Reykjavík: 7-Course Teppanyaki Tasting Menu with Fire Show

The fire is the main event here. At Flame Restaurant and Bar, your chef cooks a seven-course meal on a hot iron grill, spinning utensils, working open flame, and turning dinner into a small piece of theater. You get a welcome sake cocktail before the cooking begins, then a menu built around Icelandic beef, langoustine, salmon, lamb, and skyr.

I like the mix of local ingredients and Japanese cooking. I also like the compact 90-minute format, which fits neatly into a busy Reykjavík evening. The one point to consider is the price: at $120 per person, this is a special-occasion meal, not a quick casual dinner. The fire show is part of the value, and the chef’s performance can vary from one sitting to the next.

Key points to know

• Seven courses in 90 minutes: The menu moves from beef carpaccio and langoustine to fish, lamb, rice, vegetables, and blueberry skyr.
• Icelandic ingredients meet teppanyaki: Expect local lamb, arctic char, salmon, langoustine, and Icelandic beef prepared in a Japanese style.
• The chef cooks in front of you: Open flames, utensil spinning, and practical cooking skill turn the grill into the evening’s entertainment.
• Wilson and Kai may be part of the experience: Wilson has hosted and cooked for diners, while sous chef Kai has also come out to chat.
• The setting is central: The restaurant is in a modern glass building area about 200 meters from Höfði House and close to the sea.
• Northern lights are possible, not promised: In winter, you can try the nearby lighthouse after dinner, but the aurora depends on nature and weather.

What the Reykjavík teppanyaki evening is really like

This is not simply a table where someone cooks your dinner in front of you. It is a meal designed around the grill, the chef’s timing, and a few well-placed flames. You sit close enough to watch the ingredients being handled, seasoned, and cooked, rather than receiving a plate from a hidden kitchen.

The setting adds a modern Reykjavík feel. Flame Restaurant and Bar is in a glass building area in the city center, around 200 meters from historic Höfði House and near the waterfront. That makes this an easy restaurant stop after a day of sightseeing, especially if you are staying near central Reykjavík.

The experience lasts about 1.5 hours, so it has a clear beginning and end. That is useful if you have evening plans, although the meal is structured and you should not treat it like a quick bite between attractions. You are paying for food plus a live cooking performance.

Starting with the sake cocktail

Your first included item is a sake cocktail or a similar drink. It gives the evening a ceremonial start and helps separate this meal from an ordinary restaurant reservation. The drink is not an open bar, so keep your expectations in the right place: one welcome beverage is included, while additional drinks are not listed as part of the ticket.

The cocktail also sets up the Japanese side of the menu. Teppanyaki comes from cooking food on a broad iron griddle, with the chef working directly in front of diners. Here, that method is paired with Icelandic produce and seafood rather than a standard Japanese steakhouse menu.

The drink matters because the meal is meant to feel like an occasion. I would arrive ready to sit, watch, and let the courses come in order. If you are looking only for the largest possible dinner for $120, the value may seem less clear. If you want a planned evening with food and entertainment together, the price makes more sense.

Seven courses built around Icelandic ingredients

The sample menu gives you a good idea of the meal’s range. You begin with Icelandic beef carpaccio, followed by tempura Icelandic langoustine with homemade lava sauce. Premium Japanese rice and mixed fresh vegetables accompany the cooked courses, while arctic char with teriyaki sauce and free-range Icelandic lamb bring the main flavors.

The menu finishes with traditional blueberry skyr yogurt. Skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product with a thick texture, and the blueberry finish provides a familiar local note after the savory courses. It is a fitting end to a meal that uses Icelandic ingredients without trying to turn everything into a traditional Icelandic dish.

Beef carpaccio

The beef carpaccio offers a light opening. Because the meat is served thinly sliced, it gives you a first taste of the ingredient before the grill and flames become the focus. This course should appeal to diners who like delicate beef preparations, though anyone uncomfortable with carpaccio should note that it is not a fully cooked starter.

Tempura langoustine with lava sauce

The langoustine is one of the meal’s most distinctive ingredients. Iceland is known for its seafood, and this course combines the sweetness of langoustine with a crisp tempura coating and a house lava sauce. The lava name fits the restaurant’s fire theme, but do not assume it means the sauce is extremely hot. The supplied menu does not specify its level of spice.

The menu sometimes describes langoustine as lobster, but Icelandic langoustine is its own type of crustacean. It is smaller and more delicate than the lobster many people know, which makes it well suited to a multi-course tasting menu.

Rice and vegetables

Premium Japanese rice and mixed fresh vegetables provide balance between the richer items. These courses may sound less dramatic than the fire show, but they matter in a seven-course meal. Rice gives you something substantial, while vegetables keep the meal from becoming a long run of meat and seafood.

You may find these elements especially useful with the lamb and sauces. Teppanyaki food can be filling, and a meal with rice, vegetables, seafood, beef, and dessert is more substantial than the performance-focused description might suggest.

Arctic char with teriyaki sauce

Arctic char is a strong choice for this setting. It is an Icelandic fish with a flavor that sits somewhere between salmon and trout, and the teriyaki sauce connects it to the Japanese cooking style. The menu also highlights salmon among the Icelandic ingredients, so the exact fish service can be worth confirming with staff if you have a preference or allergy.

Free-range Icelandic lamb

Lamb is one of the clearest connections to Icelandic food culture. Here, free-range Icelandic lamb is grilled on the teppanyaki table and served with pepper sauce. The grill lets you watch the chef handle the main course at close range, and this is likely the point where the cooking performance becomes most central.

Staff have explained the sourcing of ingredients during the meal, which adds useful context without turning dinner into a formal lecture. If you are curious about Icelandic food, ask questions. The chef has welcomed them before, and the staff can help explain what is being served.

Blueberry skyr yogurt

The final course is blueberry skyr yogurt, a simple local finish after a fairly ambitious menu. It is not presented as a large pastry or elaborate dessert. Instead, you get a cool dairy-based ending with a distinctly Icelandic ingredient.

That restraint works well after lamb, seafood, rice, vegetables, and sauces. You leave with a sense of the meal’s regional character rather than a generic sweet course.

The fire show is close-up, not background decoration

The chef prepares the food inches from you, using open flame, utensils, and quick movements. The fire is described as a volcanic flame show, and the performance can include utensil spinning and other teppanyaki tricks. This is the part children, first-time teppanyaki diners, and anyone who enjoys a little theater will notice most.

The skill is practical as well as flashy. The chef has to cook several ingredients in sequence while keeping the courses moving. You get to see the difference between a staged flame moment and the actual work of managing a hot grill.

Wilson is one chef associated with the experience, and he has been praised for being personal and entertaining. In one particularly quiet sitting, he spent time with diners when they were the only people there. Sous chef Kai also came out to chat, showing that the staff can make the evening feel more personal when the room is not full.

Still, keep the right expectations. A fire show is not a full theatrical production with a fixed script. One chef may be more relaxed, funny, or polished than another, and the pace can change. One sitting had a bumpy start and a chef who seemed nervous, though the food remained good and the evening improved.

Food quality, portions, and value at $120

At $120 per person, you should think of this as a dinner and entertainment package. The included seven courses and welcome cocktail make the price easier to understand than if you were paying only for a plate of food. The live cooking, central location, and Icelandic ingredients are part of the experience.

The meal also appears to be filling. Diners have left full and satisfied, and the menu includes beef, langoustine, fish, lamb, rice, vegetables, and dessert. Do not book this expecting a small artistic tasting menu that leaves you searching for a second dinner. The combination is generous in variety and substantial in total amount.

Value depends on what you want from an evening in Reykjavík. I would consider it a good fit if you want one planned night that combines local food, Japanese technique, and entertainment. I would be less likely to choose it if my priority were a quiet meal, a strictly traditional Icelandic menu, or the lowest possible food cost.

The strongest part of the value is the combination. You are not just watching a chef perform, and you are not just eating a multi-course meal. The two activities happen together, with the food giving the show a purpose.

Location near Höfði House and the sea

The restaurant is in central Reykjavík, close to Höfði House and the waterfront. Transportation is not included, so you need to make your own way to Flame Restaurant and Bar. The central location should make it practical for anyone already sightseeing in the city, but the experience does not include hotel pickup or a separate city tour.

The nearby sea is useful after dinner. In winter, you may have a chance to see the northern lights from the lighthouse by the ocean. This is an appealing add-on because it requires no long drive if conditions cooperate. It is also important not to treat it as part of the guaranteed program. The aurora is a natural event, and no one can promise that it will appear.

You can plan the lighthouse as an optional post-dinner walk, not as the reason to pay for the meal. If the sky is cloudy or the aurora is inactive, the teppanyaki experience still goes ahead.

Who will enjoy this experience most

I would suggest this evening for couples, families, small groups, and first-time visitors who want dinner to be part of their entertainment. The fire and utensil work give children and teenagers something to watch, while the local ingredients offer adults a reason to pay attention to the menu.

It also suits you if you want to try Icelandic lamb and seafood without committing to a fully traditional Icelandic restaurant. The cooking style is familiar to anyone who has eaten teppanyaki, but the ingredients make it specific to Reykjavík.

This is less suitable for anyone who wants a silent, slow meal. The grill performance is the point, and the chef may speak, joke, and interact with the table. It may also be a poor match if you have strict dietary needs, since the provided menu includes beef, seafood, lamb, dairy, sauces, and a welcome cocktail, and no special dietary menu is stated.

The restaurant is wheelchair accessible, and the activity is conducted in English. Those are useful practical details if you need an accessible setting or want clear explanations during the meal.

Timing, booking, and small practical details

The experience runs for about 90 minutes, with starting times based on availability. I would place it on an evening when you can reach the restaurant without rushing. Arrive ready for a multi-course meal rather than expecting to order freely from a standard menu.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and the reserve-now-pay-later option lets you hold a place without paying immediately. Those policies help if your Iceland plans are still shifting, which is common when weather affects day trips.

The staff speak English, and the check-in point is Flame Restaurant and Bar. Since transportation is not included, leave enough time to get there from your hotel or earlier activity. The exact group size is not given, so you should not assume you will have a private table or a small class.

A small reservation problem affected one past arrival, but staff worked to fix it and offered complimentary wine after the delay. That suggests you should keep your confirmation handy and allow a little breathing room, even though this is a straightforward restaurant experience rather than a complicated excursion.

Should you book the Flame Restaurant teppanyaki menu?

Book it if you want a fun, food-centered night in Reykjavík and like the idea of local ingredients prepared with Japanese technique. The best reasons are the Icelandic lamb and seafood, the close-up fire work, the welcome cocktail, and the chance to finish near the sea.

Think twice if $120 feels high for dinner alone, or if you prefer calm dining and traditional Icelandic cooking. The show is a major part of the price, and the chef’s style may vary. For an anniversary, family night, or first evening in Reykjavík, I would consider it a sound choice, especially if you plan the nearby lighthouse as an optional aurora stop rather than a promise.

FAQ

Where does the teppanyaki experience take place?

It takes place at Flame Restaurant and Bar in Reykjavík, in the Capital Region of Iceland. The restaurant is in a modern glass building area near the city center.

How long does the experience last?

The experience lasts approximately 1.5 hours.

What food is included in the seven-course menu?

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

Is a drink included?

Yes. You receive a welcome sake cocktail or a similar beverage.

Is transportation included?

No. You need to make your own way to Flame Restaurant and Bar.

Is the experience conducted in English?

Yes. The instructor and staff use English.

Can I see the northern lights during the experience?

You may have a chance to see the northern lights at the nearby lighthouse by the sea during winter. The aurora is a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed.

Is the restaurant wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. A reserve-now-pay-later option is also available.