Snæfellsnes is a special region in the western part of Iceland, only a few hours north of the capital city of Reykjavik. If you don’t have a lengthy stay in Iceland, I’d recommend this area to tour some of Iceland’s rural countryside. Along the way, if you take the Snæfellsnes, you’ll eventually hit an area near Hellnar with an old church.
From here, you can take a lovely walk along the sea for 20 or 30 minutes to Hellnar itself, which houses an adorable restaurant called Fjoruhusid, or known by my local guide as simply The Coffee House. He says its the best coffee house in the world, which of course brought a smile to my face.
You can of course drive directly to Hellnar and skip the seaside walk, as there’s a car park immediately above the restaurant. From the parking area, you simply walk down the side of the hill on your left and you are suddenly greeted with a beautiful little cove that has this quaint little cafe perched on its hill. That said, DO the walk. The serenity you’ll feel along the way will be well worth it.
Everything is fresh and homemade, which means that things don’t necessarily come fast and nor are they inexpensive, but the food is delicious. And, the ambiance is a bit like the Cornwall of West Iceland in a way. At the end of a long days drive, it’s the perfect place to take in cake and a pot of tea while overlooking the sea and sunset.
The menu is small but everything on it will bring a smile, whether you go for a salad, sandwich, the delicious fish soup or a quiche. They apparently serve food until 9 pm during the summer months although we were there during lunch, so closing time wasn’t an issue.
This is an ideal stopping point for lunch after the glacier above Hellnar although bear in mind that the restaurant itself is a little hidden from the village. Scroll down for photos to see what I mean. You’ll also note its charm from the inside and outside photos below.
From The Inside…
The Outside…
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Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
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