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From the title, you can assume this is indeed about the Viking restaurant that’s taken social media by storm: Ingólfsskáli located in Iceland. Friends, buckle up – I’m about to spill on my latest Viking bucket-list splurge.’
Ingólfsskáli: a turf-roofed longhouse that promises immersive storytelling, mead in actual horns, and platefuls of Icelandic curiosities. Did it deliver? Yes – in ambiance. Did my wallet survive? Barely. But would I do it again? Oh, absolutely (though next time with fewer courses and way more mead). Let’s unpack the highs, the ‘oh no, did I just eat horse?’, and everything in between!
Like all of these “Tourist Traps or Treasure” posts I share, I tend to make mistakes so you don’t have to. For Ingolfsskali, this means we ballllled out in our budget to ensure we could provide the best feedback for planning a visit to this restaurant. Let’s get into it.
First Impressions: “Are we in a Netflix set right now?”
Roughly 40 minutes from Reykjavik and just 10 minutes from Selfoss, you will find Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant. Ingólfsskáli is a unique dining experience that intertwines Icelandic history, culture, and culinary artistry. We stopped here on day two of our six day Iceland itinerary.
Pulling into the gravel lot beneath Mt. Ingolfsfjall felt like entering another era – like, suddenly I needed a fur cloak and a battle axe. Ingolfsskali looks exactly how your Viking dreams imagined it: turf-covered roof, carved wooden beams, iron lanterns flickering in the misty Iceland air. It’s giving medieval, moody, and mildly intimidating, in the best way.
The moment we walked inside, it was candlelight central. There are long wooden tables, sheepskins on benches, Viking shields on the walls. Was it theatrical? Of course. Did I love it? Absolutely.
Cue ambient throat-singing music. Cue immediate regret for not dressing in full Viking cosplay. (Next time.)
We ended up getting a table to ourselves which worked out well with the amount of food we ordered.
Feasting Like a Viking in South Iceland
Let’s just say: the food is not trying to be subtle. This is not your ?grab a salad and call it a day” situation. Prior to booking a reservation, I researched the menu and had mentally prepared that there were some menu items exotic to my pallet, but I had to be ready to indulge. To help with that, we ordered mead.
Mead is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water. You can then add ingredients like fruits, spices, grains, or hops. You heard it here first that a mead “flight” in Iceland, is not what it means in America. In America, usually a wine or beer flight is several different flavors served in smaller proportions – Not here.
Our mead flight came with three very large sized portions that were served in horns. It was dramatic and delightful and potentially dangerous if you’re not careful. Those horns don’t stand up on their own, so once you start, you’re pretty committed. My kind of Viking energy. I don’t recommend the flight with only two people, but the mead itself was worth trying. Now onto the main course!
As I wrote up top, we splurged here. We splurged by ordering the Viking Feast which consists of a three course meal and dessert for the whole table, minimum two people. Our meal consisted of:
- Cured meats (including horse – yes, that happened)
- Smoked salmon and herring
- Lamb, pork, and beef
- Roasted potatoes and mushrooms
- Skyr dessert to wrap it up
Some flavors were hits – especially the lamb, which was tender, earthy, and hands-down the star. Others were – more like historic experiences than crowd-pleasers. (Looking at you, herring with the aggressive personality.)
They aren’t messing around when they call it a feast. We were stuffed by the end, but we tried every single item served to us, including horse. The table favorite had to have been the skyr dessert, which skyr is an Icelandic yogurt that’s divine.
The Price Tag: Bold of You, Ingolfsskali
Here’s the thing – this place is not casual. It’s an experience restaurant, and the price reflects that. Our meal, with drinks, clocked in at – let’s just say we paid extra to eat like warriors.
Was it worth it? If you’re going for atmosphere, storytelling, and a once-in-a-trip moment – absolutely.
If you’re hunting for value and five-star flavors alone – maybe not your spot.
But honestly, it’s hard to put a price on drinking out of a horn in a candlelit Viking longhouse while someone explains fermented shark.
Pro Tips (Because I Learned Things the Hard Way)
- Make a reservation, especially in summer or on weekends. This place gets busy, and it’s not the kind of place you just wander into.
- Rent a car if you’re not already driving. It’s not near public transport, and taxis are not budget-friendly in rural Iceland.
- Go for dinner if you want the full immersive experience. Lunch is quieter, but the drama (and mead) comes out at night.
- Don’t be afraid to share. The Viking Feast is big enough to split – unless you’re really leaning into your inner Norse god.
Tourist Trap or Treasure?
I’d say… Treasure, with a touristy price tag. If you go in expecting a themed experience – like a dinner show with better food and more historical flair – you’ll love it. It’s not trying to be a gourmet tasting menu. It is trying to make you feel like you’ve time-traveled to a Viking chieftain’s banquet.
If you were to go to Ingólfsskáli and order the same exact thing we did, it would be a tourist trap. Would I go again? 100%. Would I order the full feast next time? Eh, maybe just the lamb and a horn of mead – leave room for snacks after.
Truthfully, if I were to do it all over, I would walk into the restaurant, order a horn of mead with an appetizer, and that’s it. I think it could be quite fun to participate in the axe throwing or archery as well, which is something we lacked on time for during our visit.
Wow – what an experience. But hey “Veni, vidi, vici”! Some of the food items sounded okay — others: not so much! And yikes! A flight of mead! I’d need a wheelchair to roll me out if I drank and ate all that! LOL! Once again, another great read! Love ya!
As always great post! I left a reply! â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸