Best Restaurants in the Westman Islands: Where to Eat on Heimaey

Heimaey’s restaurant scene is small but not unambitious. For an island of 4,500 permanent residents that regularly receives far more visitors in summer, it maintains a range of options that covers most needs: a couple of genuinely good restaurants, a microbrewery, some reliable cafés, and the inevitable pizza counter. Self-catering is always an option — the Krónan supermarket is centrally located — but there are good reasons to eat out at least twice during your stay.

Gott Restaurant

Gott is the benchmark restaurant on Heimaey. It occupies a central spot on the main street in Vestmannaeyjar town and serves a menu of locally sourced fish and Icelandic lamb, cooked with more care than you’d expect on a remote island. Fish mains run approximately ISK 4,500–7,500 as of 2026; lamb dishes are in the same range. The fish of the day depends on the morning’s catch — ask your server what came in. The burger menu provides a lower-cost alternative for less formal appetites.

Gott is reliably busy in July and August. Reservations are recommended for evening dining. The wine list is short but sensible.

Einsi Kaldi (Microbrewery and Restaurant)

Einsi Kaldi is one of Iceland’s smaller craft breweries, operating out of Heimaey and producing beer with Westman Islands spring water. The brewery has a taproom and restaurant attached, making it both a good place to drink and a solid choice for lunch or dinner. The menu centres on fish soup, fish and chips, and lighter snacks — it’s more casual than Gott but has better beer. A pint of the house lager costs approximately ISK 1,100–1,400 as of 2026. The fish soup (approximately ISK 2,200–2,800) is one of the best on the island.

This is also where you come if you want to try local craft beer outside of Reykjavík — the Einsi Kaldi lager is clean and refreshing after a long volcano hike.

Hótel Vestmannaeyjar Restaurant

The restaurant attached to Hótel Vestmannaeyjar serves a broader menu than most dedicated restaurants on the island, covering fish, lamb, pasta, and a soup of the day. It’s particularly useful for early breakfast (typically from 07:00–08:00) before an early ferry or flight. Dinner mains run approximately ISK 3,800–7,000. The setting is more functional than atmospheric, but the food is consistent and it’s open every day.

Við Völlinn (Café by the Golf Course)

A casual café and burger spot near the golf course, slightly outside the town centre but accessible on foot. It caters to golfers, local families, and budget travellers who want a filling meal without paying restaurant prices. Burgers run approximately ISK 2,200–3,200 as of 2026. Soup of the day is usually ISK 1,800–2,200. It’s not a place for a special dinner, but for a fast, filling lunch between hikes it’s a good call.

Lundinn Café

A small café in the town centre open primarily for coffee and light bites. Useful for breakfast if your guesthouse doesn’t provide one, and for an afternoon cake break. Sandwiches, pastries, and coffee run approximately ISK 800–2,000. Opens from approximately 08:30 and closes mid-afternoon on most days.

Local Foods to Try on Heimaey

Puffin: Heimaey has the most significant puffin colony in Iceland. The birds are harvested (traditionally, using a long-handled net called a hleypa) by local hunters during August and September. Puffin breast — dark, rich, faintly gamey — appears on some restaurant menus seasonally. It’s controversial from a conservation standpoint, but Heimaey’s tradition predates modern tourism by centuries. If it’s on the menu and you want to try it, this is the most culturally contextual place in Iceland to do so.

Smoked fish: Smoked cod and haddock are available at local shops and the supermarket. They travel well as a snack for the ferry ride back.

Westman Islands lamb: The island’s pasture-raised lamb appears on most restaurant menus. The meat is well-regarded; the sheep graze freely on the island’s grassy volcanic slopes.

Þjóðhátíð festival food: During the early August festival, outdoor food stalls operate serving everything from lamb soup to grilled fish. This is the most accessible and communal eating experience Heimaey offers.

Book Iceland attraction tickets — skip-the-queue entry for geothermal baths, cave tours, and top attractions.

Browse Iceland tours — day trips, activity bookings, and multi-day packages across the country in one place.

Get travel insurance for Iceland — policies covering glacier hikes, F-road driving, and volcanic disruption.

Practical Notes

Dining hours: Restaurants typically serve dinner from 18:00 to 21:00–21:30. Lunch is available at cafés (Lundinn, Við Völlinn) but most full-service restaurants open only in the evening.

Supermarket: Krónan is on the main street in Vestmannaeyjar town, open approximately 10:00–20:00. The bakery and deli sections are the most useful for self-caterers.

No all-night options: Heimaey is a small island — nothing is open past 22:00 except the bar at Hótel Vestmannaeyjar at weekends.

For more on the island’s activities, see things to do in the Westman Islands. For what to explore beyond the town, see our Westman Islands day trips guide.