Exeter Hotel

Worth getting out of bed for

Slightly set back from the main coast road, Exeter Hotel’s Old Harbour location invites guests to get a little bit wet (and wild) by diving into the port’s water-based activities, including whale-watching and puffin-spotting cruises which depart from the pier just across the street. Back on dry land, the glittering, glass-fronted Harpa Concert Hall, the city’s cathedral, and the rainbow-painted Skólavörðustígur Street are all just 10-minutes away on foot. Urban sights aside, Reykjavík stands as the gateway to Golden Circle adventures, and the hotel’s hands-on reception team have all the most knowledgeable local guides up their sleeve. If you don’t mind the crowds, the milky waters of the Blue Lagoon are worth a soak, but the clifftop Sky Lagoon is far less of a tourist hotspot and guarantees a quieter geothermal experience – plus it boasts a swim-up bar. Also within day-trip distance are Skógafoss Waterfall, Langjökull Glacier, and the Great Geysir in Haukadalur Valley, and longer Icelandic itineraries should include the black-sand beach at Reynisfjara, and going off-grid in the Snæfellsjökull National Park.

Local restaurants

The bountiful Icelandic waters have long supplied locals with daily fish dishes, but the Fish Market adds an extra splash of freshness to Reykjavík’s seafood scene, where just-off-the-boat catches are prepared in an open kitchen which is equipped with the country’s only robata grill. The same culinary creatives are behind the Grill Market, who are passionate about the provenance of their predominantly Icelandic ingredients, and are all about the raw factor of their meat and fish – cooked and smoked over wood and coal. The burger selection is likely to raise a few eyebrows, with minke whale and grilled reindeer on the menu, but you’ll be off to a good start with the freshly baked bread basket, topped with whipped butter and Icelandic lava salt, followed by the lightly smoked Arctic char with pickled fennel. Housed in the former Landsbankinn bank in downtown Reykjavík, Eiriksson Brasserie infuses traditional Icelandic dishes with the flavours of Italy – mull over the next morning’s hiking routes in the old money vault’s bottle-stuffed wine cellar.

Local cafés

The trendy Grandi district is right on Exeter Hotel’s doorstep, home to the FlyOver Iceland experience (a simulated flight ride which uses state-of-the-art technology and wrap-around screens) and its eatery, Kaffi Grandi. Soar (virtually) above Iceland’s otherworldly landscape before popping back down for a handcrafted cappuccino and kleina (deep-fried, cardamom-dusted Icelandic doughnuts).

Local bars

It’s not that alcohol is in short supply in Iceland, but you can only buy booze in state-run stores – so it’s worth drinking up in bars and restaurants. Step into subtropical-styled Jungle Bar for exotic cocktails and some far-flung foliage (ideally time your visit for Mondays to take advantage of the all-day happy hour). Housed in a former pharmacy, Apótek prescribes artisan concoctions labelled as ‘painkillers’, ‘stimulants’, and ‘tranquillisers’ (some even have a ‘placebo’ effect). End the night with a shot of chilled Brennivín, an Icelandic spirit with the fiery translation, ‘burning wine’. You’ll soon discover another meaning to the land of fire and ice.