, the Golden Circle area, and the stretch around Akureyri are where you'll find the most services and tourist infrastructure. These sections give you the most flexibility if you want to eat at actual restaurants along the way.
Areas with Limited Food Availability
Remote East Iceland, the Northeast, the long gap between Egilsstadir and Akureyri, and the Westfjords are the hardest sections. Small villages out there may have a gas station and nothing else. Don't plan on restaurants. Plan to cook your own food.
Where to Stock Up Before Long Drives
Top up at major towns before each long stretch. Personally, I'd load up the car in Reykjavik before leaving, then restock at these towns depending on the route:
- Reykjavik / Capital Region
- Selfoss or Hveragerði (before the South Coast)
- Vik (Krónan)
- Höfn (before East Iceland)
- Egilsstadir or Reyðarfjörður (Krónan)
- Akureyri (the best stock-up point in the north)
- Borgarnes (for Snæfellsnes or West Iceland)
Easy Vegan Foods to Keep in the Car or Campervan
The most practical things to have on long driving days:
- Bread or wraps
- Peanut butter and jam
- Hummus
- Tofu or vegan slices
- Shelf-stable oat milk
- Instant oats
- Canned lentil soup
- Canned beans
- Pasta and jar sauce (for guesthouse kitchens)
- Couscous
- Bananas and apples
- Nuts and dark chocolate
- Protein bars
- Crispbread
If you're in a campervan with a cooler and a small stove, your options open up a lot. Rice with tofu and curry sauce, pasta with vegetables, couscous with chickpeas. The cooking setup pays for itself quickly.
Traditional Icelandic Foods and Vegan Alternatives
Knowing what's in traditional Icelandic food helps a lot when you're reading menus or picking up things from a supermarket shelf.
Vegan Icelandic Hot Dogs
Traditional Icelandic hot dogs (pylsur) are a mix of lamb, pork, and beef. Not vegan. But vegan versions exist at a few spots in Reykjavik, including Víkinga Pylsur, and at stands in Akureyri and Selfoss. The standard toppings are onions, mustard, ketchup, and remoulade. Just check that the remoulade is dairy-free and egg-free before ordering.
Plant-Based Skyr
Traditional skyr is a dairy product, thick like yogurt. Not vegan. Plant-based skyr-style alternatives are in the supermarkets and work well for breakfast or a snack on the road.
Icelandic Rye Bread
Icelandic rye bread (rúgbrauð) is dense, slightly sweet, and often vegan. It's traditionally baked underground using geothermal heat. Commercial versions sometimes include butter or dairy, so check the label. It travels well in the car and goes with hummus, vegan cheese, or peanut butter.
Vegan Soups and Stews
Most cafes have some kind of vegetable soup. The problem is that traditional Icelandic soups often use lamb stock or cream as a base. Ask what the stock is. In Reykjavik, vegan-friendly spots will usually tell you straight away. Outside the capital, it's worth asking before you order.
Dairy-Free Pastries
Most traditional Icelandic pastries have butter, milk, or eggs in them. For vegan pastries, Plantan, Kattakaffihúsið, or larger Krónan stores are your best options. In smaller towns, sourdough bread is usually a safer pick than anything from a pastry cabinet.
Traditional Icelandic Foods That Are Usually Not Vegan
Things to avoid or double-check:
- Lamb soup (kjötsúpa)
- Fish stew (plokkfiskur)
- Fermented shark (hákarl)
- Dried fish (harðfiskur)
- Traditional skyr
- Kleinur (Icelandic doughnuts, usually made with dairy and egg)
- Cream-based soups
- Traditional hot dogs
How Expensive Is Vegan Food in Iceland?
Iceland is pricey, and that's true whether you're vegan or not. The good news is that the gap between what groceries cost and what restaurants charge is big enough that how you eat makes a real difference to your overall budget.
Restaurant Pricing
Expect to pay 3,000–6,000+ ISK for a main course at most casual restaurants in Reykjavik. Fully vegan restaurants are not, as a rule, cheaper than mainstream ones. Budget roughly the same as you would for a sit-down meal in any expensive Northern European city.
Grocery Store Pricing
Supermarkets are the best way to keep costs down. Bónus and Krónan are the most budget-friendly chains. Staples like oats, pasta, beans, bread, peanut butter, fruit, and canned lentil soup are genuinely cheap relative to eating out. A full day of meals from Bónus can cost a fraction of a single restaurant dinner.
Imported Vegan Products
This is where prices go up. Vegan cheese, specialty meat substitutes, and imported protein products cost more. They're there if you want them, but if you're keeping an eye on the budget, don't build every meal around them. Tofu, canned beans, lentils, and hummus are much better value.
Budget-Friendly Vegan Staples
The best value foods for vegan travelers in Iceland:
- Oats and instant porridge
- Pasta and rice
- Bread and wraps
- Lentils and canned beans
- Peanut butter
- Bananas and apples
- Frozen vegetables
- Hummus
- Instant noodles (check labels)
Icelandic Food Labels Vegans Should Know
Most products in Icelandic supermarkets have labels in both Icelandic and English. Still, knowing a few words is useful for when English isn't on the packaging.
| Icelandic | English |
| mjólk | milk |
| egg | egg |
| smjör | butter |
| ostur | cheese |
| rjómi | cream |
| jógúrt | yogurt |
| hunang | honey |
| kjöt | meat |
| fiskur | fish |
| kjúklingur | chicken |
| lambakjöt | lamb |
| nautakjöt | beef |
| svínakjöt | pork |
| gelatín | gelatin |
| mysa | whey |
| kasein | casein |
| laktósi | lactose |
| vegan | vegan |
| grænmetis | vegetarian / vegetable-based |
| mjólkurlaust | dairy-free |
A few things to keep in mind: "vegetarian" does not mean vegan. "Dairy-free" doesn't automatically mean egg-free or honey-free. Whey powder shows up in bread, chips, sauces, and protein snacks more than you'd expect. Allergens are usually bolded on Icelandic packaging, which makes scanning labels faster.
In restaurants, ask: "Er þetta vegan?" (Is this vegan?) Staff in Reykjavik are very used to the question. In smaller towns, it helps to spell it out: no meat, fish, dairy, butter, eggs, or honey.
Practical Tips for Eating Vegan in Iceland
These are the things that actually make the difference between a good trip and a frustrating one.
- Book restaurants in Reykjavik in advance. Popular spots like Vegan World Peace and Mama Reykjavik fill up, especially in summer. Don't leave it to the night of.
- Do a big grocery shop before leaving Reykjavik. This is the most useful thing you can do before any road trip. Load up at Krónan or Bónus and take 2–3 days of food with you. Options get thin fast once you leave the capital.
- Stay somewhere with a kitchen. Guesthouses, apartments, and Airbnbs with a kitchen make a big difference. You can cook a proper meal instead of eating whatever's left at the nearest gas station.
- Keep backup food in the car. If I were you, I'd always have nuts, a protein bar, some fruit, and bread in the car. Long stretches with no services are normal in Iceland, especially in winter.
- Don't use gas stations as your main food source. They're fine for snacks and top-ups, but they get repetitive and aren't reliable for full meals outside of N1 locations with a grill.
- Use supermarkets as your base, not restaurants. Iceland is expensive. The most practical approach is to eat at restaurants occasionally and cover most meals yourself from a Bónus or Krónan.
- Check opening hours outside summer. Small-town supermarkets and restaurants cut their hours in winter. Don't assume anything is open past 6pm in remote areas.
- Download HappyCow before you go. It's the most useful tool for finding open vegan and vegan-friendly spots with current reviews. Look it up in each town before you arrive.
Conclusion
Iceland works well for vegan travelers as long as you go in with the right expectations. Reykjavik is easy. The Ring Road is doable. Remote areas are fine as long as you've prepared.
The basic approach: eat at restaurants in Reykjavik, stock up at Krónan or Bónus before long drives, keep food in the car, and use HappyCow. The supermarket is a core part of the plan, not a last resort.
Iceland is also a country that takes sustainable tourism and renewable energy seriously, including geothermal power and local greenhouse farming. That mindset tends to fit well with the values of most vegan travelers. It's a good match beyond just the food.
