The latest food hall to open in Reykjavik is the Hafnartorg Gallery. Situated near the Harpa and the brand new five-star Reykjavik Edition Hotel, the Gallery Hafnartorg fits its swanky newly developed area with stylish decor and a great selection of shops and restaurants. I have not visited the shops at Gallery Hafnartorg. I am more of a food and beer guy than a shopper!
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Upgrade from the gravel parking lot
To put it mildly, the new Hafnartorg district in the Reykjavik city center is a major upgrade. The area used to be a derelict and windswept gravel parking lot. I suspect that many people were like me, just taking the sorry state of the town center for granted. Therefore I see this new area as a great example of how a city area can be transformed from being empty and useless to be vibrant and fun. So next time you are there, try to picture the wonderful Harpa building and the Hafnartorg as a parking lot! Urban regeneration is happening in more towns than Reykjavik. Places like Hveragerði with its new stylish hotels and wonderful restaurants, and Selfoss with its new food hall, have been transformed into worthy destinations for foodies.
Upmarket vibe of Hafnartorg Gallery
The Hafnartorg Gallery has a different vibe than the “original” Reykjavik food hall at Hlemmur which I love to bits. Hafnartorg has has a more upmarket vibe, while Hlemmur is more “street”.
Video: Scenes from the opening night on the 20th of August
Both Hlemmur and Gallery Hafnartorg are bustling and fun so I guess you will just have to try them. After all, both food halls share the most important have a big selection of all kinds of great food. Everybody can just order what they are in the mood for. And this is precisely why I love food halls.
You will find what you are looking for
I am sure places will come and go, but now at the end of August 2022, the selection of restaurants offer punters many different styles which include a fusion of French and Nordic Cuisine, New York style pizzas, Hawaiian Poké bowls, French and Asian fusion, and of course the wonderful tacos from Fuego. When I visited Hafnartorg Gallery I had the grilled cod loin with small potatoes from BRAND Restaurant with Úlfrún craft beer. It was just lovely. My companions had Italian food from La Trattoria and were happy with their food. I will visit Gallery Hafnartorg again soon. See you there!
