Já Sæll - Borgarfjörður Eystri

Tatyana P.

Nice place, which is some kind of Theater during the daytime and after 6pm becomes the cafe. Quit interesting owner/cook with the special communication approach, we like him))) Lamb burgers are tasty and delicious. French fries a bit salty, but okay. No beer from the nearby brewery, but there is a choice of local Icelandic beers.

Samattra

This restaurant has been one of the most memorable parts of my trip to Iceland — here’s why:

My partner and I had trouble finding food after a long travel day and noticed this place was open until 1 AM. We arrived just 10 minutes before closing, unsure if we’d even be served. But instead of turning us away, the owner warmly welcomed us in. 🥹

He fired up the grill just for us and insisted we sit down to eat, even though we offered to take it to go out of courtesy. As he cooked, he told us he was the owner and shared a bit about his life in this small town. It was such a genuine, human moment that made the meal even more special.

And the food? Incredible. The lamb chops were perfectly cooked, the chips were delicious, and the presentation was sweet and thoughtful. My partner had the fish (apparently caught locally and purchased rom the fish factory down the road) and it was phenomenal.

But the true memory was the owner’s hospitality. For example, we noticed fermented shark on the menu — something we’d hoped to try for the Icelandic history, and he generously offered us a taste with no hesitation. Turns out, it was caught and prepared by him and his family, which literally made it even more special.

We shared a bite together to close out the night, and he even taught us how to say “cheers” in Icelandic before eating it. The taste was.. well. 😂As someone from Southeast Asia, the taste reminded me of fermented fish back home — just without the Thai chilis and with a strong ammonia kick. 😅

All this to say-- I can’t recommend this place enough. It may be a bit off the usual Ring Road route, but it’s well worth the detour, not just for the food or the town (and its puffins!), but for the owner as well.

Jordan V.

We arrived late at night as a group of 10, expecting to be turned away — but the owner welcomed us with a big smile. Even though he had already shut down the kitchen 10 minutes earlier, he turned everything back on just for us. He explained the menu in detail, let us stay past closing, and served one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten. Incredible hospitality and amazing food — truly unforgettable.

Trevor H.

Came in pretty late in the night! Was greeted kindly, and food was great! The locals were very nice! Could not have had a better experience! Thank you for such a good time! I would love to see music played there with the stage there!!

Maurine L.

Great dinner!
The lamb burger was sooo tasty! And the fish and chips (catfish/wolfish this day) was perfect.
The people working here are so nice, and offered us to discover some local dry fish.
All of that for an affordable price

Brian V.

Very friendly staff, the (locally caught) pan fried cod was perfectly cooked and had a nice dill seasoning. The (local) lamb burger with béarnaise sauce was delicious, for those who like lamb burgers. The sweet potato fries were a hit with us and our kids, as were the seasoned fries. The food came out very quickly, though when we arrived (1:45) we were the only customers.

It’s pretty impressive to have two restaurants in a town of 100 at the end of the road. We appreciated the choice, as the other restaurant only appeared to have fish soup for lunch (which has been delicious all around the country, but sometimes you want a change!) and was running way behind service wise.

Felix H.

Einfaches Burger-Restaurant mit den für Island üblichen Preisen (Burger mit Pommes 20€ - 25€). Qualität war ok, Portion war so dass man satt wird. Ambiente hat was von Kirchengemeine-Saal 😀

Jonathan B.

Imagine walking to a restaurant and asking if they are opened. They initially said in 6 minutes but proceeded to let you in early which was initially welcoming. Walked in, sat down and was patiently waiting to place an order at the opportune time. A few minutes later and family walked in only to be seated and immediately served with burgers after placing their order. The family were approached by the server to place their order fyi. This prompted me to walk to the bar to ask if I can place an order which I did. Verbally. Went back to sit and a group is senior’s waked in and were well received and seated and drinks were placed on their table including water. After waiting for an inconvenient 25 mins after being utterly ignored, I hastily assembled my belongings and left the establishment. Let’s just say, I experienced racism but you can already deduced that from the context. If you are black, don’t go here. You won’t be welcomed