The restaurant at Fridheimar Tomato Farm is the perfect place for a lunch break. This family run restaurant has a unique set up in the middle of a greenhouse. It doesn’t only offer a treat for the taste buds but also makes the whole process a special food experience. The restaurant is open every day from 11:30 pm -4 pm.
Fridheimar Tomato Farm Restaurant
It had been on my agenda to visit Fridheimar for quite some time when I finally did it this summer. We took a road trip from Reykjavík on a Sunday in late June. My husband and I along with my parents, my brother, his wife and their 4 year old daughter. My teens were unfortunately not interested in tagging along on this trip. If you have teens you know how it is 🙂
I had heard so many good things about Fridheimar and also found the idea of the place so interesting and original. There is no other place or restaurant in Iceland that is similar to this one. It’s for sure a unique experience.
A Tomato Based Menu at Fridheimar
When you eat at Fridheimar Tomato Farm you enjoy your meal in the middle of a greenhouse surrounded by tomato plants. A very unique setting. The menu is, of course, tomato based and their tomato soup is what they are most known for. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it as I’m actually not a fan of tomato soups in general. But I really liked this one and was kind of surprised to be honest. And let me tell you, the delicious homemade bread they serve with the soup, is to die for. Sooo yummy. I also loved that they have a basil plant on each table with scissors attached to it so you can easily add some fresh basil to your food. A really nice touch.
Besides the soup and their irresistible bread the restaurant also offers some pasta, mussels and mozzarella burrata to name a few. Then there are a few desserts that also have tomatoes in them (I’ve yet to try those). Last but not least they offer a variety of different versions of Bloody Mary. Very fitting, right?
The restaurant at Fridheimar is very popular and they often host lunch for large groups. Therefore it’s very important to book a table in advance to ensure you won’t miss out on this unique food experience while driving the Golden Circle.
You can book a table here on their websiteWhat Has Fridheimar to Offer other than Yummy Food?
Icelandic Horse Show
The locals mostly come there for the food experience. So do the tourists. But many of them also come there for the Icelandic horse show that is available from May through September. I’m actually not 100% sure if they only have their own horses in this show. But my guess is that they do as they have been breeding horses at Fridheimar since 1995.
Guided Tours around the Greenhouses
But that’s not all. Fridheimar also offers visitors a guided tour around the greenhouses where they get an insight into the process of greenhouse horticulture.
The Little Tomato Shop
And finally they have The little tomato shop. Here they offer many different kinds of gourmet products from their own product line developed by their very own chef. A line that includes different kinds of tomato products (some of which are not what you might expect, such as a dessert sauce with green tomatoes and vanilla), a cucumber salsa, a few different spice mixes and some gift cards. All ideal and edible souvenirs you can take home with you. Ok, not the gift cards but you know what I mean!
You can find further information about Friðheimar hereWhat’s this Greenhouse Thing in Iceland all about?
As the average temperature in Iceland isn’t especially high, it’s pretty limited what is possible to grow outside in the open. Sure we have some farmers that grow potatoes, carrots, cabbage and more. But the sortiment is quite limited and here is where the greenhouse cultivation comes in strong.
We are so lucky here in Iceland to be rich in green energy, both geothermal and hydropower. This green energy is used to grow vegetables and flowers year round in greenhouses.
I for one never buy imported cucumbers, tomatoes or mushrooms. I also always buy Icelandic peppers when they are available. Unfortunately the supply of those isn’t as stable as for the other three I mentioned before. They are available the majority of the year though. I also mostly buy Icelandic salad and fresh herbs like basil, parsley and coriander. Icelandic strawberries are a big favourite as well. But they are only available for a limited time each year. All these vegetables, berries and herbs are cultivated in Icelandic greenhouses with green energy. Pretty cool, right?
Most of the greenhouses are located in South Iceland. Actually the majority of them are located around the Golden circle area to be exact. One of them is Fridheimar Tomato Farm. In my opinion the owners of Fridheimar have built a brilliant concept at their farm. They’ve expanded their business from just being an ordinary tomato farm to becoming a very popular site among tourists and locals. A job well done if you ask me.
A Bonustip for your Visit to Fridheimar
When in this area you might want to stop by a beautiful waterfall that is called Faxi and is located very close to Fridheimar. For some reason this waterfall isn’t well known but there is an easy access to it and if you have time it’s well worth a quick stop. Down below, you can see pictures from my visit there in late June.
Have you ever been to Fridheimar? What did you think of it? Did you see the horse show or just have lunch like me? Would love to hear about your experience in the comments.
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Until next time!
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