Vegan Food in Iceland: The Best Ring Road Guide

Think Iceland is all lamb stew and fermented shark? Think again!

If you’re vegan and planning a trip to Iceland, you’ve probably had that moment of panic: Am I actually going to find anything to eat… or am I about to spend a week surviving on protein bars? I had the exact same worry before I went.

But after spending time travelling around Iceland and eating my way through cafés and picking my way through gas station shelves, I can tell you this: it’s a lot easier than you think. And actually a lot better too!

I found so many great vegan alternatives even in the most far-flung towns around the island, and even had the best pizza I think I’ve ever had (even my non-vegan Mum agreed!).

In this guide, I’ll break down exactly what eating vegan in Iceland is really like. What to expect, where to go, what to skip, and the little things that made my trip stress-free, so you can actually enjoy your adventure without worrying about your next meal.

Is Iceland Vegan-Friendly?

Yes, Iceland is very vegan-friendly!

I know, I was shocked by this too, considering traditional Icelandic cuisine involves a lot of seafood, lamb and even shark.

But Iceland is actually known to be one of the most accommodating countries for vegans, who are spoilt for choice when they visit. During our 8 days in Iceland, I don’t think we struggled once to find good plant-based options.

Not only that, but veganism is on the rise within the local community, with more and more people adopting a vegan lifestyle. This has made it incredibly easy to visit Iceland without having to worry about finding some decent food!

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants In Iceland

As time goes on, more and more restaurants are offering delicious vegan meals, and Iceland is honestly such an easy place to visit if you have dietary requirements.

Almost all cafes and restaurants offer some kind of plant-based option, but the ones I’ve listed below are some of the best you’ll find around the ring road.

Loving Hut, Reykjavik

This is a popular choice for anyone visiting Reykjavik, and on my most recent trip in March this year, even my non-vegan mum ate here and really enjoyed it (which says a lot).

Loving Hut’s Asian-inspired menu is 100% vegan, and everything we had was genuinely tasty. There’s loads to choose from like curries, noodles, summer rolls, and even vegan shrimp.

The best part? The prices are super reasonable, especially for Iceland, where eating out can get very spendy.

It’s a short walk from the city centre, but in my opinion, totally worth it.

Vegan World Peace, Reykjavik

Owned by the same chain as Loving Hut, Vegan World Peace is in the centre of Reykjavik and is another must-visit.

The restaurant owner, who is also one of the chefs, has been vegan for over 30 years! The restaurant is exclusively vegan and is suitable for anyone like me who also has a gluten intolerance. They have a very extensive menu, which clearly labels items which are gluten-free or have a gluten-free option.

We had spring rolls, mapo tofu and pad thai, all of which I’d eat again in a heartbeat!

Junkyard, Reykjavik

If you love a real dirty burger, then this is the place for you!

This is another fully vegan find and is similar to other fast-food burger joints. Here you’ll find burgers, ‘chicken’ nuggets, wraps and even acai bowls.

This fast food truck is located at the Orkan gas station on Kleppsvegur and has a small seating area where you can enjoy your burger. The prices are reasonable for Iceland, and the portion sizes are decent, so you’ll be leaving feeling full.

Keep an eye out for their fresh sandwiches, sauces and frozen food in Hagkaup stores.

Mama, Reykjavik

Nestled in the heart of Reykjavik, Mama Reykjavik is all about hearty, healthy eating.

Their fully vegan menu has a range of flavorful options from dhals to Jamaican stews, sandwiches to refreshing smoothies and each dish is created with natural, wholesome ingredients.

They have a few desserts on offer, but the blueberry cheesecake is to die for!! You’ll also find a great selection of tea blends that they mix themselves.

It’s the go-to spot for delicious vegan food at a reasonable price.

Skjol, Geysir

If you’re out exploring the wonders of the Golden Circle, make sure to swing by Skjol in Geysir.

This is actually a campsite restaurant, but the prices are very reasonable, and it’s in a great location for some lunch in between attractions.

Vegan options include pizza, nachos or falafel. You’ll need to inform the staff to skip the cheese and, if available, add some vegan cheese to your dish. It’s a no-fuss, affordable spot for some vegan food in Iceland.

Skool Beans, Vik

Now this is a quirky, awesome place to stop while passing through Vik.

Skool Beans is an old converted school bus that now serves as a retro coffee shop! They carefully select green coffee beans from farmers around the globe who focus on sustainability and ethical farming, and then roast the beans themselves.

Let me tell you, this was hands down the best coffee in Iceland!

They have a very extensive drinks menu, so even if you don’t love coffee, there will be something here for you. They have a few different vegan bagels to choose from as well as a range of sweet snacks, some of which are also vegan.

The staff here are super friendly, and they even have a cat (Jeffery) who may make an appearance.

Black Crust Pizzeria, Vik

Just a few hundred metres from Víkurfjara black sand beach is Black Crust Pizzeria, and yes, the name is literal. They do this activated charcoal crust that’s jet black.

There’s only one vegan pizza on the menu, but don’t let that put you off, it’s seriously good. This one was another hit with Mum, and even the vegan cheese passed the test.

The toppings are stacked: mushrooms, red onions, pulled BBQ soy mince, vegan cheese, basil, and a sweet little date pesto. They’ll even let you taste the pesto before you commit, just in case you’re not into the sweet-and-savoury combo. I was sceptical, but honestly, it worked.

If you’re gluten-free like me, the black crust isn’t an option with the GF base, which is a bit of a shame, but it’s apparently banging if you can have it.

And while there’s just one pizza to choose from, they’ve gone and thrown in two vegan desserts! A chocolate brownie with ice cream or actual vegan macarons. Didn’t expect that from a pizza place in a tiny Icelandic town, but here we are.

Kaffi Hornið, Hofn

While the vegan selection at Kaffi Hornið may be limited, I highly recommend a visit while passing through the charming town of Hofn.

Made from locally sourced ingredients, the two vegan offerings on the menu are a pasta dish featuring cashew and basil pesto, or a sandwich with garlic mayonnaise, salad, fried onion, mushrooms, and a hearty veggie patty.

Both options boast generous portion sizes and are bursting with flavour. Keep in mind, there are only a few restaurants in Hofn, so it can get quite busy here. You may need to wait to be seated.

Related Post: Iceland Itinerary 5 Days: Easy Road Trip Guide For All Seasons

Tehúsið Café & Bar, Egilsstaðir

This was another great vegan find that we happily stumbled upon when exploring eastern Iceland.

Tehúsið Café & Bar is actually part of a hostel, but the bar has a really cosy and laid-back vibe, which is great to relax in after a day of driving. Although they aren’t solely vegan, they have plenty of options to choose from.

They offer a range of homemade vegan cakes (some were gluten-free!), as well as warm hearty soups, shakshuka with vegan sausage and even vegan wings. The staff here were really sweet and explained the ingredients in each of the cakes to us.

The prices here were reasonable, and we enjoyed stopping for a coffee to enjoy with some sweet treats.

Askur Pizzeria, Egilsstaðir

Askur Pizzeria is another great place to eat while in Egilsstaðir, as well as somewhere to enjoy an evening drink or two!

You can probably guess from the name that this is where you’ll find a range of plant-based pizzas to choose from. There are three wood-fired pizzas on the menu, all of which have a good choice of toppings, or you can opt to create your own. They also have a gluten-free base for an additional charge.

I really enjoyed the pizza here and loved the plant-based meat Oumph that they use. I highly recommend the grapefruit lemonade too.

The pizzeria is conveniently located next door to Askur Taproom, where you can enjoy a local craft beer from Austri Brewery.

Salka, Husavik

If you find yourself travelling to the northern part of Iceland’s ring road, you’ll most likely be making a stop in Husavik, which is an extremely popular spot to go whale watching.

There aren’t that many restaurants to choose from in this small town, but Salka is one of the best places to find a good choice of plant-based food.

Salka’s menu offers a few different dishes for starters, from falafel, tomato soup and flatbread. For a main, they offer a vegan pizza from the menu or create-your-own and vegan soft tacos that are packed full of veggies. They even have a sorbet for dessert!

The staff here are really helpful and are happy to advise on different options to suit your diet.

Shanghai, Akureyri

Another great place for vegan food in Akureyri is Shanghai.

If you love Chinese food, then I highly recommend visiting this restaurant. There are actually a few of their establishments scattered around Iceland, which is great as they have a dedicated vegan menu.

The menu is quite varied and you can choose from various tofu and veggie dishes, noodles and shredded potato. I ordered the Szechuan Tofu dish, which was a huge portion and really tasty, but just a heads up, it had a really big kick to it!

The staff here were great also, and answered any questions we had about the menu.

Related Post: Worst Time To Visit Iceland For Every Traveller

Narfeyrarstofa, Stykkisholmur

Okay, so this is a bit of a pricey option, but if you’re exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, there really aren’t that many options around and Narfeyrarstofa offers the most variety.

Their menu changes in the summer and winter, so it’s best to check what they have on offer when you visit. However, their dishes typically include falafel, a vegan burger and a salad stacked with nuts and berries. The portion sizes are good (you’d hope so for the price!) and the food comes out beautifully presented.

If you have a sweet tooth, they also have a mango sorbet on offer.

Rock ‘n’ Troll Coffee House, Borgarnes

As with many of the places you’ll visit around Iceland, Rock ‘n’ Troll Cafe is a really unique place to visit and also serves some great vegan food. The cafe sits on the edge of a stunning waterfall and has a covered patio to relax and take in the views.

The cafe also has a bit of a quirky twist! The name has probably given it away, but troll figures await along the trails weaving through the grounds. Not only that, but the owner has a huge collection of music memorabilia and rock ‘n’ roll vinyl records for you to enjoy.

Now on to the important part, the food! There are two vegan starters and two vegan mains that you can choose from. The starters are mushroom soup or a thai coconut soup with veggies. The mains are a vegan wrap with veggies, mushroom bhaji and rice or a vegan burger with mushroom bhaji and fries.

Vegan-Friendly Supermarkets in Iceland

If you’re travelling around Iceland either by camper or by car, you’ll most likely end up cooking some meals for yourself. I was mentally preparing myself to struggle to find vegan options in the supermarkets around Iceland, but as with eating out, it couldn’t have been any easier!

All the supermarkets had the usual staples such as a milk alternative, tofu, fruit and some veggies, but I was shocked at how extensive their vegan ranges are.

Although English is widely spoken in Iceland, I do recommend downloading Google Translate to your phone so that you can check any of the labels that aren’t in English.

These are the main supermarkets we used in Iceland, where we found some great vegan items!

Related Post: Diamond Beach Iceland: All You Need To Know

Bonus

Although Iceland isn’t known for being reasonably priced, Bonus is one of the cheaper supermarket options you can shop at.

I don’t think I can explain to you just how happy I was when I saw that they had a whole freezer section dedicated to vegan food. They have lots to choose from, such as vegan sausages, mince and burgers, as well as a vegan schnitzel, which is also gluten-free!

Bonus also has a selection of pre-made vegan sandwiches, and even though I couldn’t eat these, my partner gave the seal of approval.

Kronan

Kronan is another supermarket that we found to be quite reasonable to shop at.

Like Bonus, they have a great selection of meat alternatives as well as the usual staples. I do think that Kronan had a slightly bigger range than most of the Bonus stores that we stopped at, although I’m sure this varies from location to location.

If you are passing through Akureyri, the Kronan there is unreal. I was like a kid in a candy shop. They had so many cheese and yoghurt alternatives to choose from as well as a range of different flavoured sauces. (I love vegan mayo on everything, so this was a huge bonus for me!).

They had a huge fruit and veg section too, and everything just looked so fresh.

Hagkaup

This is a smaller chain of supermarkets and can only be found in Reykjavik and Akureyri, but it’s definitely worth picking up some goodies if you happen to pass one.

They also stock a great range of vegan meats, cheese and yoghurts, so if you’re starting your trip in Reykjavik, it’s the perfect place to stock up.

Hagkaup is the supermarket that also offers some of Junkyard’s sandwiches, which is reason enough to visit, if you ask me!

Vegan Food Brands In Iceland

The great thing about travelling to Iceland is how easy it is to find vegan food. You’d come across the usual brands such as Linda McCartney, Beyond Meat and Oumph, but the best ones were the ones we had never tried before.

Anamma

This is actually a Swedish company, but we found their products in a lot of the supermarkets on our journey.

They offer a wide range of tasty soy protein products, which can all be found in the freezer section. We tried the meatballs, sausages and the schnitzel, and they were honestly so tasty!

Most, if not all, of their products were gluten-free, also, which was a massive win for us!

Naturli’

This is another meat replacement brand, but this time from Denmark.

Just like Anamma, we would find these in most of the stores we visited, and if we couldn’t find one, we would definitely find the other.

Not all of their products are gluten-free, but they are 100% vegan! Their products are mainly pea protein or soy protein and are also really delicious.

Keep your eye out also for their spreads, milks, ice creams and even ravioli! You’re literally spoilt for choice.

Final Thoughts: Vegan Food In Iceland The Best Ring Road Guide

So you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll have no problems travelling to Iceland if you follow a vegan lifestyle! Even though I’ve only listed a few places around the ring road where you’ll find some really delicious food, you’ll have little to no issue no matter where you rock up.

And if you prefer cooking for yourself or want to keep costs down, the supermarkets have plenty of choices to keep you full and happy.

It’s no wonder Iceland is known as being one of the most vegan friendly countries in the world. That tied in with its stunning landscapes, steaming hot springs and friendly locals, you’re in for a really amazing trip!