
Hlemmur Mathöll
A vibrant food hall in Reykjavik's former bus station, offering diverse local and international flavors in a lively setting.

Highlights
Must-see attractions
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Hlemmur Mathöll

Highlights
Must-see attractions
A vibrant food hall in Reykjavik's former bus station, offering diverse local and international flavors in a lively setting.
Visit Early to Avoid Crowds
The venue can get busy, especially later in the day, so arriving early is recommended.
Explore Multiple Vendors
Don't stick to one vendor; try various stalls to discover different cuisines.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
International Food Hall
Price
Budget/Mid-range
Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Diverse Culinary Delights
Explore a vibrant food hall offering everything from authentic Vietnamese Banh Mi to fresh seafood and pizza.

The Famous Fish and Chips
Often hailed as the best ever, this crispy fish and chip dish is a must-try for many visitors.

Budget-Friendly Foodie Hub
Experience a fun and affordable evening with friends, sampling a wide array of flavors without breaking the bank.
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Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Visit Early to Avoid Crowds
The venue can get busy, especially later in the day, so arriving early is recommended.
Explore Multiple Vendors
Don't stick to one vendor; try various stalls to discover different cuisines.
Order and Wait for Buzzer
Order your food and find a table; your buzzer will alert you when your order is ready.
Check out Brauð & Co.
For delicious, fluffy pastries, make sure to try Brauð & Co.
Tips
from all over the internet
Visit Early to Avoid Crowds
The venue can get busy, especially later in the day, so arriving early is recommended.
Explore Multiple Vendors
Don't stick to one vendor; try various stalls to discover different cuisines.
Order and Wait for Buzzer
Order your food and find a table; your buzzer will alert you when your order is ready.
Check out Brauð & Co.
For delicious, fluffy pastries, make sure to try Brauð & Co.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Hlemmur Mathöll is celebrated for its vibrant atmosphere and diverse food offerings, making it a popular spot for groups and families seeking budget-friendly meals. While many praise the quality and variety, some reviews mention limited seating and occasional issues with customer service, with one reviewer detailing a particularly negative experience with rude staff and undercooked food at one specific vendor.
"The fish and chips is incredible and also the pizza. Such a great atmosphere!! We will be back if we come back to Iceland."
Atota A
"Great selection of food stands. Anything from fish & chips to oriental and ice cream.
Fun venue to spend budget friendly evening with friends."
Aleksandra Bisanz
"Amazing food hall. If you don’t know what you want or everyone in your party wants something different, this is the place to go. Can feel slightly cramped when busy but everyone was so patient and friendly. Shared a table with an Indian family, happily discussed what everyone got. On the table was wolf fish cream dish, pizza, tacos, gelato, and a pork and rice Vietnamese dish. All amazing.
Order and find a table, wait for food buzzer to go off."
PsychoSmart
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Hlemmur Mathöll features a diverse range of cuisines, including Vietnamese, pizza, fish and chips, tacos, and pastries from local vendors.
Yes, it's considered a fun venue for families and groups, with high chairs available, although seating can be tight during peak hours.
Compared to other dining options in Iceland, Hlemmur Mathöll is considered more affordable and offers good value for money.
Operating hours can vary, but it's generally open throughout the day and into the evening. It's best to check their current hours online.
No, reservations are typically not required for food halls like Hlemmur Mathöll, making it easy to visit spontaneously.
While not all vendors specify, some stalls offer vegetarian and vegan options, such as vegan muffins at the coffee shop.
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Reykjavik Bus Station Turned Into A Food Market
Located at the top of Hverfisgata, this former bus station has long been a rather unsavory space where people hide from the howling wind and wait for the bus, Hlemmur Mathöll recently opened in downtown Reykjavik. Now in the bright and open space and inspired by the great food halls of Europe, a number of innovative and ethnic food stalls as well as fresh produce can now be found here after the former bus station underwent a thorough renovation.
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This food hall features eight vendors loved by locals: Brauð & Co., Fuego, SKÁL!. , Micro Roast Te & Kaffi, Flatey Pizza, Kröst, Fjárhúsið, and Báhn Mí. It's a great place for groups and kids.
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While every foodie should begin the trip with the Reykjavik Food Walk, then this local gem is something that I haven’t added to our foodie tour yet but I highly recommend hungry travellers to experience during their stay in Reykjavik!. Hlemmur used to be a dirty, old bus station in the heart of Reykjavik, at the end of Laugavegur the main shopping street. But after being closed for nearly a year and undergoing dramatic renovations - It has now opened up as an absolute to-die-for food court with 9 amazing restaurants.
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Hlemmur Mathöll is another food hall, bizarrely located in Hlemmur, Reykjavik’s largest bus station!. But fear not, this isn’t simply a commuter’s snack bar, and lots of locals make the journey here specifically for the delectable range of food and friendly buzzing atmosphere available here. There is a little bit for everyone in this food hall, from fluffy pastry and sweet cinnamon buns at Brauð & Co, high quality organic local refreshments at the Tea & Coffee Cafe, to tasty pizza places and gourmet snack shops.
Food Halls in Reykjavík
Hlemmur Mathöll, located in a repurposed bus terminal in the heart of Reykjavík, is a bustling food hall that offers a diverse and flavorful culinary adventure. It features a variety of food stalls serving everything from Icelandic specialties to international street food, all under one roof. Since its opening in 2017 this place of lively atmosphere and wide selection of dishes has become a favorite spot for both locals and visitors looking to experience Reykjavík's vibrant food scene.
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Scattered around town, popular food halls like Hlemmur Mathöll and Pósthús Food Hall and Bar offer a range of cuisines (pizza, burgers, seafood, sushi etc) at relatively low prices, allowing you to sample various dishes without overspending – and there's the added bonus that you don't need a reservation for such places. The city has a number of theseplaces, including Hafnatorg Gallery, Borg29 Mathöll, and Grandi Mathöll (mat means food, höll means hall).
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I would also recommend Hlemmur Matholl if you're staying neadby; it's a small foodhall with 7-8 different concessions inside (think the equivalent of a food truck plaza in a warmer climate). There's a bakery, a coffee shop (with vegan muffins), a burrito place, a bahn mi place, and a few other restaurants that do delicious Icelandic food - I'd highly recommend Skal's crushed new potatoes with fermented garlic and sourdough breadcrumbs!
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The old bus station in the centre of Reykjavík has been given a new lease of life and converted into a food hall where 10 of Iceland’s best restaurants have stalls. Sit down at one of the communal wooden tables and try everything on offer from the best baked goods from Braud og Co, to Vietnamese Banh Mi. The firm favourite, however, is the lobster sandwich from Rabbar Barinn – you’ll definitely be getting seconds.
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Indoor food markets have been opened in the city centre; in Grandi's old harbour area and in Hlemmur, a former central bus station. Culinary entrepreneurs have in addition taken to the streets of Reykjavík with their decorated trailers and wagons, offering quirky delicatessen food to grab and go. The King of wagons being Bæjarins bestu, a harborside hot dog stand, serving the Icelandic incarnation of the hot dog.
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Hlemmur Mathöll is a food hall located in Hlemmur, Reykjavik’s largest bus station for public transport. However, it’s not filled only with people who are catching a bus – lots of local people who do not commute go there because of the wide assortment of food and drinks. That’s why the atmosphere is always friendly, bustling with people who are enjoying what this food hall has to offer.
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Reykjavik’s first food hall is well worth a slow wander at lunchtime for its buzzy pep and diverse range of no-fuss, on-the-go eating options. Stand-outs include Skal!. (see above) but also Braud & Co for sourdough and pastries, Fuego for ace, LA-via-Iceland fish tacos, and Fjárhúsið (The Sheephouse) for burgers and wraps made from free-range lamb reared in the country’s far north.
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But even if the house doesn’t serve that purpose anymore, the buses still stop around the square.Hlemmur has played an essential part in Reykjavik’s history as it was a stop on the route to the washing pools in Laugardalur. A cistern was created for horses when the Reykjavik Water Supply was established in the early 1900s. This was also one of the main routes out of Reykjavik.
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The first food hall to kickstart this ever-growing trend in the Icelandic capital is Hlemmur Mathöll. Once a bus station on the outer edge of Downtown Reykjavik along the famous Laugavegur, this building was converted into a food hall a few years back and has thrived ever since. When I arrived in the mid-afternoon, almost every vendor seemed to be busy with hungry customers.
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Location: Laugavegur 107, 105 ReykjavikType of Market: Food MarketOpen: Daily, 8-11. Hlemmur Matholl, situated at the eastern end of Laugavegur, Reykjavik's main shopping street, is another food hall offering a diverse range of culinary delights. This market is housed in a historic bus terminal and has been transformed into a modern gastronomic hub with a cozy atmosphere.
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This began to change with the opening of the taqueria La Poblana in the Hlemmur Mathöll in 2017, which was later acquired by Juan Carlos Guarneros. The restaurant has since moved house twice and can currently be found on the 2nd floor of Laugavegur 12. I sat down with Juan over delicious birria tacos, a traditional street food from the state of Jalisco in western Mexico.
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Hlemmur Mathöll, Iceland’s first food hall, is housed in a former bus terminal, with all of its industrial charm. Opened in 2017, it offers a variety of dining experiences under one roof, including gourmet street food and upscale dishes. Skál, which originally opened here, (but has since relocated) became the heart of the hall with its experimental Icelandic cuisine.
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Immerse yourself in Reykjavik’s food scene by visiting the trendy food halls of Grandi Mathöll and Hlemmur Mathöll. These food halls offer various cuisines near local markets, giving you an authentic taste of Iceland’s culture and cuisine. Don’t miss out on a visit to Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, the famous Reykjavik hot dog stand renowned for its delicious hot dogs.
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Reykjavík is home to the first food hall in Iceland, Hlemmur Mathöll, and it’s easy on the wallet!. Inside this once-former bus terminal, you can find an array of delicious eats from across the globe. Whether its tacos from Fuego or a classic Neapolitan pizza from Flatley Pizza, you’ll be sure to leave your stomach and wallet filled.
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Have a delicious lunch made with local Icelandic ingredients at Skall, located in the Hlemmur Mathöll food hall or enjoy steaming soup from a bread bowl at Svarta Kaffid. For a sweet treat, grab a legendary cinnamon bun from Brauð & Co, a bakery that uses the highest-quality organic ingredients including flour imported from Denmark.
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The Hlemmur Food Hall was the first fixed food hall to open in the city of Reykjavik. It is based in a former bus station in the centre of the city, making it a hub for food and culture in Reykjavik. Visits to Hlemmur Mathöll will find tasty dishes from 10 different vendors, ranging from baked goods to sandwiches, tacos and more.
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Food halls are relatively new to Iceland, and several have sprung up in the last couple of years—welcome additions to the restaurant scene. Hlemmur Mathöll was the first and is worth a stop for quick, delicious bites. The building used to be the main bus station in Reykjavík before being completely refurbished.
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Hlemmur food hall may be compact but it’s full of restaurants and bars offering seasonal Icelandic dishes and ingredients. Grab one of Braud & Co’s legendary buns, sip on French wines at Kröst, or pick up a wholesome juice from Rabbar Barinn, packed with fruit and veg grown in Iceland’s volcanic soil.
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This locally beloved spot doesn’t get a lot of tourist activity, but it definitely should. You can find it at the end of Laugavegur street, the major shopping and pedestrian area that runs through central Reykjavik. The food hall isn’t huge, but with its small size, it packs a punch.
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Okay, so this is not so much a restaurant as it is a food hall. At Hlemmur Mathöll you will find nine different food traders and restaurants under one roof. From Italian pizza and Vietnamese street food to tacos, burritos, and ice cream – the food world is your oyster here.
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The Hlemmur Foodhall is located along the main street Laugavegur. It houses 10 vendors where you can buy all kinds of food, including Italian, Vietnamese and Icelandic food. Some of our travel consultants argue that it’s the best foodhall in town!
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If you are coming from the city center, go to Hlemmur and take the bus no. 11. It stops right outside Eldofninn. The bus stop is called ‘Grímsbær.’ Learn more about buses in Reykjavik and download the Reykjavik bus app on the bus website.
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Hlemmur Mathöll: This trendy food hall offers an array of food stalls and vendors featuring both local and international cuisine. From gourmet burgers to sushi, you can indulge in a variety of flavors and enjoy a vibrant atmosphere.
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Go to a food hall such as Hlemmur Matholl or Grandi Matholl. You can grab a slice of pizza, have a Bahn mi, etc. This is especially nice with a family since everyone may want something different.
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Hlemmur Mathöll is perfect for food lovers, with many local vendors. Don’t forget to try the famous hot dog stand, a popular choice for a tasty and quick meal!
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Most of these local restaurants emphasize local produce and products, so it’s a fun place to go and try out Icelandic foods.
Social
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit