TORFHUS CUISINE

As befits cuisine inspired by Icelandic tradition and based on local ingredients, breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in our classic Viking Langhus. Stone, reclaimed wood, historical pictures of ancient torfhuses and artefacts such as leathered salmon skins and the repurposed horse drawn cart that now bears breakfast, create an ambience that is authentically Icelandic. Light and airy during the day with glorious views over grazing Icelandic horses to mountains and the glacier beyond, at night the atmosphere changes to a cosy, candlelit mood; the perfect backdrop to the celebrated cuisine of Torfhus Retreat.

BREAKFAST

Our Icelandic breakfast , served from 7-10am is a magnificent array of freshly baked bread and pastries, locally made jams, delicious overnight oats, smoked salmon, smoked arctic char and fresh juices. Local cheeses and cured meats sit alongside eggs, bacon, cereals and oats whilst fresh berries and compotes are the perfect complement to top quality yoghurts. Tea, herbal infusions, hot chocolate and a full range of coffees are available throughout day.

LUNCH

For lunch, home-made vegetarian soup made from locally-grown vegetables and freshly baked breads including sourdough and multigrain are on the menu. In winter, our soups are hearty and warming, perfect to welcome guests back after a morning exploring whilst in summer soups are lighter and based on the abundance of summer vegetables.

DINNER

Thorarinn Eggertsson, the Executive Chef, is ardently ‘anti-a-la-carte‘. Guests are asked for their culinary likes and dislikes and he translates them into cutting-edge Icelandic dining later that evening.

Sharing plates to start typically feature succulent garlicky langoustines, pan-seared scallops with Icelandic herbs, chilli and sesame salmon tartare, grilled porcini or heirloom tomato salads that taste as tomato salads should. Main courses follow with melt in the mouth grass-fed slow-roasted lamb, king prawns cloaked in tempura batter stained with squid ink to mimic volcanic lava and veal fillet snow-dusted with truffle flakes.

Dry ice and flames are the chef‘s favourite props. The local organic lamb is sensational, but the dry ice pluming through smoked rosemary stalks to add drama and release the herby scent elevates the dining experience to pure theatre.

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and allergies are all taken into consideration when planning our guests dining experince. Dinner is optional and not included in the nightly rate, however we highly recommend booking dinner on your arrival night. Dinner should be reserved one day in advance.