Dinner in South Iceland
Where to Eat Near Selfoss: Dinner at Hnaus Restaurant
Most days in South Iceland end the same way. A long drive, a late search for somewhere to eat, and a table chosen because it was still open. Dinner becomes the part of the trip that happens to you.
It does not have to. Hnaus, the restaurant at 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa, sits on a hilltop just off Ring Road 1, about fifteen minutes from the center of Selfoss. It is open to everyone, not only hotel guests. The menu is built on farms and producers in the region, and the dining room looks out over the countryside the food comes from.
The short answer
For a sit-down dinner near Selfoss built on South Icelandic produce, Hnaus at 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa is about fifteen minutes from Selfoss and about an hour from Reykjavík. It seats 80, takes reservations online, and serves an à la carte menu alongside a three-course menu at 14,990 ISK per guest and a five-course tasting menu at 19,990 ISK, each with an optional wine pairing. Book ahead. In autumn and early spring, book early.
What the name means
Hnaus is pronounced "naus". It is the Icelandic word for a mound, and it refers to the rise the hotel stands on. The name is plain on purpose.
The restaurant is about the ground under it.
The view from the table
The hotel sits on a hilltop, and nothing interrupts the view. From the dining room, the farmland of South Iceland runs out toward the mountains. Hekla stands due east, with Tindfjöll and Eyjafjallajökull on the horizon to the east and east-southeast. Ingólfsfjall is the nearest mountain, to the north-northwest, and Búrfell rises to the north-northeast. On the clearest days, Kerlingarfjöll appears far to the northeast. The view is part of the meal, and it changes with the light.
In autumn and late winter, the light goes early. Sunset near Selfoss falls at about 18:00 in mid October and again in mid February, and the sky keeps fading for close to an hour after that. Book the earliest table available and you eat while the brightness drains from the fields and the mountains turn from white to blue to dark.
From November through January, the sun has set before dinner begins. The view turns to the sky instead. On clear nights the northern lights can appear over the hilltop, with no light pollution to look past. No night is guaranteed.
In summer, the opposite is true. Sunset near Selfoss is close to midnight in late June, and dinner happens in full daylight. Any table works.
Winter rewards the early table. Summer does not care.
What is on the menu
The cooking at Hnaus is farm to table, with Icelandic roots, and it changes with the seasons. A sample menu gives the idea: Arctic char with dill and sour cream, Icelandic lamb fillet with cauliflower and crowberries, cod with cabbage and fermented garlic, Icelandic beef with celeriac. Wild Icelandic blueberries with skyr and white chocolate to finish.
Vegetarian dishes are marked on the menu, and a vegan option is available for dessert. Alongside the à la carte menu, there is a three-course menu (starter, main course and dessert) at 14,990 ISK per guest and a five-course tasting menu at 19,990 ISK. Each has a matching wine pairing, at 14,990 ISK and 19,990 ISK.
The sample menu is exactly that. Dishes change with what is in season. Check the current menu before you come.
Where the food comes from
South Iceland is the country's main agricultural region, and most producers are local to the area. Milk, cream, yogurt and ice cream come from Gunnbjarnarholt. Lamb comes from farms near the hotel. Chocolate comes from Mika in Reykholt.
The menu is led by Executive Chef Hinrik Örn Lárusson, Icelandic Chef of the Year 2024. The full list of producers, and more on the chef, is in Local Food in South Iceland: The Chef and Farms Behind Hnaus.
Dinner if you are not staying
You do not need a room to eat at Hnaus. It works as a dinner stop at the end of a Golden Circle or south coast day. Selfoss sits between the two routes, and the hotel is just off Ring Road 1, on the way back toward Reykjavík.
Go in clear-eyed about the drive home. Reykjavík is about an hour away over Hellisheiði, a mountain plateau that can close in winter storms. Between October and March, that drive happens in the dark. Check road.is and safetravel.is before you set off.
Or stay the night and leave the road for the morning. It is the easier option.
Dinner if you are staying
For hotel guests, dinner is a walk down the corridor. Allergies and dietary needs shared at online pre-check-in go to the kitchen's daily arrivals brief, so the kitchen knows before you sit down.
Breakfast is included for every hotel guest, served in the same room, with a buffet and an à la carte menu. For a group or an occasion, the chef's table in the private dining room is set up for tasting menus and private dinners. The kitchen can also prepare picnics and lunch boxes for a day out. Ask the hotel in advance.
Plan your evening
The ordinary way to eat in South Iceland is wherever is still open at the end of the day. The other way is to plan the evening around one table, on a hilltop, with the light going down outside. At 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa, dinner is not the end of the day.
It is the part worth arriving early for.
Book a table at Hnaus
Frequently asked questions
Is there a good restaurant near Selfoss?
Hnaus is the restaurant at 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa, on a hilltop about fifteen minutes from the center of Selfoss and about an hour from Reykjavík. It serves farm to table Icelandic cooking from South Icelandic producers, à la carte or as a three-course menu (14,990 ISK) or five-course tasting menu (19,990 ISK), and it is open to everyone, not only hotel guests.
Can non-hotel guests eat at Hnaus?
Yes. Hnaus at 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa near Selfoss is open to everyone. Tables are booked online at booking.haxa.is/table/hnaus. The restaurant seats 80, so booking ahead is sensible.
When should I book dinner at Hnaus to see the view?
In autumn and late winter, book the earliest table available. Near Selfoss, sunset is about 18:00 in mid October and mid February, so an early dinner catches the light fading over the countryside. From November through January, the sun sets before dinner. In summer, dinner is in daylight at any time.
Does Hnaus have vegetarian or vegan options?
Yes. Vegetarian dishes are marked on the Hnaus menu at 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa, and a vegan dessert option is available. Hotel guests can share allergies and dietary needs at online pre-check-in, and the kitchen receives them before arrival.
Who is the chef at Hnaus?
The Executive Chef of Hnaus at 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa is Hinrik Örn Lárusson, Icelandic Chef of the Year 2024. The kitchen at Hnaus is run by Hinrik and his team.
Is breakfast included at 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa?
Yes. Breakfast at Hnaus is included for all hotel guests at 360 Hotel Boutique & Spa, with a buffet and an à la carte menu.