Reykjavík: 7-Course Teppanyaki Tasting Menu with Fire Show

The most memorable part of this Reykjavík dinner is the open-flame cooking show, performed just inches from your table. A chef grills Icelandic ingredients while spinning utensils, bending flames, and explaining the food. It is dinner with a bit of theater, not simply a meal served from a kitchen.

I like the strong local menu, especially the langoustine, arctic charr, and free-range lamb. I also like the personal scale: chefs such as Wilson have chatted with diners, while sous chef Kai has joined the conversation. The main thing to consider is the price, $120 per person, which is fair for seven courses and entertainment but high if you mainly want a quick dinner.

Key points to know before booking

• Seven Icelandic courses: Expect beef carpaccio, langoustine, arctic charr, lamb, rice, vegetables, and blueberry Skýr yogurt.
• Fire show at the grill: The chef cooks in front of you with flames, utensil spinning, and playful performance.
• A welcome drink is included: You receive a sake cocktail or a similar beverage at the start.
• A rare Reykjavík dining option: This is described as Iceland’s only teppanyaki restaurant.
• Central location near the sea: Flame Restaurant and Bar is about 200 meters from Höfði House and Fosshotel Reykjavík.
• Aurora possibility in winter: You may be able to look toward the nearby lighthouse for northern lights, but nature sets the schedule.

A seven-course dinner with Icelandic ingredients

This experience works because it joins two things that do not always meet in Reykjavík: local food and lively dinner theater. Teppanyaki is a Japanese style of cooking on a hot iron grill, but the menu here puts Icelandic ingredients at the center.

You begin with a welcome sake cocktail, or an equivalent drink if that is what is being served. That gives the evening a clear start and adds value to the $120 price, since the drink is included rather than added to the bill.

The menu is presented as seven courses. The exact delivery may vary, but the sample progression gives you a good idea of the meal: beef carpaccio, tempura Icelandic langoustine with homemade lava sauce, premium Japanese rice, fresh vegetables, arctic charr with teriyaki sauce, free-range Icelandic lamb with pepper sauce, and blueberry Skýr yogurt.

I like this mix because it is not just Japanese food copied into an Icelandic setting. The sauces, rice, and grilling method draw on teppanyaki, while the principal ingredients point firmly toward Iceland.

The first courses: beef carpaccio and langoustine

The beef carpaccio offers a cool, delicate opening before the grill takes over. It gives you a chance to notice the quality of the meat without the heavier sauces and flame effects that arrive later.

The tempura langoustine is one of the meal’s strongest local touches. Icelandic langoustine is prized for its sweet, delicate flesh, and the menu pairs it with a homemade lava sauce. That name fits the setting, but expect it as a sauce rather than a separate spectacle.

These opening courses matter because they keep the dinner from becoming one long plate of grilled food. You get changes in temperature, texture, and preparation before the main cooking performance reaches its busiest point.

Watching the chef work at the teppanyaki grill

The chef is the evening’s central figure. Food is cooked directly in front of you, and the performance includes open flames, utensil spinning, and other tricks. Several diners have found the show as memorable as the food, particularly when the chef explains ingredients and answers questions while working.

The flame display is meant to entertain, but it also has a practical side. Teppanyaki cooking lets you see the heat, timing, and handling of each ingredient. You are not watching a distant kitchen pass plates through a service window. You are close enough to follow the preparation as it happens.

The balance between skill and personality seems important here. Wilson has been praised for being friendly and personal, including on a quiet evening when the booking party was the only one present. Sous chef Kai has also come out to chat, adding a little human connection to what could otherwise feel like a staged restaurant act.

Still, the performance may not be identical every night. One evening began with some confusion around the reservation, and a chef appeared nervous before settling into the meal. That is worth keeping in mind if you expect a polished theater production. This is a restaurant show, with real staff, real cooking, and the occasional uneven moment.

Arctic charr, lamb, rice, and vegetables

The middle of the menu shifts toward the main ingredients. Premium Japanese rice and mixed fresh vegetables support the seafood and meat, giving the meal a familiar teppanyaki structure.

The arctic charr comes with teriyaki sauce. Charr is a fitting Icelandic choice, and the sweet-savoury sauce adds a Japanese note without hiding the idea of the fish. If you enjoy salmon, this course may feel familiar, though the menu specifically identifies arctic charr.

The lamb is served with pepper sauce and comes from free-range Icelandic lamb. This is likely to be the most substantial course, and it gives the dinner a clear Icelandic identity. You are not simply ordering a generic steak dinner with a flame on top.

The course order also helps with pacing. At 1.5 hours, this is a compact tasting meal rather than a long, slow evening. You receive several small experiences in sequence, but the meal is designed to keep moving.

Finishing with blueberry Skýr yogurt

Dessert is traditional blueberry Skýr yogurt. Skýr is one of Iceland’s best-known dairy foods, with a thick texture that sits somewhere between yogurt and fresh cheese.

After the richer beef, lamb, sauces, and fried langoustine, this is a sensible finish. The blueberries bring fruit and colour, while the Skýr keeps the dessert connected to Iceland rather than switching to a standard international sweet.

The menu should leave you full. One diner noted being surprised by how much food was served, and several descriptions of the evening point to a satisfying meal rather than a small collection of artistic bites.

How much value do you get for $120?

At $120 per person, this is a special-occasion dinner. You are paying for seven courses, the welcome cocktail, the ingredients, the central Reykjavík setting, and the live cooking performance.

The price makes more sense if you want an activity as well as food. A standard meal can be cheaper, but it will not give you a chef working at the grill in front of you or a planned fire show woven into the evening.

The value is less convincing if you are focused only on quantity or on eating the most traditional Icelandic food possible. This is a hybrid experience. It combines Japanese cooking style, Icelandic ingredients, and restaurant entertainment.

I would compare it with the cost of another paid evening activity in Reykjavík. Since the whole experience lasts about 90 minutes, it fits neatly into a busy city itinerary. You can have dinner here without giving up most of your evening, though transportation and any extra drinks are not included.

A modern setting near Höfði House

Flame Restaurant and Bar is in a modern glass-building area in central Reykjavík. The restaurant is roughly 200 meters from historic Höfði House and Fosshotel Reykjavík, and it is not far from the ocean.

That location makes the dinner easy to pair with a walk. You can check in at the restaurant, eat, and then continue toward the waterfront or nearby sights. No transportation is included, so plan your route to the meeting point rather than expecting a pickup.

The nearby lighthouse has one extra appeal in winter. After dinner, you may have a chance to look toward the sea for the northern lights. Do not treat this as part of the dinner’s guarantee. The lights are a natural phenomenon, and cloud, darkness, and solar activity all decide what you see.

This is best viewed as a bonus. The meal does not depend on an aurora appearance, and you should not book it as a substitute for a dedicated northern lights outing.

The atmosphere and service

The staff are generally described as warm and welcoming. The strongest evenings seem to come when the chef makes the table feel personal, explains where ingredients come from, and invites questions.

That personal touch is useful for a food experience. You learn a little about what is on your plate instead of receiving a procession of unnamed dishes. It also gives the chef a chance to connect the local ingredients with the Japanese cooking method.

Service may not be perfect every time. A reservation mix-up caused a delay on one occasion, though the waitress kept trying to help and the owner offered complimentary wine as an apology. Another dinner began awkwardly before improving.

I would allow a little patience at the start, especially if the restaurant is handling several bookings. The overall pattern is positive, but the evening is not a tightly scripted stage show from the moment you walk through the door.

Who will enjoy this dinner most?

I would recommend this to couples, families, and small groups who want a dinner with a clear entertainment element. It is also a good choice if you have already eaten plenty of traditional Icelandic food and want something different without abandoning local ingredients.

Food-focused visitors will appreciate the langoustine, arctic charr, lamb, and Skýr. People who enjoy watching cooks work will get the most from the teppanyaki setup, particularly if you sit where the grill action is easy to see.

It may suit you less if you dislike theatrical dining, open flames, or a fixed tasting menu. The seven courses are the point of the experience, so this is not the place to order one simple dish and leave quickly.

The activity is wheelchair accessible, and the instruction is in English. The restaurant can welcome different kinds of diners, but the supplied details do not explain the exact seating arrangement or how dietary requests are handled. If you have allergies or strict food needs, ask before booking.

Timing, cancellation, and practical planning

The experience lasts 1.5 hours, with starting times available according to the date. Check the time carefully so you do not place it too close to another booking.

You check in with staff at Flame Restaurant and Bar in Reykjavík. Transportation is not included, so you need to make your own way there and back.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. A reserve-now, pay-later option is also available, which helps if your Iceland plans may change.

The included drink is a sake cocktail or a similar beverage. Extra drinks are not listed as included, so budget for them separately if you want more than the welcome serving.

If you are visiting in winter, leave a little time after dinner for a look toward the lighthouse. It may give you a chance at an aurora sighting, but do not let that possibility dictate the rest of your night.

Should you book the Flame Restaurant teppanyaki experience?

Book it if you want a memorable dinner rather than a routine restaurant stop. The combination of Icelandic langoustine, charr, lamb, Skýr, a sake cocktail, and a live fire performance gives the evening a clear identity.

The best reason to go is the mix of food and personal showmanship. Chefs such as Wilson have made the experience feel friendly and direct, and the cooking happens close enough for you to see the skill involved.

Skip it if $120 feels too high for a 90-minute meal, or if you prefer quiet dining without tricks and flames. For everyone else, this is a worthwhile Reykjavík splurge, especially on a cold evening when a hot grill, a full meal, and a possible walk beneath the northern lights all fit nicely together.

FAQ

Where does the teppanyaki experience take place?

You check in at Flame Restaurant and Bar in Reykjavík, in Iceland’s Capital Region. The restaurant is about 200 meters from Höfði House and Fosshotel Reykjavík.

How long does the experience last?

The teppanyaki dinner lasts approximately 1.5 hours.

What is included in the price?

The $120 price includes the seven-course menu and a welcome sake cocktail or similar beverage.

What food is served?

The sample menu includes Icelandic beef carpaccio, tempura Icelandic langoustine with homemade lava sauce, premium Japanese rice, fresh vegetables, Icelandic arctic charr with teriyaki sauce, free-range Icelandic lamb with pepper sauce, and blueberry Skýr yogurt.

Is the fire show included?

Yes. The chef prepares the meal on a teppanyaki grill with open-flame cooking, utensil tricks, and other performance elements.

Is transportation included?

No. You need to arrange your own transportation to and from Flame Restaurant and Bar.

Can I see the northern lights during the experience?

In winter, you may have a chance to see the northern lights from the nearby lighthouse by the sea. The lights are a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed.

Is the activity wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible. Instruction and service are provided in English.