Messinn

Messinn is a casual seafood restaurant on Lækjargata in the heart of the old town, and it has built its reputation on one idea done well: fresh Icelandic fish served in the pan it was cooked in. The style is casual, and it serves lunch and dinner every day of the week.

The signature dish is the fish pan. Freshly cooked fish arrives at the table straight from the kitchen in a hot skillet, with butter-fried potatoes and vegetables, and the pans are designed for sharing, so a table of two or four can order several kinds and swap. The full menu and drinks list are available as PDFs on the restaurant's website, so you can see the choice of fish before you go.

Messinn serves lunch and dinner every day of the week. It opens at 11:30 and closes at 21:00 from Sunday to Thursday and 22:00 on Friday and Saturday. For dinner it is wise to book, especially at weekends and in summer. Reservations can be made online through Dineout, and gift cards are sold on the website.

The restaurant suits families, groups of friends and anyone who wants a filling, honest seafood meal without the formality or price of a tasting menu. The fish pans are generous, so it is worth ordering slowly and adding more if you are still hungry. If you are not a fish eater, check the menu before you go, as the focus is firmly on seafood.

Eating out in Reykjavik is expensive, and seafood restaurants are no exception, but a shared fish pan offers a filling meal at a price below that of the city's tasting menus. The drinks list is on the website too, so you can plan ahead. Families with children may find the pans an easy way to feed everyone, and staff can advise on which fish are milder in flavour. If you arrive without a booking, try early in the evening, when tables are easier to find.

Lækjargata runs along the eastern edge of the old town between Lækjartorg and Tjörnin, so Messinn is within a few minutes' walk of the central hotels, the lake, Austurvöllur and the shops of Laugavegur and Bankastræti. It makes a convenient lunch stop between the museums around the lake and the harbour.