Learn to cook like a local at Salt Eldhús (Salt Kitchen in Icelandic), a cooking school in central Reykjavík that combines an interactive cooking class with learning about Icelandic food traditions and culture. Meet Sirry and Siggi, a husband and wife team, one a professional chef, the other an avid folklorist who links Icelandic sagas to the food you’re preparing. It’s a chance to learn about traditional Icelandic ingredients, sample a range of local foods and learn how food plays a part in Icelandic culture all in a contemporary kitchen and diner in the Icelandic capital.
Your day starts when you meet your hosts at Salt Eldhús at their premises in downtown Reykjavík. Chef and food writer, Sirry will introduce you to key concepts behind Icelandic cooking as well as traditional local ingredients such as Arctic char, free-range lamb, dulse (edible seaweed) and skyr (Icelandic cheese).
She’ll then explain the plan for the three-course meal you’ll prepare, cook and enjoy and help you get started on prepping ingredients for the first dish. As you work, Sirry will guide and assist you through every step of the process, while her husband, Siggi, offers anecdotes and stories from the Icelandic sagas, and how they relate to the food you’re preparing.
It’s a very informal setting that allows for discussion and questions as well as learning and you’ll also get the opportunity to taste local Icelandic delicacies, such as smoked Atlantic wolffish, sweet Icelandic rye bread and harðfiskur (dried fish), a popular snack sold in shops across Iceland.
Once the meal is ready, sit down to eat the traditional Icelandic lunch accompanied by wine.
Salt Eldhús can cater to most dietary requirements with advance notice, although they cannot guarantee their kitchen is free of trace ingredients. For this reason, we don’t recommend this activity for clients with serious food allergies.
Start planning your tailor-made trip by contacting one of our Iceland specialists
These activities are designed to give you the most authentic experiences around where you're staying. We work with local guides, who use their knowledge and often a resident's eye to show you the main sights and more out-of-the-way attractions. Our specialists can suggest tours and activities that will introduce you to the local ways of life.
Half day private tour of Reykjavík
Explore Reykjavík’s landmark sights with a local guide. Visit the Hallgrímskirkja and Harpa concert hall, hear about elves and peace treaties, or see lava fields and historical houses as you learn about the city’s history, architecture and culture.
Privately guided northern lights tour
Take an evening trip outside Reykjavík with a private guide to observe the northern lights beyond the city glow. Get tips on taking photographs, find out more about how the phenomenon is caused and watch as the night sky is lit up.
You can enjoy this activity as part of the suggested tours below, or we can weave it into a trip shaped entirely around you.
