Since 2019, Gina has been the heartbeat of Midgard Restaurant and bar. She is the front of house manager, queen of cocktails and keeps Midgard Base Camp buzzing with life. What truly makes Gina unforgettable, though, is her presence. Her warm welcome and unmistakable laughter are often the first things guests experience when stepping into Midgard, instantly making them feel at home. In many ways, Gina embodies the spirit of Midgard: friendly, genuine, and always ready to bring people together. We turn to her, our restaurant expert, to share some fun and fascinating facts about the Midgard Restaurant.

Gina, you’ve been welcoming guests to Midgard Restaurant for years now. Can you tell us a little about how the restaurant has evolved since the beginning?

I feel that the restaurant has really come into itself now.  It isn´t just a place to eat something and leave – it is now a living breathing thing. Guests arrive and so many of them before they have even sat down, are captured by the cosy atmosphere and the warmth of the space.

What makes Midgard Restaurant different from other restaurants in South Iceland?

The obvious thing would be to say the food, but it is so much more than just really good, tasty food. The food, the service, the warm and super inviting feeling of cosiness as you walk in. The genuine welcome that each and every one of our guests receives…it´s welcoming them into our home.

How has the role of the restaurant changed alongside Midgard Adventure and Midgard Base Camp?

The restaurant is now the third strong sturdy leg of our incredible trifecta, and I feel has really become an integral part of who and what Midgard is. It is just as important as both the Adventure and Base Camp sides as it really tops off after amazing adventures and funky accommodations and finishes with a good cocktail at the bar!

Food Philosophy & Ingredients

Fresh and local ingredients are a big part of Midgard. Can you share where most of the food comes from and why that’s important to us?

Of our 4 values that we try very hard to stick by in everything we do, sustainability is possibly the most important. We made a conscious decision to source as locally as possible. We wanted to use what we could from all of our neighboring farmers/ suppliers: our highland herb fed lamb that is such an integral part of our menu  comes to us from about a 2 minute drive away! Birkir is our potato farmer and he was very honoured to know that he was mentioned personally in our menu. It´s also a really good way of letting the locals know that they too contribute to our success.

How do Midgard’s values – like sustainability, family, fun and flexibility – show up on the menu?

Our restaurant is first and foremost a very cosy place to sit down, catch up, eat fantastic food, laugh a lot, and feel at home with your family. I have already mentioned how sustainability plays a big role in sourcing our ingredients, but it also plays as an important role in how we serve our meals and deal with left overs and we work hard to be as self sufficient as possible. Again, because we do source locally, we have a flexible menu that changes at times depending on what is available. A fun fact – Stefan is colour blind and he does the interior decorating – so we do have a very quirky and fun space for our restaurant and Base Camp!

Are there certain Icelandic dishes or flavors that guests really fall in love with when they try them here?

Arctic char! Rhubarb with basil and lemon sorbet! We make nearly everything on our menu and that in itself really gives our guests such a great introduction to Icelandic flavours. That said, many of our guests try fish and lamb for the first time here and are really blown away by how fresh and flavourful it is.

Do you have a personal favorite dish on the menu right now?

Arctic char has been a steady favourite of mine from the beginning but the lamb skewers that we introduced this summer come a very close second.

The Guest Experience

You’re often the first smiling face people meet when they enter – how do you create that “welcome home” feeling for guests?

I literally have the best job in the world and so it really isn’t hard to extend that towards our guests! I think a wide open and genuine smile goes such a long way to already creating a good feeling  for our guests before they have even sat down and tried our incredible food. It probably helps that I love to talk…to everybody!

What kind of mix of guests do you usually see in the restaurant? Is it true that locals, travelers, and adventurers all end up sitting side by side?

This is SO true and it´s what makes our restaurant such a fantastic fit for all of our guests. I have often heard locals giving travellers tips of where to go and what to see and in turn, our guests filling locals in on what they have loved about their adventures. 

Do you have a favorite memory of guests sharing stories or making unexpected connections here?

So many! From guests who have stayed and eaten with us in the past who send their friends and those friends walk in and feel like they already know all of us from the stories. From guests who have travelled the world over and meet someone at the bar who is from their same small town. From guests who were with us from the very beginning and come back 5 years later and are always up for excited hugs and life story swapping. Midgard connects people over and over again – it’s part of our charm for sure.  

Events & Atmosphere

Midgard Restaurant and Bar is not the only exciting thing at Midgard Base Camp. What kind of evenings or concerts do you host, and what atmosphere does it create?

The beauty of the set up of Midgard Base Camp is that the space is very fluid and so on a concert day when guests walk in they don’t realise that within a few hours, the cosy area becomes a stage and we have 100 guests filling the area listening to some of Iceland´s top musicians and bands.

It is a huge draw for us to be able to give our guests a small peek into local Icelandic culture and for them to meet with and mingle with people who live here all year round. It is also such an amazing opportunity for us to give back to those locals and offer incredible live music and a good place to meet up with friends and have a drink at the bar whilst listening to some phenomenal talent. We host everyone from internationally well known Icelandic musicians as well asall the way to up and coming youngsters who are just starting out on their artisticmusical journey. We also often host story-tellers, presentations and cosy movie nights.

How does it feel when the whole town comes together at Midgard for events like the first Christmas beer night or Thanksgiving dinner?

Just one of my absolute FAVOURITE things to do is to have these kinds of events. They are, first of all, so much fun and it is really great to see old friends and family members who travel from other parts of Iceland to join us. Christmas beer night in Iceland is celebrated in the whole county and it always tickles me pink to know that all of us will be ringing that bell at 20.59 together to welcome in the first Christmas beers and all the fun, cosiness and warmth of Christmas in Iceland.

Reviews & Reputation

Midgard Restaurant and Bar has received some incredible reviews. What do you think guests appreciate most about their time here?

Our warmth! I think that the very genuine way that we make people feel welcome and live up to our promise to serve incredible local food with a good bar and the feeling of “coming home” is our biggest strength and one that our guests are really appreciative of.

Behind the Scenes & Values

Midgard has always been about adventure and community. How do you see those values reflected in your daily work at the restaurant?

We have our very own famous Adventure burger! A lot of our menu is based on food that we have been offering our guests from the very beginning when we didn’t even have a restaurant and it has only become better over the years. We always love it when the locals come in to eat with us – they are a big part of why we are still here.

What’s something people might not realize about running a restaurant like this in a small Icelandic town?

In the winter, if there is a storm then the supply trucks don´t make it over the mountain pass and there will be no wine to make our famous mulled wine.

Looking Ahead

What would you say to someone who is planning their South Iceland trip and is wondering whether they should stop by Midgard Restaurant?

Don´t hesitate to pop in! We have worked super hard to cater for nearly all food requirements and really pride ourselves on being able to well nourish everyone who stops by. If it is for just yourself, your large family/friends group or even an unplanned wedding elopement dinner, you will always feel at home enough to put your feet up, have a drink and make the difficult choice of what you want to eat! View our restaurant menu here to get a taste of what makes dining at Midgard truly special.