Grocery Stores and Supermarkets in Central Reykjavík

Nína Þorkelsdóttir

10. January 2017

Updated on December 31st, 2018.

If you are staying in the city center chances are you’re at an Airbnb or a hostel, or somewhere with access to a kitchen. With restaurant prices what they are, it can be tempting to stay in, cook for yourself and save a few krónur. Access to downtown grocery stores is pretty good, though the selection is limited and here we have mapped out the main locations, along with some specialty stores.

There are two things you should never buy when shopping for food. Firstly, there is bottled water. Cold tap water is perfectly safe and just as good anywhere you go. Second, alcohol. Alcohol is only sold by the state-run liquor shop (mentioned below), so if you really want to get hammered, avoid grocery stores, because they only sell non-alcoholic beer and wine.

The city centre:

1. Kjöt og fiskur

2. Sandholt

3. Brauð & co.

Greater central Reykjavík

Bónus is Iceland’s best known and cheapest supermarket chain. They have four locations in the city center area. The prices are low and the selection good enough to cover your basic household needs. Their logo is a piggy bank with a black eye (nobody knows why).

Price range: Very low
Selection: Pretty bad
Opening hours: 11:00–18:30 (longer on Fridays, shorter on weekends)
Locations in down town Reykjavik: Laugavegur 59, Hallveigarstígur 1, Fiskislóð 2, Skipholt 11–13.
- UPDATE: The Bónus store on Hallveigarstígur 1 has now been closed down

10-11 is probably the first convenient store you’ll find downtown. These neon-green, overlit tourist traps are something you should only visit if you’re in desperate need for something small and simple in the middle of the night. The name comes from what were originally their opening hours, but now 10-11 is a 24 hour supermarket, which is probably the only reason they’re still in business.

Price range: Very high
Selection: Very bad
Opening hours: 24/7
Locations: Numerous locations all over Reykjavik

Krónan is another low-cost supermarket. Although slightly pricier than Bónus, Krónan also sells some specialty items and take-away. They have pretty wide opening hours, but their two locations are not exactly at the heart of the city.

Price range: Low
Selection: Not bad
Opening hours: 09:00–21:00
Locations in down town Reykjavik: Fiskislóð 15–21 (Grandi), Nóatún 17

Kjöt og fiskur (Meat and Fish) is a store where you can buy meat and fish. This butcher’s shop is not too cheap, but always fresh, and also has a neat selection of condiments.

Price range: Pretty high
Selection: Good (but only meat/fish)
Opening hours: 11:00–19:00
Locations: Bergstaðastræti 14

Sandholt Reykjavík or Brauð & co. is where you should go for fresh bread. These two bakeries specialize in sourdough and both excel in their own way. It’s by no means the cheapest bread you can find, but in our opinion it is some of the best bread you can find.

Price range: High
Selection: Good (but only bread/pastries)
Opening hours: 07:00–21:00 (Sandholt), „early”–18:00 (Brauð & co., 17:00 on weekends)
Locations: Laugavegur 36 (Sandholt), Frakkastígur 16 (Brauð & co.)

Vínbúðin is the only place outside bars and restaurants where you can buy alcohol. Iceland’s only liquor shop is state-run, and is somewhat of a golden goose, so the government is not exactly eager to loosen alcohol regulations, allowing beer in grocery stores. Fortunately, they have a decent selection of beer and wine.

Prices is high by international standards, but in Iceland they are the standard. (Pro tip: If you’re not travelling too much around during your first few days in Iceland, but plan on drinking, buy wine at the arrivals hall at Keflavík airport. Wine there hasn’t gone through customs, so it’s less taxed and the price is lower.)