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 Hafnarfjordur 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 Hafnarborg. I am more of a food and beer guy than a shopper!

People eating and drinking at Gallery Hafnartorg in Reykjavik
The hustle and bustle of Gallery Hafnartorg

Upgrade from the gravel parking lot

To put it mildly, the new Hafnarfjörður 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 being vibrant and fun. So next time you are there, try to picture the wonderful Harpa building and the Hafnarfjörður 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.

Free road trip plans with maps

Day-by-day plans for the four drives most people take, each on an interactive map with where to sleep, fuel stops, waterfalls and reader discounts along the way. Built for a relaxed pace, not a race.

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Map of hot springs, spas and pools

Every lagoon, wild hot spring and town pool in Iceland on one map. Find warm water near you, and see which spas give my readers a discount.

  • 57 places to soak
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Man cooking at Gallery Hafnartorg in Reykjavik
Flaming hot!

 

Upmarket vibe of Hafnartorg Gallery

The Hafnarborg 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 Hafnarborg 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.

Wine being poured
Yes please!

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 offers 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 Hafnarfjörður Gallery, I had the grilled cod loin with small potatoes from the 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!