The world's northernmost serious Indian kitchen — and a Reykjavik institution since 1995. Three decades of disciplined North Indian cooking, executed with Icelandic ingredients, in a warm room on Hverfisgata 56 where regulars know the staff by name.
8.4
Food
8
Ambience
8.5
Value
About Austur-Indíafjelagið
Opened in 2007, Austur-Indíafjelagið has built its reputation slowly and with complete conviction, never compromising its commitment to organic sourcing, daily-changing menus, and the radical premise that the most interesting food in Reykjavik need not involve meat or elaborate technique. The name means "glow" in Icelandic — which is apt for the bright, energised sensation of a meal eaten here: clear-headed, satisfied, and somehow more alert than when you arrived.
The menu changes every day, governed entirely by what is available from Icelandic organic producers. This is not a marketing stance — it is a genuine operational constraint that forces the kitchen into perpetual creativity. Coconut curry appears and disappears. A nut steak with accompaniments that vary by week. Aloo saag that uses Icelandic potatoes and leaves grown under geothermal heat. Raw preparations that showcase vegetables at their most concentrated. The kitchen's range is genuinely impressive, and the commitment to clear dietary labelling — gluten-free, vegan, and raw all clearly marked — makes Austur-Indíafjelagið uniquely accessible to the full range of contemporary dietary approaches.
The flagship location at Laugavegur 20b sits on Reykjavik's main shopping and dining street. Two additional locations — at Engjateig 19 near the Hilton Nordica, and in Kópavogur — serve the broader Reykjavik area. All maintain the same standard and daily menu rotation. The bar at the Laugavegur location serves fresh juices, smoothies, and a selection of hot drinks made with the same ingredient quality as the food program.
Austur-Indíafjelagið has developed a loyal following that spans the full spectrum of Reykjavik's population: health-conscious locals who come for lunch almost daily, international visitors discovering that vegetarian cooking can be this satisfying, and carnivores who find themselves returning despite themselves. The regulars are perhaps the most eloquent testimony to what Austur-Indíafjelagið has accomplished over eighteen years.
The Occasion Fit
Perfect for Solo Dining
Austur-Indíafjelagið is, in the deepest sense, a solo dining restaurant. The counter seating and open layout mean that eating alone here is not a performance of solitude but a participation in the room's energy. The daily menu creates a natural conversation-starter with the staff, who know what arrived that morning and what the kitchen has prepared from it. For the solo traveller who wants a meal that leaves them feeling genuinely well rather than merely satisfied, Austur-Indíafjelagið is the answer on almost any day in Reykjavik. Order broadly: a soup, a main, a fresh juice. The total will be modest. The effect will last the afternoon.
The Experience
Austur-Indíafjelagið operates as a quick-service restaurant at lunch and a more relaxed table-service experience at dinner. The mid-day rush at the Laugavegur location is genuinely busy — this is a working restaurant with a real local clientele, not a tourist-oriented showcase. Arriving slightly off-peak (before noon or after 1:30pm) guarantees a more contemplative experience without sacrificing the energy that makes the room feel alive.
The sourcing philosophy extends to every element of the meal. The breads are made fresh daily. The desserts — which include raw cakes, fermented dairy preparations, and plant-based sweets — operate at the same level of ambition as the savoury courses. The beverage program includes cold-pressed juices, turmeric and ginger shots, and a selection of adaptogenic drinks that reflect the kitchen's broader interest in ingredients that serve the whole body rather than merely the appetite.
For visitors managing dietary restrictions, Austur-Indíafjelagið offers perhaps the most reassuring dining experience in Reykjavik. Every item is clearly labelled. The staff understand the specifics of gluten intolerance, veganism, and raw food diets without requiring education. The kitchen is structured to prevent cross-contamination. It is the kind of restaurant that removes the anxiety from eating out with dietary requirements, replacing it with genuine pleasure and the satisfaction of a kitchen that takes the full range of human appetite seriously.
